Scorched black. Not dead. Rescue it.

Cover the burnt area with water, add a few spoonfuls of bicarbonate of soda, bring it to a gentle simmer and leave it for ten to fifteen minutes. Let it cool, then scrape with a wooden spoon or a soft pad – most of the black should lift. Repeat if there's still a layer. It works because the softening happens first and the scrubbing second.

If the coating is scratched through, pitted or flaking, replace it – a damaged nonstick surface stops working as one and isn't worth persevering with. Minor marks with the coating otherwise intact are usually fine, but switch to soft sponges and non‑metal utensils from now on. Coated pans have a limited life in any case.

An alkaline simmer will take some of it off, yes. For a light burn, coarse salt with a little oil and a stiff brush cleans without disturbing the seasoning much. For something worse you may have to accept stripping that area and re‑seasoning afterwards, which is a straightforward job – a very thin coat of oil and a long spell in a hot oven.

That's the most stubborn kind, because heated oil sets into something closer to a varnish than a food residue. It takes repeated long soaks rather than one heroic session. Oven cleaners will shift it but they're caustic and not suitable for every material – if you go that way, follow the product's own instructions exactly, wear gloves, ventilate, and never use one on nonstick or aluminium.

Gently, and with nothing metal. Enamel chips and scratches, and once the surface is damaged it stains more easily and can't be restored. A bicarbonate simmer and a soft sponge is the right approach; a gentle powder cleaner made for cookware can help with staining. Check what your manufacturer recommends first – most publish care instructions, and they're the authority on their own coating.