Mine too. I don't worry about it.

Why can't you scrub it off? I use Bar Tenders Friend on my stainless. It won't scratch and you don't have to scrub hard.

Bar Keepers Friend works. Sold in grocery stores. It's a powder like Comet.

Agree, BKF is a chelating agent that will easily remove that stain.

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

BKF and a Mr Clean Magic sponge. But I also say...why worry? It's not "something" on the pan just discolored metal.
Linda C

I use a scotch pad.

: )
lyra

Bar Keeper Friend or a similar stainless steel cleaner - Cameo.

-Grainlady

1. Bar Keepers Friend

~or~

2. Wash the pot, dry it and use it for spaghetti sauce or some other tomato-based recipe. The acidity will dissolve the stain, which is mostly minerals from the beans. You'll get back a little nutrition and won't need to scour. :)

Thanks, I have BKF so will try that. I guess it bugs me not having a smooth shiny surface. Today I bought a pot with non-stick interior so won't have to deal with that anymore.

Another BKF fanboy here! Love the stuff, it's nothing like Comet because it actually works! HA! I am 48 years old and I just tried it for the first time a few months ago...BKF where have you been all my life! It was just invented in, I believe, the 1800's...HEEHEE!

Lazycook:
I use Easy Off - Fume Free, Oven Cleaner for cleaning many items.

Have not used it on Alluminum yet.
I think it is safe but there is a Toll Free number on the can, for Questions ( 1-800-228-4722 )
LOU

Dawn Power Dissolver is another "MUST HAVE" cleaner for use in the kitchen too.

Dan
Sempr Fi-cus

I cook beans a lot and BKF always quickly cleans the stain off. It's the best stuff to clean up almost anything in the kitchen, and no fumes! Leave it to CFers to pretty much know what's good for kitchen chores. A can lasts such a long time for me. It doesn't take much. Use the stainless steel, it doesn't release chemicals we don't know that much about, at least I don't and still don't trust what I know.

My ex used BTF on his motorcycle to shine up crome! Good stuff! I also use it to clean spills on a glass top stove.

I even use it to clean my porcelain sink. It works much better than Bon Ami. But I've also used BKF for my stainless, as others have, and it shines them right up. I don't like the smell of it, but that doesn't last.

Sally

After buying a new stainless steel pot set, the care instructions for them recommended warm vinegar. So heat the pot up on low heat briefly with a bit of vinegar (I spray a bit of distilled white vinegar) then use a sponge/brush (not the metal scrubber) to scrub it for about 20 secs or until the marks are gone. I like this version better because it is the most non toxic cleaning method for my pots/pans I have found.

baking soda and vinegar

Dawn Power Dissolver has been discontinued, but I did manage to get a couple of bottles before it was no longer available. Nothing works like it, and so it is unfortunate that it is no longer available. Oven cleaner might do the same trick.

Speaking of Bar Keepers Friend, about 12 or 13 years ago, I remodeled the kitchen in my old house. For some reason, the cabinetmaker’s son leaned against the door of my to-me gorgeous brand-new Viking refrigerator. When he moved, he had left a huge, unsightly greasy spot on the fridge. (Why do people lean on things???)

I tried everything I could think of to clean the spot and it simply would not come off. Finally, someone on the Kitchen Forum suggested lightly wiping over it with BKF going with the grain of the stainless. Voila! no more stain.

BKF always takes the marks out of my All-Clad pans, if I bother. Generally, I don’t bother.