Kashering the Kitchen

KASHERING THE KITCHEN INTRODUCTION SEPHARDIC APPLICATIONS Dishes, utensils, kitchen appliances, countertops, and anything else used with food year-round, cannot be used 1. Rav Ovadia Yosef (Chazon Ovadia – Pesach 2003 edi- for Passover unless it goes through a process known as tion page 151), following the Shulchan Aruch (Orach “kashering” or “hechsher keilim”. For a few items kash- Chaim 451:26), rules that glass and crystal DO NOT ering just involves thoroughly cleaning the item, but need to be kashered for Pesach. Glass is a non-porous for most items kashering also requires submerging the material, and thus merely requires to be washed and item in boiling water or a similar hot process. The laws cleaned and may be used for Pesach. This includes Py- of kashering are quite complex, and this article will pres- rex and Duralex as well. (Chazon Ovadia, ibid.) ent the most practical points for the average consumer. 2. However, an item that is not 100% glass, but contains Readers are encouraged to discuss any questions not even a small amount of material that is not able to be covered in this article with their local Orthodox Rabbi. kashered, such as ceramic, may not be kashered (per- The following items may not be kashered for Passover: sonal communication with Rav Ovadia Yosef). For ex- ample, a glass stovetop is likely not 100% glass and China, pottery, earthenware, cement, concrete, and may contain additional materials. If even a small per- enameled pots may not be kashered for Passover. The centage of those additional materials are not kasher- Ashkenazic custom is to not kasher glass or crystal, able, then the entire stovetop may not be kashered. with the exception of glass stovetops discussed below. There is a difference of opinion as to whether plastic 3. Rav Yosef (Chazon Ovadia – Pesach 2003 edition, and other synthetic materials are included in this rule, page 151) opines that plastic may be kashered for Pe- and the cRc position is that those materials may be sach. kashered. NOTE: Sephardic applications are indicated in marked Utensils and appliances which cannot be thoroughly boxes. cleaned, such as those having crevices in which chametz can accumulate, may not be kashered for Pass- FLATWARE over. Some examples of this are dishwashers, sieves, graters, utensils with loose-fitting handles, and bottles Silver, stainless steel, and plastic flatware may be kash- with narrow necks. ered. The process begins with a thorough cleaning, after which the utensil should not be used for 24 hours. A pot of Materials which might get ruined during the kashering water is brought to a rolling boil, and the pieces of flatware process may not be kashered for Passover, out of con- are dropped into the water one at a time. If the water stops cern that the person would be afraid of breaking his boiling at any point, one must wait until it returns to a boil utensil and would therefore not kasher properly. before putting in any more flatware. The custom is to rinse We now turn to the parts of the kitchen which can be the flatware with cold water after kashering. kashered. Some have the custom to kasher in a dedicated “kashering 22 cRc Pesach Guide 5779 www.crcweb.org pot” which is not used for anything else, but most kasher TABLECLOTHS in any pot which is clean and has not been used for 24 Fabric tablecloths may be used for Passover after being hours. laundered. Vinyl tablecloths cannot be kashered and should be replaced for Passover. POTS AND PANS Standard metal pots are kash- ELECTRIC MIXERS, FOOD ered in the same manner as SEPHARDIC PROCESSORS, AND BLENDERS flatware; consult with your APPLICATIONS The motor area of small electric appliances (e.g. mixers, Rabbi if the pot which requires Glass Pots (Pyrex) food processor, blenders) is often exposed to chametz kashering is too large to fit Per point #1 above, and is very difficult to clean; it is therefore recommended into any other pot of boiling these items do not that one purchase separate appliances which should be water. Enameled pots (e.g. need to undergo reserved for Passover use. A food processor or blender Fiesta Ware, Le Creuset) and kashering. Washing whose motor area is truly sealed, such that food does not glass pots (e.g. Pyrex) cannot and cleaning them penetrate, is not affected by this issue and may be used for be kashered. suffices (Chazon Passover after separate bowls and blades are purchased In general, baking, roasting, Ovadia – Pesach for Passover use. and frying pans cannot be 2003 edition page kashered for Passover, unless 152). SINKS they are always used with Frying Pans generous amounts of oil or Stainless steel or Corian other grease when cooking. If Following the Shul- sinks may be kashered by SEPHARDIC that is the case, they can be chan Aruch (Orach cleaning them thorough- APPLICATIONS kashered via libun kal which Chaim 451:11), Rav ly, leaving them unused for Sinks involves cleaning the pans Ovadia Yosef (Cha- 24 hours, and then carefully well, not using them for 24 zon Ovadia – Pesach pouring boiling water from a Rav Ovadia Yosef hours and then putting them 2003 edition page kettle over all surfaces of the (Chazon Ovadia – upside-down on an open 138) rules that haga- sink and faucet. The strain- Pesach 2003 edition flame until both the inside la suffices for frying er covering the sink’s drain, page 151) ruled that and outside of the pan are hot pans. However, the and the aerator on the faucet, porcelain sinks may enough to singe paper. difficulty in achiev- should be replaced for Pass- be kashered in the ing the prerequisite over. If a faucet has a coiled same way that stainless steel or Corian DRINKING GLASSES level of cleanliness hose, the faucet can be used necessary for ha- on Pesach as long as the sinks are kashered. The Ashkenazic custom is gala may make this coiled portion remains in the He added that it is that drinking glasses made process impractical. “base” and is not pulled out. preferable to under- of glass cannot be kashered Porcelain sinks cannot be go this process three Glassware if they were ever used for hot kashered. Dishes and other times for porcelain beverages or washed with hot Per point #1 above, Passover utensils may not be sinks. water, such as in a dishwash- glassware does not placed in a sink which was not er. If they were never used or require more than kashered; rather, an insert or basin which was never used washed hot, fill the glasses being washed and for chametz must be placed in the sink, and all dishes with water and leave the wa- cleaned to be usable should be put into that insert. ter in the glasses for at least on Passover. 24 hours; repeat this proce- STOVETOPS AND OVENS dure two additional times with fresh water. Drinking glasses made of plastic can be kashered in the same manner Stovetops (ranges) and ovens may be kashered for Pass- as flatware outlined above, and drinking glasses (or anything else) made of ceramic or china cannot be kashered. www.askcrc.org cRc Pesach Guide 5779 23 over use, and the process for doing so is as follows: while the self-clean cycle is run, the racks should be kashered separately. STOVETOPS The most common type of Note: Low-temperature self-clean cycles (e.g. AquaLift, stovetop is a metal grate over SEPHARDIC Steam Clean) do not qualify as kashering. APPLICATIONS an open flame, which is situ- WARMING DRAWER ated on a porcelain enamel Ovens surface. Others have electric Light one can of chafing-dish fuel (e.g. Sterno cans) in the coils in the place of an open Rav Ovadia Yosef warming drawer, being sure to use a can fueled with eth- flame or have a glass (a.k.a. (Chazon Ovadia – anol or methanol. [Wicked-cans that use diethylene glycol glass-ceramic) surface cov- Pesach 2003 edition as a fuel should not be used for kashering.] Make sure ering electric coils; the most page 132) does not to leave the door of the warming drawer slightly ajar, so popular brands for this last require the addition- that there will be enough air to allow for combustion, and type of stovetop are Corning al stringencies of allow the can to burn for two hours. As with all kashering, and Ceran. covering the racks before you begin, the warming drawer must be thoroughly etc. and preventing cleaned and not used for 24 hours. The kashering of stovetops – food from coming including glass ones – is done into contact with the MICROWAVE OVEN as follows: All parts of the oven walls. stovetop should be thorough- Microwave ovens may be used on Chol HaMoed, but SEPHARDIC ly cleaned, including scrap- APPLICATIONS ing residual food from the surface and catch-tray, and not not on Shabbat and Yom used for 24 hours. Then the fire or coil should be turned Tov. The glass plate cannot Microwave oven be kashered (or used) and to its maximum temperature for at least 30 minutes. [For Regarding the glass should be removed before electric stovetops with exposed coils (i.e. not covered with plate, refer to Point kashering begins. Some mi- glass), leave the coils on for just 15 minutes.] 1 above that glass crowaves have a porcelain does not require Afterwards, cover the following areas with foil: (a) the enamel interior; these cannot anything more than knobs, catch trays, and all areas between the burners, and be kashered.

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