How to remove blackened, burned on gunk:

This is not my kitchen. Do you know how you can tell? The stove is spotlessly clean!

This is cleaning advice for lazy, somewhat absent minded persons like myself: also why I keep a gallon of cheap white vinegar on hand.

The yesterday I burned spaghetti sauce to the bottom of one of my favorite sauce pot. Sunday, it was the charred remains of hamburger patties on my largest frying pan, before that zucchini bread drippings on a cookie sheet. As you can tell, "accificial" offerings happen with great frequency in my kitchen.

This is my recipe for safely and cheaply removing burned on crud from my stainless steel with minimal effort:

Enough water to cover the stained area
A splash of cheap white vinegar
A squirt of my favorite dish soap (or whatever dish soap I have on hand, as my favorite brand is an online exclusive and I don't always have the time or means to order more)

Stir until incorporated or bubbly and forget about it until the next day. Wash off with only light scrubbing at worst. If still uncomfortably spotty, repeat the procedure with two splashes of vinegar (although if only lightly stained, I may just ignore it and cook with it until the stain disappears on it's own through daily wear and tear.