Ceramic coated pans have been a nice middle ground for me. The ceramic has some non-stick properties while still being pretty durable and scratch resistant within reason.
Getting better at controling heat has done more for maintaining my pans than anything else, even when you’re flashing something or doing a glaze/reduction or whatever, you can usually avoid the worst by being more attentive to time and temperature and by doing a bit of clean up as you go.