Cast iron is useless in the microwave. I like having both Pyrex and cast iron.
actually, I have glass casserole dishes that work in the oven, and in the microwave, and I use them. I have a 12" SS frying pan with sloped sides, that when used properly, is as non-stick as my CI. So too is my carbon steel, flat-bottomed Atlas Wok. And then there's the aluminum pressure cooker, that I seasoned with cooking oil. Yep, it's easy to clean as well.
The point is, they all work, when used for what they're supposed to be used for. And they all will produce great food. What material you use is simply a matter of personal preference. And, to further prove the point, I even have a square, teflon coated, aluminum griddle that is fabulous with the right heat, for making grilled cheese or grilled PBJ sandwiches, and for making perfect pancakes.
My go-to pans are usually cast iron, simply because I like the results I get from them. I'm used to them. And I have a couple of Griswold pans that not only work wonderfully, but have sentimental value as well because of how I obtained them.
I say, if cooking in a clay pot works for you, then cook in a clay pot, or glass, or SS, or CI, or aluminum, etc. But don't tell someone else they are wrong because they don't do things the way you do.
Is there a risk factor while using glass or ceramic cooking vessels, yup, there sure is. But wait, if I take a screaming hot cast iron frying pan and throw it into ice water, it can violently crack, or even explode, just like glass. I've gotten an aluminum pot hot enough to melt, once. tell me that wasn't a dangerous thing to do.
Pots and pans are tools, not loved ones. When used properly, they give great service. Just know the difference between cheap, poorly made tools, and good ones. And remember, price isn't always an accurate guide as to which items will perform the best. And that's my two-hundred cents worth. I'm now climbing off of my soap box. Please, don't throw whole watermelons at me. They are hard to catch fast enough to put into containers to take home and enjoy.
Is that enough prepositions in one sentence or what!
Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North