which utensils are best for cooking

I am in a bit of a dilemma here and need some advice about which utensils are best for cooking. I've always just used whatever I had in the kitchen, but lately, I've been feeling like maybe I need to invest in better cookware or something? Like, last week I decided to make this fancy pasta dish, and my non-stick pan just kinda flaked a bit, and I was like “is this safe??” I mean, nobody wants to eat that stuff, right? Also, I'm not sure if I should get metal utensils or plastic ones because I’ve heard they can scratch non-stick surfaces. And what about wooden utensils? they seem to be trendy, but do they really last? Plus, I tried using a cast iron skillet once, and it was super heavy but cooked the food nicely, but I just don't know if that’s practical for everyday use. Then there's all these different materials like stainless steel and ceramic—I’m totally lost! Can someone just give me a list of which utensils are best for cooking? I want to make sure I’m not using something that can be harmful or just doesn’t work well. Like tips for easy cleaning would be great too! Just need some clarity on this huge cooking utensil mess!