OVEN:
Preferably: Clean the oven with the cleaning agents manufactured for this purpose, including the doors and glass. Use a gas torch and pass it over the walls, racks, and baking pans to the point of “libbun chamur” – where the surface becomes reddish and grayish. It is recommended that this be done by someone with experience so as not to damage the oven.
According to other views: Proceed as above, only instead of using a blowtorch, turn on the oven to its maximum temperature for a half-hour. (Note: When kashering an oven for use during the year, not for Pesach, if one knows that the oven was used with only kosher foods, only meat and milk were both baked in it separately, and no non-kosher meat was cooked in it – then one may rely on this method even “lechatechila” – optimally.)
Either way, baking trays require blowtorching; aluminum trays cannot be kashered.
MICROWAVE:
The tray should be thoroughly cleaned and immersed in boiling water. It may be placed in boiling water in a large pot. If one does not have a large enough pot, he can heat water on a baking tray on the stove and cover it with another tray to allow the water to boil. The microwave tray may then be dipped into the water in the baking tray. If it does not fit, one can turn it around in the water until it is all immersed. The oven itself should then be cleaned in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. The rotating disc with the wheels must also be cleaned. The tray should then be returned to its place. Then place two cups of water inside and turn the oven on for 10-15 minutes, until half the water in each cup vaporizes.
DISHWASHER:
The baskets and racks should be immersed in a large pot of boiling water. The machine itself should be turned on with cleaning agents inside it at its highest temperature, for a full dishwashing cycle. Obviously, someone who has special racks for Pesach needs only to run a cycle. When possible, one should preferably clean the filter before running the cycle.
HOT WATER URNS AND ELECTRIC KETTLES:
They should be thoroughly cleaned inside and out, including the cover. The cover should be immersed in boiling water. Fill the urn or kettle itself with water and turn it on. As the water boils, the cover should be removed. Then pour boiling water from another kettle into the one being kashered such that the water overflows the top. For safety purposes, one must immediately remove the electric plug from the socket. When kashering an urn, run a blowtorch over the edge on top.
ELECTIC HOTPLATES (USED FOR SHABBAT):
They should be thoroughly cleaned and turned on for a half-hour. They should then be wrapped with thick aluminum foil.
SINKS:
The sink should be thoroughly cleaned. One should then pour boiling water straight from a kettle into the sink, ensuring that the water flows directly from the kettle onto to every place in the sink. Even after kashering, one should place a plastic, wood or porcelain bracket into the sink and place the Pesach dishes on them.
COUNTERS:
Same as the sink. It is proper to cover them with aluminum foil or the like after kashering. Hot pots may not be placed on the counters, even after their having been kashered, unless there is something in between (a trivet from wood, plastic, porcelain, etc.).
THE SALE OF CHAMETZ:
Actual chametz and foods containing chametz must be either destroyed or sold to a gentile before Pesach. Forms for this purpose are available at every synagogue rabbi in the city.
Note: The document grants the rabbi power of attorney to sell the chametz. The sale does not take effect until the night of bedikat chametz and the morning of Erev Pesach.
The chametz must all be gathered together in a specific location, such that the gentile can be shown all the items sold to him.
KASHERING UTENSILS:
A utensil may not be used for 24 hours prior to kashering. Pot handles should be removed; both the utensil and handle must be thoroughly cleaned. Handles and screws must also be brought to be kashered.
IMPORTANT TIMES AND MEASUREMENTS FOR PESACH:
- Chametz may be eaten until: Wednesday, 14th Nissan, 10:37 AM (Montreal time)
- Chametz must be burned by 11:45 AM (Montreal time)
- One may not eat matza the entire day of Erev Pesach.
- Matza, marror, and four cups: “Kezayit” = the volume of an Israeli matchbox, or around 28 cubic cm.
- Preferably, after reciting the beracha “al achilat matza,” one should eat two-thirds of a matza, or the volume of two kezeitim. One should try to eat this amount within four minutes.
- One should eat the same amount of marror.
- Each cup of the four cups of wine should consist of a “revi’it,” or the volume of three Israeli matchboxes – 86 cubic cm.
Chag kasher ve’samei’ach!!
