Dishes
and Silverware
It
is essential to
have separate sets of dishes for dairy and meat products.
It is best to have two distinct colors, patterns or styles
so that you will not be confused when you look at a plate
or a fork as to whether it is for dairy or meat.
Cabinets,
Drawers, and Trays
To
help avoid confusion, it is best to
designate separate cabinets for the dairy equipment and
meat equipment. If you have cabinets on two sides of the
kitchen, you may want to put the meat on one side and the
dairy one on the other to avoid confusion. When you first
organize your kosher kitchen, it is wise to label the cabinets
"Dairy" or "Meat" . Many Judaic stores
and online Judaic shops also sell various styles of labels
for meat and dairy. You will also find these labels come
in handy if you have guests and they want to put the dishes
away or take them out. If you have a housekeeper, labeling
helps make sure no mistakes are made.
Tablecloths,
Napkins, and Placemats
As
with the kitchen, the dining
room/eating area maintains the separation of meat and dairy
foods by using separate utensils. This includes separate
tablecloths, (cloth) napkins, placemats and other similar
items. While laundering may be suitable to making it kosher
(particularly if mistakes are made), it is advisable to
have a separate meat and dairy set because you may forget
before using them which type of food was eaten on them last.
Refrigerator
Used refrigerator
needs only to be cleaned. Care should be taken that containers
and pots should not smear the shelves or drip on other containers.
Tables/Counters
Need only to be cleaned. All hot pots require trivet in
order
to place them on the counter top. Obviously, two or three
sets of trivets are needed for hot meat, dairy, and pareve
utensils. (pareve - non-meat or dairy)
The
Stove Top and Grates
Used stove tops and grates should
be thoroughly cleaned with a product similar to Easy Off.
Electric burners need to become red hot. After cleaning,
the gas grates on the stove need to be placed in the oven
for 1 hour at broil to make it kosher. The area between
the burners is considered non kosher since both meat and
dairy posts are cooked on the stove.
Oven
If you have a self-cleaning
oven--clean all areas not touched by the self-cleaning process
with Easy Off until clean and then run through a 2 1/2 hour
cycle. For regular or continuous clean ovens, one must thoroughly
clean all six surfaces of the oven, door, and the racks
with Easy Off or another suitable cleaner. If one cleaning
does not suffice, a second cleaning is required. After 24
hours of non-use the oven is ready to be heated for 1 full
hour at above broil. Then one can use the oven for meat
and dairy if either the meat or milk food is double fully
covered and the oven is clean. The rack itself should not
be used with direct contact of food. For. a. Broiler--See
Toaster Ovens.
Dishwasher
In a case of
great need or loss of money, an enamel coated or plastic
coated used dishwasher can become kosher. First the entire
inside must be cleaned. Care must be taken to take apart
and clean the traps, strainers and revolving armatures.
After waiting 24 hours of nonuse, run the dishwasher 3 times
at the hottest water temperature by raising the temperature
control on your water heater to its hottest, 2 hours prior
to making it kosher. The dishwasher then must be designated
for meat or dairy. Preferably boiling water should be poured
on the racks.
Microwave
Oven
Should be
thoroughly cleaned and then wait 24 hours of nonuse A cup
of water should be boiled inside on high for 20 minutes
until the entire microwave has been steamed. Then move the
cup to a different spot and redo the process to get the
whole ground. One can use the microwave for meat and dairy
the same as an oven. The glass plate bottom should be Kashered
by pouring boiling water upon it and separate plastic plates
should be used for milk and meat plus a complete cover around
the food.
Toaster
Oven
Should be
made kosher like a regular oven. Afterwards, it can only
be used for meat or dairy, but not both. The broiling rack
or toaster rack can only get kosher by making the entire
rack red hot with a propane torch. It is advisable to just
replace the rack or use another pan on top of it and not
place food directly on the original rack.
Toaster
If no really non-kosher product was used--the toaster could
become kosher.
Thoroughly clean the toaster by shaking and brushing it
out. Turn toaster on for 5 minutes with a sheet of aluminum
foil on top of the slots.
The
Sink
Sinks can get
kosher by first thoroughly cleaning all surfaces and the
faucet with steel wool and waiting 24 hours of nonuse Then
boil up water in a kettle and pour a direct stream of boiling
hot water from a kettle on every area of the sink. This
should be done in sections about 3 inches wide. Separate
racks are still needed to use in the sink for meat and milk
after a thorough cleansing between their uses. Separate
sponges for meat, milk, and pareve are required.
Kashering
Dishes, Cutlery, Pots, and Pans general follow basic rules
The
utensil must be absolutely clean from any food substance
or rust residue. This can be accomplished with steel wool,
or if necessary, a propane torch.
If
a utensil has cracks or holes that cannot be cleaned, it
cannot become kosher. For example: Knives with handles or
graters. 24 hours of nonuse is required before making it
kosher.
There
are two methods of making utensils kosher. The first method
is placing the item into a Kashering pot of actively boiling
water for about 30 seconds and afterwards rinsing the utensil
in lukewarm or cool water, when possible. This method is
used when an object absorbed non-Kosher food through a medium
of hot water.
The
item is then Kosher and Pareve. This works on the following
items:
Metal
cutlery 100% metal pots and pans that were used with water,
but not baking pans, spits, BBQ racks or frying pans.
Plastic
utensils ----Melmac-- --Wood without cracks ----Rubber ---Stone
The bowls and mixing blades of food processors and mixers
can be cleaned and become kosher in boiling water. Can openers
can just be cleaned thoroughly. Baking pans, BBQ racks or
any other utensil used without liquid require heating the
utensil until red hot. This method is used when absorption
occurred by direct contact with heat, ex. baking or broiling.
In most cases, it is more practical to replace these items.
China, Earthenware, Teflon, Corningware, Baked Enamel, Porcelain,
frying pans, and Pyrex require Rabbinic consultation to
decide if they can become kosher.
Corelle
and glass utensils not used on the fire or oven just need
to be cleaned and designated for meat or dairy. Drinking
glasses only need to be cleaned. Pots that are too large
to go into boiling water can become kosher by boiling water
up in them and a hot rock can be added when the water is
boiling to assure that the rim is also covered. Large items
that cannot fit in the boiling water at one time can be
turned in order to make sure that all parts are getting
kosher.
Immersion
in a ritual pool
To
instill
holiness, both new and newly kosher utensils require immersion
in a Kosher Mikveh especially made for utensils or a natural
ocean, lake, or a river when it has not rained within 3
days. Utensils made in Israel by Jews do not require immersion.
All utensils must be free of label or glue residue. They
must be completely immersed at one time in the water of
the ritual pool.
All
metal, glass, Pyrex, china, or glazed utensils require immersion.
If some parts come in contact
with food, they must be immersed. Concerning the Blessing.
E-mail our Rabbi for more details.
