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Consumer Kosher > Kosher Articles and Kosher Procedures > Kosher Procedures In The Kitchen > cRc Guide to Tevillas & Hechsher Keilim
cRc Guide to
Tevillas Keilim & Hechsher Keilim (Kashering)
 

 

These guidelines presented on the coming pages were formulated by the
Av Beis Din of the Chicago Rabbinical Council (cRc), Rav Gedalia Dov Schwartz .שליט"א

The following are general guidelines for tevillas keilim:

  • Metal or glass items require tevillah with a beracha/ .ברכה
  • Ceramic, plastic, rubber or wood items don’t require tevillah.
  • China (i.e. glazed ceramic) requires tevillah without a beracha.
  • There can be no foreign substances on the item including dirt, rust, stickers or gum.
  • The entire item must be fully submerged in the mikveh at one time.
This guide will discuss the following 3 forms of hechsher keilim (kashering):

  1. HAG’ALAH (הגעלה)
    The item is cleaned thoroughly and left unused for 24 hours. [The 24 hour idle period is known as
    rendering the item aino ben yomo/ אינן בן יומו ]. All surfaces of the item are then placed into a pot of water that is on the fire and at a rolling boil. Some families own a dedicated “kashering pot”, but it is also acceptable to use an ordinary pot that had previously been used for chametz, dairy or meat, if the pot is clean and aino ben yomo.
  2. IRUI KLI RISHON (עירוי כלי ראשון)
    The item is cleaned thoroughly and left unused for 24 hours. Water is brought to a rolling boil in a pot
    on the fire, and that water is poured directly from the pot onto all surfaces of the item being kashered.
    Extreme caution should be exercised during this method of kashering, to protect against anyone
    accidentally getting burned by the cascading boiling water. Some families own a dedicated
    “kashering pot”, but it is also acceptable to use an ordinary pot that had previously been used for chametz, dairy or meat, if the pot is clean and aino ben yomo.
  3. LIBUN GAMUR (ליבון גמור)
    The item is heated with a blowtorch or hot coals until the item begins to glow red-hot. Aino ben yomo
    isn’t required for this form of kashering. This method of kashering is impractical for most
    individuals and should only be done by someone specially trained in this area.

Under no circumstances may something be kashered if there is a concern that it’ll break, as this might lead the person performing the kashering to be apprehensive and therefore not perform the kashering properly.For this reason, some items are listed as not being eligible for kashering even if technically there is a way that kashering can be done.

As relates to a number of items, the guidelines will differentiate between whether they are used with or without liquids, and this refers to whether the food is cooked or fried in a meaningful amount of water or oil. For example, a pot used to cook pasta is considered to have been used “with liquids” (even though the pasta/chametz is a solid) because cooking is always done with liquid in the pot. On the other hand, a baking sheet used to bake bread is considered to have been used “without liquid” (even though the bread/chametz contains water) since bread is basically a dry item.

The guidelines record the general ruling that china cannot be kashered. However, if the china is particularly expensive and/or of great sentimental value, please consult a Rabbi as there are cases where kashering is permitted for year-round use.

Can it be Kashered?

ITEM REQUIRES TEVILLAH? FOR
PESACH		 YEAR-ROUND Method of kashering (where applicable) and other notes

Aluminum
(disposable)

No,
unless used
more than
once

See note

See note

- If used with liquid, kasher via hag'alah
- If used without liquids, requires libun gamur

Aluminum
(not disposable)

YES

See note

See note

- If used with liquid, kasher via hag'alah
- If used without liquids, requires libun gamur

Baking sheet

YES

YES

YES

Libun gamur

Blech

NO

YES

YES

For year-round, clean blech well and don't use for 24 hours, then place blech on stovetop burners and turn on all burners to their highest setting for 30 minutes. Exercise caution as the blech will become very hot.

Bone China

YES without a beracha

NO

NO

 

Cast Iron

YES

YES

YES

− If used with liquid, kasher via hag’alah
− If used without liquids, requires libun gamur

Ceramic
(e.g. coffee mug)

NO

NO

NO

 

China

YES without a beracha

NO

NO

 

Coffee maker

YES for the glass
portions

NO

YES

For year-round, clean well, do not use for 24 hours, and
then run through one cycle

Colander

YES

NO

YES

For year-round, kasher via hag’alah

Corelle

YES

NO

NO

 

Cork

NO

NO

NO

 

Corningware

See note

NO

NO

- If manufactured before 1995, requires tevillah with a beracha (as it is glass)
- If manufactured after 1995, requires tevillah without a beracha (as it is glazed ceramic)

Crystal

YES

NO

NO

 

Dentures (false teeth)

NO

YES

Not required

For Pesach, kasher via irui kli rishon

Dishwasher made of Porcelain

NO

NO

NO

 

Dishwasher made of Stainless steel or plastic

NO

NO

See note

For year round, replace racks, do not use for 24 hours, and then run through one cycle

Duralex

YES

NO

NO

 

Farberware

YES

YES

YES

For kashering, see individual utensils (e.g. baking sheet, frying pan, pot)

Food Processor

YES,
for the metal portions

NO

YES

For year-round, kasher all parts including those made of hard plastic via hag'alah

Frying pan, with Teflon coating

YES

NO

NO

 

Frying pan, without Teflon coating

YES

See note

See note

- If used with generous amounts of oil or other grease, kasher via libun kal (clean well and do not use for 24 hours, then put on open flame until both inside and outside are hot enough to singe paper).
- If used with insignificant amounts of oil (e.g. cooking spray) kasher via libun gamur

Glass-topped range

NO

YES

YES

- For year-round, kasher via leaving all burners on highest setting for half an hour
- For Pesach, kasher as above but do not use the range on Pesach unless the space between the burners is covered

Glasses used for drinking

YES

YES

NO

To kasher for Pesach, fill the glasses with water and leave the water in the glasses for at least 24 hours. Repeat this procedure two additional times with fresh water.

Hot Plate

NO

YES

YES

To kasher, clean and do not use for 24 hours, then leave on highest setting for half an hour

Microwave oven

YES
only for the glass plate

YES
except for glass plate

YES
except for glass plate

To kasher, clean microwave thoroughly and do not use for 24 hours. Boil a cup of water in the chamber for an extended amount of time, until the chamber fills with steam and the water overflows from the cup. The glass plate cannot be kashered (or used) and should be removed before kashering begins. For Pesach, it is a commendable extra precaution to cover all foods in the microwave, even after performing the above kashering.

Pot made of Metal (uncoated) or Teflon-coated metal

YES

YES

YES

Hag'alah

Plastic

NO

YES

YES

Hag'alah

Pyrex

YES

NO

NO

 

Rubber

NO

YES

YES

Hag'alah, assuming there are no cracks where food might get trapped. If there are cracks, it cannot be kashered (or used).

Stainless steel

YES

YES

YES

For kashering, see individual utensils (e.g. baking sheet, frying pan, pot)

Stoneware

YES
without a beracha

NO

NO

 

Teflon-coated cookware

YES
without a beracha

See note

See note

For kashering, see individual utensil (e.g. Baking Sheet, Frying Pan, Pot)

Wood

NO

YES

YES

For kashering, see individual utensil (e.g. Baking Sheet, Frying Pan, Pot)

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HaRav Gedalia Dov Schwartz, shlit"a
Av Beth Din 		Rabbi Moshe Kushner
Executive Director 		Rabbi Sholem Fishbane
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