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Session Four: Koshering the Kitchen for Pesach
In contrast to the rest of the house where we are only concerned with sizeable pieces of chometz, we try to make the kitchen and eating areas truly crumb free. This means that we will clean very well any area that comes in contact with food. In some cases it is impractical to clean it perfectly. Sometimes it is smartest to simply cover the areas in question. Some people use contact paper or aluminum foil for this purpose. Another trick is to have a spray bottle of ammonia or a similar mixture in hand. When you see hard to get to crumbs you can simply spray them. Once you douse them in cleanser they are no longer considered food. I find this particularly helpful when cleaning crevices in the fridge and freezer.
Once an area is clean, you will need to know what type of kosherization it requires. If an item is used at room temperature or cold then it really doesn't need anything more than cleaning. The fridge is a perfect example. Nevertheless many like to line the shelves of the fridge with tin foil to create distinction for the area that will now store the Pesach food. If covering the fridge shelves works for you, fine. Just make sure that you punch some holes in the tin foil to allow for proper air circulation.
If an item was used with hot chometz, it will require kosherization for Pesach use. Keep in mind that we can kosher metal or stone, but we do not kosher plastic or glass for Pesach use. The countertops in most kitchens are come mixture of synthetic or plastic and are not generally kosherized for Pesach. Instead they should be covered with thick plastic or tin foil.
The stovetop cooking area should be cleaned very well and the area between the burners should be covered with tin foil. Cleaning and covering includes the area around and above the stove. Care should be taken that non-Pesach items should not be stored above the stove as we are extra cautious that nothing unwanted should fall into the Pesach pots.
Throughout the kashering process keep in mind that we do not generally kasher items that have been used hot in the last 24 hours. For example, many people will shut the hot water supply to the sink for the 24 hours before they plan to kasher it. Also keep in mind that an item must be thoroughly clean in order to be kashered.
The Kashering Process
Let us now discuss the kashering procedure throughout the kitchen.
The stovetop burners are Kashered as follows. If you have electric coil burners, unplug them and soak them (and the control knobs) briefly in a cleaning solution. After drying them, reattach them and turn them on for 10-15 minutes, one at a time. They will turn red hot and are kosher for Pesach use.
If you have gas burners, soak the grates (and the control knobs) for a few mintutes in a cleaning solution, then replace them to your stovetop. Place a double layer of heavy duty aluminum foil on top of each burner, and turn them on, one at a time, for 15 minutes each. Once you have done all the burners, your stovetop is ready for Pesach use.
Your oven and its racks should be cleaned well with a caustic cleanser such as Easy-Off. After washing it down well, simply turn the oven onto 550 degrees and let it go for an hour and a half. Once that time is completed your oven is ready for Pesach use.
Metal silverware and kiddush cups can be koshered for Pesach use. One method is to take a large pot from year round use that is clean and has not been used for 24 hours. Fill it up with water and bring it to a boil. The pot will need to be covered so that it will boil. If you do not have a spotlessly clean cover, use heavy duty aluminum foil as a cover. Once the water comes to a boil carefully spill out the water. The pot is now Kashered enough to be used to Kasher other utensils. (If you would want to use a year round pot for actual Pesach use, the Kashering process is a drop more involved.)
Take the pot you will use for Kashering, fill it with fresh water, and bring it to a boil. Dip the items you would like to kasher into the water and leave them in the water for a few moments. When kashering silverware simply drop the items in one at a time, allowing the water to maintain its boil throughout the process.
While you are kashering items in the pot of water you may wish to unscrew the aerator from your kitchen faucet, clean it, and kasher it in the boiling water.
Unlike the Toveling process in a mikvah, kashering does not have to be done at one time. If a ladle is too big to be submerged at one time, you may kasher one side of it and then kasher the other half.
To kasher properly and safely you will find it helpful to have on hand plenty of towels, oven mits, waterproof / heat resistant materials, and a screwdriver or pliers to rotate utensils or remove them as necessary. The custom is to rinse the kashered items off in cold water after they are kashered.
Regarding the kitchen sink, many people purchase a metal insert that fits into their regular sink. This insert serves as their pesach sink. If your sink is made of ceramic or some sort of synthetic material the sink insert method is the way to go. If your sink is made of metal there is the option of kashering the sink with boiling water.
To kasher the sink you will need 3-4 pots of water boiled up for this purpose. Clean the crevices or seams of the sink (you may choose to unscrew the handles of the sink as well as the aerator on the faucet and simply soak them in a cleansing solution for a few minutes), then pour boiling water over the surface of the sink. Keep in mind that you want the hot water, straight from the pot, to hit every surface of the sink including the faucet. Each pot of water should enable you to kasher about 1/4 of the sink area.
Although many people will not kasher a microwave for Pesach because it has plastic components and because it is hard to clean properly, if you choose to kasher it the process is as follows. Clean the microwave well with a cleansing solution. Make sure to clean the turntable, underneath the turntable, and the crevices of the ventilation system. Then take a disposable cup or bowl and boil water in it until the microwave is steamed up. Wipe it clean and you are done. Keep in mind that we do not kasher glass for pesach use. If the turntable is made of glass, you should keep a waterproof separation (such as a plastic plate) between the glass and the food throughout Pesach. Also, in deference to those opinions who say that the walls of a microwave cannot be kashered for pesach, it is proper to cover the food so that the vapor does not form a direct connection between the food and the roof of the microwave.
Tables should be cleaned and covered with at least one waterproof covering. Chairs should be cleaned with a cleansing solution. If you can't get at crumbs in crevices simply spray them with your cleansing solution.
Once you have cleaned and kashered your kitchen you are ready to bring in your kosher for pesach food and utensils, and begin your cooking for a truly kosher, happy and healthy Pesach.
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