01 Dec KASHRUS QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK

Does one need to tovel electric appliances?

There are many different appliances; there is no one rule. For example, an urn should be toiveled. Obviously, after you toivel an urn, you should not use it for a while until it’s completely dry or you’ll risk ruining it. Other people ask about a toaster oven. In terms of a toaster oven, the only thing that has to be toiveled is the pan that you’re baking on. One of the most popular questions we get is about the coffee maker, the Keurig machine. The Keurig machines are almost completely plastic, and moreover they will not survive being put into the mikva, so there are many reasons to be lenient. Number one, because it’s mainly plastic. Number 2, because they won’t survive being put in the mikva. Number 3, because the way they’re used is by plugging them in and there are opinions that say that something that needs to be connected to the ground, doesn’t need tevila. You can’t use your coffee maker without connecting it to your plug. Given all those reasons, one doesn’t have to toivel their coffee maker.

Does one need separate peelers & cutting boards for vegetables for both milchigs & fleishigs?

You don’t necessarily need to separate. If you’re only cutting tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers, it’s not a big deal. But if you cut an onion and the onion is fleishig, the knife becomes fleishig, and vice versa. So, because you have sharp vegetables; onions, garlic, radishes etc., my strong recommendation is to have separate cutting boards and peelers.

Could bringing my knife in for sharpening cause a kashrus problem?

The sharpening itself is not a kashrus issue. They take the knife and put it through a sharpener, there’s nothing not kosher about it. The issue is, you need to be confident that the knife you gave is the knife you get back. If at all possible, you should use a company that sharpens only kosher knives.