[bjackman]

I disagree with your caveat, it's a little wasteful (because it might only last a couple of years) but if you only have a nonstick frying pan you will be just fine. In fact it's better than overthinking it so much that you end up ordering another 20 takeaway meals instead of just cooking in what you have.

[yurishimo]

Sure, if you literally only have a metal utensil, it's fine for a couple of uses, but there are other side effects as well. When you use metal and the the nonstick coating begins to scrape off, that means it's going into your food and you're likely eating it! It's not good for your health or your wallet. I think every discount store I've ever been to has a set of plastic spoons/spatulas for 1 €/$/£ so there isn't really an excuse not to use them long term.

[amluto]

Having personally melted one of these spatulas into a pasta sauce, I would buy a nice one for maybe $5 :)

Or a wooden spoon. The ones without a surface coating are not always easy to find, but they’re very cheap, don’t melt, and last for years.