How to make sure teapot is safe after being on fire without water I left my teapot on the stove for about 30 minutes by accident. By the time I noticed, all the water had boiled out. So, I turned off the stove and let it cool.

When I went to put water in it again, black flakes began to come off the bottom of the pot on the inside, but I could not scrub out all the flakey stuff easily.

I have a stainless steel teapot. Are these flakes hazardous? How do I clean my pot to make sure it's safe to drink from again?
It's probably just limescale stuck to the bottom of your pot that blackened. I don't think burnt limescale is harmful, but it shouldn't be too hard to remove. You can try cleaning it using standard means to remove scale from kettles, like using vinegar.