I like to make pancakes. I like to make them on a nonstick surface.  I know that nonstick surfaces don't last forever, but my specific experiences with griddles, both electric and stovetop, has been ridiculous. A few sets of pancakes, even with careful plastic utensil usage, and the sticking commences.  Can anyone suggest either (a) a brand of griddle with a half-life of over a year, (b) anything I may be doing wrong in managing the object, or (c) some alternative approach to cooking pancakes that requires neither a nonstick surface or a lake of lubricant? 
One thing you might be doing that will severely reduce the lifetimes of these pans is overheating them.  Anything over 260 °C (500 °F) will cause the coating to deteriorate.  Usually this happens when you leave the pan preheating on high without any food on it.   