I have had that happen so many times (you know the thing about not watching a pot). All I do is put the pot/pan on the stove on burner with water. Bring it to very warm or almost boil and just use a metal spatula and just start working it up. The hot water opens the pores enough for you to start scraping. Always after using the pot while it's still hot and after emptying, I put enough water in it (couple cups will do). I never let the pot cool down before I do this. The best preventative is to spray the pot with a vegetable cooking spray. I use it on all my cookware. I also spray the lids.