It was not too long ago that the thought of spending five dollars on a coffee was unheard
of. Our ability and willingness to keep Starbucks and similar coffee cafes financially
sound is indeed a sign of our affluent times. One very popular item is the "latte", which
in Italian simply means milk. Outside Italy, a latte is typically prepared with
approximately one third true espresso - ground dark roast coffee filtered at an extremely
high pressure (or simply known as concentrated coffee) and two-thirds steamed milk,
with a layer of foamed milk approximately one quarter inch thick on the top. As the
above ingredients are generally kosher, and the latte utensils seem to be dedicated to
such, many have wondered if it is all right to purchase a latt from a non-certified coffee
house.
In order to answer this, we need to explore how a latte is made. Lattes are made in
espresso machines which have four major parts: the grinder, the steamer, the doser, and
the steam wand. Nothing goes into the grinder except whole coffee beans. The steamer is
the mechanism inside the machine that heats and pressurizes the water. It consists of
heated coils and pressure valves. The doser, which is the actual filter, is pure metal and
has a handle approximately six inches long - although the latest models have them as part
of the machine. Finally, the steam wand is a double pronged piece that projects from the
espresso machine (looking like two very long metal teeth), and with the turn of a knob,
sprays steam. For heated espresso drinks, such as our latte, milk is poured into a metal
pitcher, the wand is immersed in the milk, and the knob is turned so that the milk is
heated by steaming. The standard procedure in many places -including Starbucks- is that
each metal pitcher (there are usually four) has a specific designation: nonfat milk, whole
milk, half & half, and soymilk.
Is there a concern that these pitchers may be used for non-kosher drinks, such as the
famous Frappuccino? Frappuccinos are made from a blend of coffee, milk, sugar and
special flavoring ingredients, which are not usually kosher certified. While waiting in
airports and similar venues, I have scrutinized many coffee establishments and have
never seen the employees using the pitchers for anything other than the four milks -
which seems to encourage permitting the latte for the kosher consumer.
However, as every kashrus professional knows, one needs to see the whole picture, and
not just focus on one particular issue. Indeed, the kashrus issues arise when these stores
are closed and utensils are washed in preparation for the next day. Your typical
Starbucks or similar coffee house serves non-kosher food and beverages. Aside from the
Frappuccino, other beverages have non-kosher grape juice in them, and the food menu
includes sliced cakes that reportedly have lard in them, as well as ham, turkey, and other
non-kosher sandwiches.
The milk pitchers and the dosers are washed with the rest of the dishes, and depending on
the size of the operation - this can either be in a dishwasher or a "three compartment
sink" (or sometimes even both). Most people are familiar with how dishwashers work
and they will equally not be willing to compromise their neshomos by drinking a hot
drink made with utensils which are washed together with trief utensils in a dishwasher.
The more unknown dish washing process (but more common in the food-service
industry) is the three-sink process. Typically, the first sink is used to soak the dishes and
is therefore filled with hot soapy water; the second sink is used for rinsing; and the third
sink is used for sanitizing via a bleach and water solution. For our purposes, we need to
know how hot the water in the first compartment is, and at what point is soap is added to
this compartment. If the water is over yad soldes bo - 120 degrees Fahrenheit according
the cRc and most major hashgachos - then you are being mavlia (absorbing) non-kosher
residue into the utensils used to prepare the hot latte. However, if soap is added before
the utensils, the soap invalidates the non-kosher transfer (Shulchan Aruch YD 95:4).
In researching this issue, I went to many different types of coffee houses in several
different cities and can conclusively report that there are no universal guidelines on
washing dishes - even among stores of the same chain. Furthermore, I have been told by
the store employees that even if there is a set policy that might b'dieved skirt these
kashrus issues, it is not necessarily always followed.
An additional important shailo, is the fact that during the day (and certainly at night) the
employees will constantly wipe down the various surfaces with a shmatta. This shmatta can definitely transfer a "film" of non-kosher residue to the next surface on which it is
used. As a matter of fact, Rabbi Krupnick from the Detroit Vaad, recently observed an
employee wipe down the areas where non-kosher food had been served and then seconds
later use the same shmatta to wipe down the espresso wands and proceed to make a latte!
Based on the above facts: that the utensils used to make your hot latte can be washed in a
dishwasher together with actual non kosher food, and if in a three compartment sink (the
more common method in coffee houses) there is a real safek if the initial wash has soap,
which otherwise could make the utensils non-kosher; and the possibility that non-kosher
residue can be spread around via the continuous wiping during the day - it is the policy
of the cRc not to recommend the consumption of the ever popular latte purchased from a
non-certified coffee house. Although the latte may possibly be mutar b'dieved, we
typically shy away from recommending foods that are merely permitted b'dieved, and
would advise one to do so only after consulting with a Rav who will weigh the factors,
including whether one is allowed to rely on a b'dieved just to have a preferred form of
coffee rather than one that is kosher without question.
If you are one of us that still does not know the difference between a cappuccino and a
latte - your wallet thanks you and I hope you enjoyed this article nevertheless. However
if "venti decaf sugar-free soy pumpkin spice cinnamon topped latte" is part of your
vocabulary - I hope that this newfound knowledge will be of help when deciding which
cup of joe it will be.
Rabbi Sholem Fishbane is the Kashrus Administrator of the Chicago Rabbinical Council |