As the Yom Tov of Pesach nears and the diligent balabusta begins to tackle the challenge of preparing the kitchen for Pesach, undoubtedly the light at the end of the tunnel is beginning to shine. Although moving into a separate Pesach home sounds very inviting, such luxuries are often not affordable and definitely not in the Pesach spirit. Among the basic mitzvos of the Chag is the mitzvah of “Tashbisu Se’or Mibateichem,” ridding one's home and possessions from chometz. However, if we are to use kitchen equipment, utensils, or articles that are used in our kitchen year round, it is insufficient to just clean thoroughly. One is forbidden to use these items unless they have been especially prepared for Pesach. This unique preparation process is known as kashering.
We are instructed by the Torah that the proper kashering method one uses to rid a vessel of chometz depends upon the original food preparation method used which absorbed chometz into a vessel. Kashering methods can be broadly grouped into four categories: 1) Libbun - Incinerating; 2) Hagola - Purging; 3) Eruy Roschim - Purging through a hot water pour; 4) Milui V'eruy - Soaking.
It is preferable, when possible, that a person who is knowledgeable with the laws of kashering be in attendance during this kashering process.
Libbun Gamur: Heating Metal To A Glow
Libbun Kal: Heating Metal So That Paper Will Burn On
The Other Side Of The Heated Utensil
Metal utensils used in the oven for baking, must be heated to a glow if they are to be used on Pesach.
The stove must also be kashered if it is to be used for Pesach. This includes the oven, the cooktop, and the broiler. No part of the stove can be considered kashered for Pesach unless it is completely clean, and free from any baked-on food or grease.
The Oven: In a conventional oven, gas or electric, an oven cleaner may be necessary to remove baked on grease. Be sure to check hidden areas, including corners, door edges, the area behind the flame burners, and the grooves of the rack shelves. If a caustic type of oven cleaner (such as Easy-Off) was used to clean the oven and some stubborn spots remain after the caustic cleaner has been applied a second time with similar results, the remaining spots may be disregarded. Once the oven and racks have been cleaned, they may be kashered by libbun kal. The requirement of libbun kal is satisfied by turning the oven to the broil or highest setting for forty minutes. In a gas oven the broil setting will allow the flame to burn continuously. In a conventional electric oven the highest setting, broil or 550°F, kashers the oven. Only libbun kal is required for the oven racks, since it is usual to cook food in a pan, not directly on the racks themselves.
In a continuous cleaning oven, one cannot assume that such an oven is clean because the manufacturer claims it to be continuously clean. A visual inspection is required. Since caustic or abrasive oven cleaners, e.g. Easy Off, cannot be used without destroying the continuous clean properties of the oven, a non-abrasive, and non-caustic, cleaner must be used to clean the oven. Grease spots will usually disappear if the top layer of grease is cleaned with Fantastic and a nylon brush. Then the oven should be turned on to 450°F for an hour so that the continuous clean mechanism can work. If the spots don't disappear the oven should be left on for a few hours to allow the continuous clean mechanism to deep clean or the spots should be removed with oven cleaner or steel wool. If the spots are dark spots that crumble when scratched, they can be disregarded. In all of the above cases, the oven should then be kashered by turning it to the broil setting for forty minutes.
In a self cleaning oven, the self-cleaning cycle will clean and kasher the oven simultaneously. CAUTION: There is a potential risk of fire during the self-cleaning process. Please do not leave your oven unattended while in the self-cleaning mode.
Some ovens come with a convection feature. This feature allows for more uniform heat distribution by using a fan to circulate the heat. If the convection oven has the self cleaning feature, it will be sufficient to kasher the fan as well. If there is no self cleaning feature, the entire oven, including the fan - while it is circulating, must be sprayed with a caustic cleaner, e.g. Easy Off, and cleaned well. The oven should then be kashered by turning it on to its highest setting for forty minutes.
The Cooktop: On a conventional gas range the cast iron or metal grates upon which the pots on the range sit, may be inserted into the oven after they have been thoroughly cleaned. The grates can then be kashered simultaneously with the oven. (It is advisable to check with the manufacturer as to whether the grates would be able to withstand a self-clean cycle.) Another method to kasher the grates is to cover the grates completely with a flat double layer of thick aluminum foil and turn the burner on the highest setting for ten minutes. The aluminum foil may then be removed. Please note: Use extreme caution when using this method. It may not be advisable to turn on all burners at once. Additionally, if the plastic controls (knobs) are on top of the cooktop, there is a possibility that the controls will melt from the heat of the flames. Therefore, the knobs should be removed before kashering. The rest of the range (not Ceran top) should be cleaned and covered with a double layer of heavy duty aluminum foil which remains there during Pesach. The burners do not need kashering or covering, just cleaning.
In a conventional electric cooktop, one needs to clean the burners well and then turn them on to a high heat setting until they are glowing hot. (Usually this only takes several minutes.) The drip pans should be thoroughly cleaned and need not be kashered. The remaining cooktop areas should be cleaned and covered. The knobs with which the gas or electricity is turned on should be cleaned. No other process is necessary to kasher the knobs.
Please note: All ovens ventilate hot steam during cooking. In the past, the hot steam was ventilated through the back of the oven. This is still the case with gas freestanding ranges. Today, freestanding electric ranges no longer ventilate in this manner. The oven steam is ventilated through one of the rear cooktop burners. During oven cooking, if the rear vented burner is off and is covered by a pot or kettle, the hot steam will condense on the burner and utensils. This could create hot zea (condensate) that can cause serious kashrus problems with the utensil if the food cooked in the oven is a meat product and the pot on the burner is dairy or pareve or vice versa. Care should be exercised with the vented burner to keep it clear during oven cooking.
Kashering a Glass, Corning, Halogen or Ceran electric smoothtop range for Pesach use is a bit complex. To kasher the burner area, clean well and turn on the elements until they glow. The burner area is now considered kosher for Pesach. However, the remaining area that does not get hot is not kashered. The manufacturers do not suggest covering this area as one would a porcelain or stainless steel top, as it may cause the glass to break. Real kosherization can be accomplished by holding a blow torch over the glass until it is hot enough to singe a piece of newspaper on contact with the glass. However, this too may cause the glass to shatter and is not recommended.
As the area between the burners cannot practically be kashered, it would be wise to have a trivet on the open glass area to move pots onto. In addition, in order to use a large pot that extends beyond the designated cooking area, one should place a metal disc, approximately 1/8 of an inch thick, on the burner area to raise the Passover pots above the rest of the glass surface. (Caution: This disc should not extend beyond the designated cooking area.) This will also help in case a small pot boils over, sending a trickle of hot liquid that would serve as a connector from the Passover pot to the non-Passover stovetop. (Note: Cooking efficiency may be compromised when using a metal disc.)
For gas stovetops with a glass surface, one may kasher the grates in the oven with a libbun kal (550°F for forty minutes). In most such models the grates cover the entire top of the stove and there should be no problem adjusting pots on the stovetop. Food which falls through the grates and touches the glass surface should not be used.
For those models where the grates do not cover the entire cooktop surface, it would be wise to place a trivet on the open glass area to move pots onto, as no food or pots may come in direct contact with the non-kashered glass surface.
Some gas cooktops have an electric warming area on the glasstop. This area would have to become red hot when turned on in order to kasher. Many of these warming areas do not get hot enough for kashering and may not be used on Pesach.
The Broiler: The broiler pan cannot be kashered by just turning on the gas or electricity. Since food is broiled or roasted directly on the pan, it must be heated to a glow in order to be used. This can be done by using a blowtorch (which should only be done by qualified personnel). An alternate method is to replace the broiler pan. The empty broiler cavity must then be kashered by cleaning and setting it to broil for forty minutes. If one does not intend to use the broiler one may still use the oven, even without kashering the broiler, provided that the broiler has been thoroughly cleaned.
Other inserts such as griddles which come into direct contact with food are treated the same as broiler pans. Therefore, they too would require application of direct heat until the surface glows red. If not, the insert should be cleaned and not used for Pesach.
Barbeque Grills: A grill cannot be kashered by just turning on the gas or electricity. Since food is roasted directly on the grill, it must be heated to a glow in order to be used. This can be done either by using a blowtorch (which should only be done by qualified personnel) or by sandwiching the grates between the charcoal briquettes and setting them on fire. An alternate method is to replace the grates of the grill. The part of the grill cavity which is level with the grate must also be kashered by heating it to a glow. This is due to the likelihood of the food having touched that area during barbequeing. The empty grill cavity must be kashered by cleaning, closing the hood and setting it to broil for forty minutes.
Other inserts such as griddles which come into direct contact with food are treated the same as a grill. Therefore, they too would require application of direct heat until the surface glows red. If not, the insert should be cleaned and not used for Pesach. If the grill has side burners, they should be treated like cooktop grates, assuming no food has been placed directly on it.
Practical Tip: It is easiest to determine that the metal has been brought to a glow in a darkened room.
Warming Drawers – Warming drawers cannot be kashered because the heat setting does not go high enough to constitute libbun. The warming drawer should be cleaned, sealed, and not used for Pesach.
Oven Hoods and Exhaust Fans – Hoods and exhaust fan filters should be cleaned and free of any food residue.
Microwaves – When microwaves are used they do not necessarily absorb chometz. The microwave should be tested to see if the walls become hot during use. To do this, cook an open potato in the microwave until it has been steaming for a few minutes. Place your hand on the ceiling of the microwave to see if it has become too hot to touch. If you cannot hold your hand there for fifteen seconds then we assume that the microwave has absorbed chometz. If this is the case, the microwave should be cleaned and sealed for Pesach. If it has not absorbed chometz (i.e., you can hold your hand there for fifteen seconds),1 the microwave itself needs only to be cleaned well. It is recommended to wait twenty-four hours without use before using the microwave for Pesach. The turn table should be replaced because it has come into contact with hot food and would not pass the hand test. One may replace the turn table with a ¼” Styrofoam board.
Microwave ovens that have a convection or browning feature must be kashered using the convection and/or browning mode. The kashering method to be used would be a libbun kal. The convection microwave should first be cleaned well. If the fan area cannot be properly cleaned, it should be sprayed with a caustic cleaner, e.g. Easy Off, with the fan on, and rinsed off before kashering. One should then test the convection microwave to see if it reaches the required heat for a libbun kal by putting it on its highest setting for forty minutes. A piece of paper should then be held against the interior wall to see if it gets singed. If so, the convection microwave has been sufficiently heated for a libbun kal and can now be considered kashered. Many models fail the test, though, because their settings do not allow the microwave to get hot enough for kashering. If this is the case, the microwave should be cleaned, sealed, and not used for Pesach.
Metal utensils that have been used for cooking, serving or eating hot chometz may be kashered by cleaning them thoroughly, waiting twenty-four hours and then immersing them, one by one, into a kosher for Pesach pot of water which has been heated and is maintaining a rolling boil when the vessel is immersed.
The metal utensil or vessel should be submerged in the boiling water for about fifteen seconds. The utensils undergoing the kashering process may not touch each other. In other words, if a set of flatware is being kashered for Pesach, one cannot take all the knives, forks and spoons and put them in the boiling water together. They should be placed into the boiling water separately. A special kashering suggestion is to loosely tie the pieces of silverware to a string, leaving three inches between each piece, and immerse the string of silverware slowly, making sure the water keeps boiling. The process is finalized by rinsing the kashered items in cold water. If tongs are used to grip the utensil, the utensil will have to be immersed a second time with the tong in a different position so that the boiling water will touch the initially gripped area. The entire utensil does not have to be kashered at once; it may be done in parts.
A non-kosher for Pesach pot may also be used for the purpose of kashering. It is the custom to make the pot kosher for Pesach before using it for kashering. This can be accomplished by cleaning the pot, leaving it dormant for twenty-four hours, filling the pot completely with water, waiting until the water comes to a rolling boil, and using a pair of thongs to throw in a hot stone or brick which has been heated on another burner. The hot rock will cause the water to bubble more furiously and run over the top ridge of the pot on all sides at one time. (Use caution, as the hot water may spray in all directions.) The kashering process is finalized by rinsing the pot in cold water.
Extra Bonus: After the Pesach kashering process has taken place, the status of these newly kashered utensils may be changed from milchig to fleishig, or vice versa.
Stainless steel sinks can be kashered using the following method. Clean the sink thoroughly. Hot water should not be used or poured in the sink for twenty-four hours prior to kashering. It is recommended that the hot shut-off valve under the sink be turned off twenty-four hours before kashering. Kashering is accomplished by pouring boiling hot water from a Pesach kettle/pot over every part of the stainless steel sink. It is not sufficient to pour on one spot and let the water run down the sink. The poured water must touch every part of the sink including the drain and the spout of the water faucet. It is likely that the kashering kettle will need to be refilled a few times before the kashering can be completed. After kashering the sink should be rinsed with cold water. Granite sinks can be kashered like a stainless steel sink. If hot water was used in the sink accidentally during the twenty-four hour dormant period, and there is not enough time before Pesach to leave the sink dormant for an additional twenty-four hours, a sheila should be asked.
China sinks cannot be kashered at all. Porcelain or corian sinks should also be considered like a china sink, since there is a controversy whether these materials can be kashered. These sinks should be cleaned, not used for twenty-four hours, and completely lined with contact paper or foil. The dishes that are to be washed should not be placed directly into the sink. They must be washed in a Pesach dish pan which sits on a Pesach rack. It is necessary to have separate dish pans and racks for milchig and fleishig dishes.
Countertops – Silestone, Porcelain Enamel, Corian, and Plastic/Formica countertops cannot be kashered. They should be cleaned and covered. To place hot food and utensils on these countertops, cardboard or thick pads must be used to cover the counter. Corian is also a form of plastic that cannot be kashered, but since the chometz penetrates only a thin layer of the counter, it can be sanded down to take off a layer of Corian (the thickness of a piece of paper). It then is considered kosher for Pesach. However, only a qualified contractor should attempt this procedure. Granite, Marble, Stainless Steel, or Metal may be kashered through eruy roschim. Wood may also be kashered through eruy roschim if it has a smooth surface.
In prewar Europe, where glass was expensive and hard to obtain, it was customary to kasher drinking glasses by immersing them in cold water for three 24 hour periods. This is accomplished by submerging glasses for twenty-four hours. The water should then be emptied and refilled and let sit for another 24 hours. This procedure should be repeated a third time, for a total of 72 hours. This procedure of submerging cannot be used for pyrex or glass that was used directly on the fire or in the oven. In general, kashering glasses is only recommended in cases of difficulty. Wherever glasses are readily available for purchase, special glasses for Pesach are preferable. Arcoroc and Corelle should be treated as glass for kashering purposes.
It’s important to note that where libbun kal helps, certainly libbun gamur is good; where hagola helps, surely libbun kal is good; where eruy helps, certainly hagola and libbun help.
The following is a checklist reviewing items commonly found in the kitchen and how to prepare them for Pesach. Also included is a list of items that cannot be kashered.
Baby High Chair - Thoroughly clean. Preferable to cover the tray with contact paper.
Blender/Food Processor/Smoothie Machine - New or Pesachdik receptacle (plus anything that food makes direct contact with) required. Thoroughly clean appliance. The blade should be treated like any knife kashered through hagola.
Can Opener - Manual or Electric - Clean thoroughly.
Candlesticks/Tray - Clean thoroughly. Should not be put under hot water in a kosher for Pesach sink.
Coffeemakers - Coffeemakers that have brewed only unflavored pure coffee - Clean thoroughly. Replace with new or Pesachdik glass carafe and new filters. Coffeemakers that have brewed flavored coffee should be cleaned thoroughly. Do not use for 24 hours. Pour one cup of water into chamber. Water should be heated in unit and allowed to drip over exposed metal base. Replace with new plastic filter holder, new filters, and new or Pesachdik glass carafe.
Colanders - Metal – Libbun kal. Plastic - Do not use.
Dentures, Bite Plates, Braces - Clean thoroughly after finishing to eat chometz.
Dishwashers – Cannot be kashered.
Electric Burner Drip Pans - Clean thoroughly.
Grater - Metal – Libbun kal. Plastic - Do not use.
Metal Wine Goblets - Hagola.
Mixer - Do not use, even with new blades and bowls.
Refrigerator, Freezer - Thoroughly clean. Lining shelves is not necessary. Ice Trays should be put away with chometz dishes.
Rings, Finger - Eruy roschim.
Rings, Napkin - Hagola.
Shabbos Blech - Libbun gamur.
Tables - A table upon which chometz is eaten during the year may be used on Pesach if it is covered with a waterproof covering (e.g. sheet of plastic). It is preferable to put carboard or four or more layers of newspaper on the table under the plastic covering. Tablepads may be overturned and used.
Towels, Tablecloths, etc. - Those used during the year with chometz may be used on Pesach if they have been laundered with soap and hot water, even if the stains do not come out. The same applies to potholders, bibs, and aprons. Synthetic material, such as rayon and Terylene, that can only withstand a warm water cycle may be used on Pesach after they have gone through a washing with detergent and only if there are no visible stains after they have been cleaned. Transparent printed vinyl tablecloths from Taiwan are coated with a powder and should be rinsed off before use. Regarding other tablecloths, see Pesach Product Directory.
Vases – Those used on the table during the year may be used on Pesach if they are washed inside and out.
Water Pitchers – Should be put away with chometz dishes.
Water Filters – Plastic water filters that are connected to the faucet should be thoroughly cleaned, including the outside and the coupling, and may be used on Pesach without changing the filters. If they are metal and have been on consistently since last Pesach, they should be left on during kashering of the spigot. If they were first attached some time after Pesach, they should be removed before kashering the spigot and kashered separately.
Instant hot devices and individual hot/cold water filters that are connected to the sink with a separate spigot should be kashered along with the sink. Instant hot devices should be turned on during kashering of instant hot spigot.
Water Coolers – Cold water coolers should be cleaned thoroughly. The hot spigot on a water cooler should not be used if it came into contact with chometz during the year.
Water Urn - Metal (uncoated) – Hagola; both inside and outside should be kashered. Porcelain Enameled or Plastic – Do not use.
Kitchen Items that Cannot be Kashered:
Bread Machine
Crockpot
China
Corning Ware
Dishwasher
George Foreman Grill
Knives w/ Plastic Handles
Melmac
Mixer
Pasta Maker
Plastic Utensils
Porcelain (Enamel) Utensils
Pyrex
Sandwich Maker
Silverstone
Stoneware
Synthetic Rubber
Teflon
Toaster/Toaster Oven
Waffle Iron
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