How to Kasher Kitchen Dishes and Storage

Table of Contents

Different dishes require different methods for kashering, this has to do with how they are used and the properties of the materials that make up the dishes.

If you find yourself unsure, a great option is to ask a rabbi. If you are looking for how to kasher your appliances that can be found here.

Glass Dishes

Corelle® and other glass dishes can be kashered by running them through a full cycle in a dishwasher and then heat-drying them. Earthenware, stoneware, and non-translucent china cannot be kashered.

Hard, heat-resistant plastic, such as melamine, may be kashered after thorough cleansing by boiling.

This may be accomplished either by dipping the dish in boiling water or by pouring boiling water on the dish.

Pots and Pans

Pots used for stovetop cooking may be kashered by being thoroughly scrubbed, then degreased and cleaned. If the utensil has a removable handle, it must be removed, cleaned, and kashered separately. The pot should then be immersed completely in boiling water.

Pots too large to be immersed may be filled to the top with water, which is then brought to a boil.

A heated stone or a heated piece of metal is then dropped into the pot so that the boiling water flows over the edge of the pot.

Flatware

One-piece flatware may be kashered by being thoroughly scrubbed, degreased, and cleaned, then completely immersed in boiling water. (A mesh net, such as a lingerie bag, may be used for immersing the utensils.)

Two-piece flatware with non-porous handles (i.e., handles made of metal or plastic) may be kashered by cleaning all crevices with a wire brush, and then by proceeding according to the rules above. 

For knives with wooden handles the process is more complex.

If the handles can be detached, however, they should be removed, cleaned, and kashered by boiling. If the handle cannot be detached but is joined tightly enough that no particles can penetrate, the knife may be kashered (Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 451:3 , cf. comment no. 5 of the Turei Zahav commentary of Rabbi David Halevi Segal [c. 1586–1667]).

Glassware

Glassware may be kashered by being cleaned thoroughly (Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 451:26). Special care must be taken, however, to brush-clean the inside of any designs engraved in the glass. The glassware must then be run through the dishwasher on the regular cycle and then heat-dried.

An alternative to this method is to soak the glassware in a tub for seventy-two hours, changing the water after twenty-four and forty-eight hours.

Cabinets, Drawers, and Storage Areas

A kosher home must have appropriate storage spaces.

To prepare the cupboards and drawers of a non-kosher kitchen for use, all non-kosher foods must be removed and all opened packages of food must be taken away. Cabinets may be wiped clean with normal cleaning solutions. Shelf paper and other kinds of liners must be replaced.

To be practical and functional, the kosher kitchen should have enough cabinet space to store meat, dairy, and pareve dishes, cutlery, and utensils in separate areas.

Adapted with permission from The Observant Life.

Authors

  • Rabbi Paul S. Drazen z"l

    Rabbi Paul S. Drazen (1951-2018) spent two-thirds of his rabbinic career serving individual congregations and one-third on the staff of USCJ, all the while creating programs and educational opportunities to make Jewish observance and practice clear, accessible, and attainable for everyone.

  • The Observant Life (Book)

    The Observant Life: The Wisdom of Conservative Judaism for Contemporary Jews distills a century of thoughtful inquiry into the most profound of all Jewish questions: how to suffuse life with timeless values, how to remain loyal to the covenant that binds the Jewish people and the God of Israel, and how to embrace the law while retaining an abiding sense of fidelity to one’s own moral path in life. Written in a multiplicity of voices inspired by a common vision, the authors of The Observant Life explain what it means in the ultimate sense to live a Jewish life, and to live it honestly, morally, and purposefully. The work is a comprehensive guide to life in the 21st Century. Chapters on Jewish rituals including prayer, holiday, life cycle events and Jewish ethics such as citizenship, slander, taxes, wills, the courts, the work place and so much more.

Authors

  • Rabbi Paul S. Drazen z"l

    Rabbi Paul S. Drazen (1951-2018) spent two-thirds of his rabbinic career serving individual congregations and one-third on the staff of USCJ, all the while creating programs and educational opportunities to make Jewish observance and practice clear, accessible, and attainable for everyone.

  • The Observant Life (Book)

    The Observant Life: The Wisdom of Conservative Judaism for Contemporary Jews distills a century of thoughtful inquiry into the most profound of all Jewish questions: how to suffuse life with timeless values, how to remain loyal to the covenant that binds the Jewish people and the God of Israel, and how to embrace the law while retaining an abiding sense of fidelity to one’s own moral path in life. Written in a multiplicity of voices inspired by a common vision, the authors of The Observant Life explain what it means in the ultimate sense to live a Jewish life, and to live it honestly, morally, and purposefully. The work is a comprehensive guide to life in the 21st Century. Chapters on Jewish rituals including prayer, holiday, life cycle events and Jewish ethics such as citizenship, slander, taxes, wills, the courts, the work place and so much more.

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