PREPARATION OF THE KITCHEN
While the entire home must be rendered chametz-free in anticipation of the Passover holiday, specific additional procedures must be followed in ordered to properly prepare our kitchens for the festival.
Gas and electric ranges - Burners, grates and splatter pans should be thoroughly cleaned. After cleaning, the burners and grates can be kashered by turning the flames to the highest possible temperature for a specific period of time. Normally, for a gas range, a period of one half-hour is sufficient to affect the kashering process. Electric ranges should be left on for ten minutes after the burners have turned red. (A recommended procedure is to place a clean blech (sheet of metal) or heavy duty aluminum foil over the burners during the kashering process to insure proper heat distribution.)
Alternatively, the stove grates may be kashered after cleaning by inserting them in the oven at its highest temperature for 1½ hours. The burners, however, must still be "burned out" for the above mentioned time. After thorough cleaning the pans beneath the burner should remain unused for 24 hours and should then be purged with boiling water. Alternatively, these pans can be covered with heavy duty aluminum foil.
If the stove top is made of stainless steel, it should not be used for 24 hours, then cleaned with a caustic type cleaner (e.g. Easy Off). Finally, boiling water should be poured from a pot or kettle so that every part of the stove top is reached by the water (refill the pot or kettle a few times if necessary).
If the stove top is enamel, it cannot be kashered; it must be thoroughly cleaned and covered with heavy aluminum foil or with a "blech".
The knobs and the rest of the stove must be carefully and thoroughly cleaned. The area underneath the stove top should be thoroughly cleaned from food that has fallen or dripped in there, but does not have to be kashered.
If the stove top is glass, it should be thoroughly cleaned and a thin piece of metal, such as a simmer ring, should be placed on each burner during cooking.
Ovens - Before kashering, the oven must be thoroughly cleaned through the use of a chemical oven cleaner is recommended. Spots remaining in the oven after a caustic oven cleaner has been properly applied two times may be thereafter disregarded. After remaining unused for a period of 24 hours, the oven may then be kashered by turning on the flame to broil for one hour. This procedure will not suffice for kashering of broiler trays in the oven. As food comes into direct contact with these trays, they should be kashered with a blowtorch or replaced if desired for Pesach use.
Self-cleaning ovens - A self cleaning oven may be cleaned and kashered simultaneously by running the oven through a self-cleaning cycle. This procedure, however, will still not suffice for the kashering of broiler trays. These trays, as mentioned above, should be replaced or kashered with a blowtorch if desired for Pesach use.
Microwave ovens - Major Kashrut organizations instruct that it is impossible to clean inside the fan grate and other hard to reach parts of the microwave. As such, a microwave cannot be kashered. If one must use a microwave on Passover, the microwave should be thoroughly cleaned, styrofoam or other insulation should be place on the bottom, and all items to be microwaved should be double-wrapped.
Microwave-convection ovens or microwave ovens with browning elements should be treated as regular ovens.
Sinks - Metal sinks can be kashered for Pesach through the following procedure: The sink should be thoroughly cleaned. No hot water or food should come in contact with the sink for a period of 24 hours prior to kashering. After this period, the sink is again cleaned (with cold water), dried, and boiling water (from a Pesach utensil which has been heated directly on the stove) is poured over all portions of the sink. Faucets and spouts should be thoroughly cleaned and kashered in the same manner. The drain cover in the sink must be replaced for its many holes cannot be properly cleaned and koshered. The wire filter in the faucet should be scrubbed thoroughly.
Porcelain or enamel sinks cannot be properly kashered and must be covered (with aluminum foil, contact paper, etc.) Dishes should be washed in a separate Pesach dishpan, placed on a Pesach rack.
Tables and countertops - Wooden, formica and porcelain tables and countertops should be thoroughly cleaned and covered for Pesach. On locations where hot food will be placed, the use of a board or thick material is recommended. POLISHED MARBLE, POLISHED PRESSED MARBLE, or POLISHED GRANITE may be Kashered. Follow the same directions as for Kashering a stainless steel sink. Grooved marble, grooved granite, or tumbled marble should not be Kashered, but cleaned and covered. Highchairs should also be carefully cleaned and covered.
Refrigerators and freezers - Refrigerators and freezers should be thoroughly cleaned.
Pantries and cabinets - Pantries, cabinets, drawer, etc., used year-round for food, dishes and utensils, should be thoroughly cleaned.
Dishwashers - Most home dishwashers cannot be properly kashered for Passover.
Towels and tablecloths - Towels, tablecloths and all cloth items used during the year with chametz may be used on Pesach if they have been laundered with soap and hot water (temperature of at least 160oF). Synthetic material such as rayon and terelyne may be used on Pesach after they have gone through the above washing and only if there are no visible stains after they have been cleaned.
Mixers - Mixers used for chametz should not be used on Pesach unless one is able to completely take the motor housing apart and clean thoroughly. New or kashered bowls and beaters must also be used.
Blenders, food processors - Blenders and food processors may be used on Pesach if one cleans the motor base thoroughly and replaces the food receptacle and blades.
A hot water urn used year-round should not be used on Pesach.
If you have any questions concerning the above procedures or any other aspect of kitchen preparation for Pesach, please do not hesitate to call.
Kashering of dishes - In general, separate dishes and utensils are used during the holiday. Some year-round dishes, silverware and utensils may be kashered for Passover. The procedures, however, are detailed and involved. Therefore, please consult the Rabbi before any kashering takes place.
The following are some of the utensils that CANNOT BE KASHERED:
- Chinaware, pottery, plastics and all types of earthenware.
- Utensils which have dents or cracks that cannot be reached by glowing heat.
- Vessels which have an area which cannot be cleaned and scoured from within.
- Pyrex dishes or any other glassware regularly used for hot food.
- Teflonware and similarly coated ware.
- Silverware with glued-on handles. (The kashering of silverware with any plastic or wooden handles is questionable: contact Rabbi Rosenblatt in case of necessity).