Help! Is my new Le Crueset ruined??

My well meaning but ill advised brother chose to make popcorn in my brand new Le Creuset. The bottom is now all discolored and burnt looking and I cannot get it to come off. Is there anything I can do or is it ruined?

http://www.chowhound.com/boards/cooki...

It is not ruined. A mild bleach and water soak will help..

This is good advice. However, if bleach doesn't work, try denture cleaning solution (available at any drug store or grocery store). This was a great tip I picked up on this board that has served me well for various cleaning projects.

Also, you could try spray-on oven cleaner - I have a friend who swears by it for cleaning pots. Whenever you do these solvent type operations, be sure to cover the offending pot and place it away from children or pets. Le Creuset is VERY sturdy. However, the enamel on the inside bottom of the pan does tend to wear thin after a number of years, but the usefulness is unaffected. My own dutch oven has an 1/8" ding where you can see black iron peeping through as well as lots of tiny hairline cracks. The things to avoid are extreme temperature changes which will cause tiny cracks - don't take a hot pan off the stove and immediately pour in cold water to soak off the detritus. Instead, wait a few minutes and then add hot water. Don't dig hard at the bottom with a metal spatula or any metal implement. Don't use steel wool for cleaning - use a plastic scrubbie.

Before moving on to anything too noxious, I'd give it some a firm and prolonged scrubbing with a damp paste of baking soda.

Link: http://meglioranza.com