I will grant it takes more feul to heat up cast iron but that heat is retained in the iron and people who use castiron regularly can tell you that they will remove the heat 2-4 minutes befor the food is fully cooked and it will continue to cook countering the time it took to heat initially. IMO it's six of one half a dozen of another it just depends on what you like. Me personally I wouldn't trade my cast iron skillets and dutch oven / pot for the best non stick in the world. As far as the lighter being better at starting fire than a bow drill, it's just faster not neccesarily better.