6

Some motels / cabins provide toasters - the "retro" 2-slice toaster that projects the hot toast into the air when its done (and, perhaps sounds a bell, too, if it still works!) The toaster is clean (meaning, no crumbs.)

Could someone use it? My assumption was it's OK b/c the electrical wires in the toaster are red hot and burn off any possibly traif food and there were are no crumbs or any other food particles in the toaster.

DanF
  • 70,416
  • 8
  • 59
  • 244
  • Too Pesak-y. Recommend rewrite along the lines of, "do the heating elements in a toaster have the ability to kasher the toaster (assuming it's clean and hasn't been used in 24 hours)?" – Seth J Aug 20 '14 at 13:41
  • I do see, though, that it is asked about a past experience, thus removing yourself from the immediate question. I'll give you that. – Seth J Aug 20 '14 at 13:41
  • perhaps useful http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/14869/759 – Double AA Aug 20 '14 at 14:59
  • related http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/40805/759 – Double AA Aug 20 '14 at 15:00
  • See related answer to a similar question here: http://judaism.stackexchange.com/a/40194/3342 Kol tuv. –  Aug 20 '14 at 23:22
  • Is this any different than turning on an oven to self-clean? It's hot enough to glow red; is that not the definition of libun? (In my experience, any crumbs left in the toaster aren't even ash after a round or two inside; they've been reduced to CO2 gas by then.) – DonielF Jun 25 '17 at 10:57
  • @DonielF The filament glows red, but not the walls or rack etc. Self cleaning ovens go up to 900 degrees. This probably barely hits 500 – Double AA Jun 25 '17 at 21:58
  • @DoubleAA Is there a specific minimum temp. required for libun or does it depend on the volume of the unit and / or what is on it? E.g. would there be different requirements for koshering an outdoor bbq vs. a self-cleaning oven? – DanF Jun 26 '17 at 01:58
  • @DanF libbun chamur needs to be hot enough that sparks fly (ie glowing red hot). libbun kal is to be hot enough that straw sitting there will ignite. – Double AA Jun 26 '17 at 02:02
  • @DoubleAA Offhand, it sounds like the toaster elements do perform libun chamur, but only for what is on the element itself. The rest of the toaster isn't even close. – DanF Jun 26 '17 at 02:11

3 Answers3

2

Per the OU website discussing "Kosher Food in a Non-Kosher Office" one should not use a bread toaster and should assume it is not Kosher.

Q. The lunch area in our office has a can opener, peeler, bread-toaster (not a toaster oven), flatware, coffee mugs, glass dishes and glass cups available for anyone to use. Can I use them? A. The can opener and peeler can be used after they are cleaned or rinsed off. The toaster and coffee mugs should be assumed to be non-kosher and should not be used. Similarly, flatware, glass dishes and glass cups should be assumed to be non-kosher and should not be used for hot products (or for spicy foods); Rema records the custom of not using such utensils for cold products on an ongoing basis; he states that if once in a while one has a need to use such utensils for cold products, he may do so after cleaning them carefully.

Rabbi Tzvi Goldberg - Dean of Star-K's Virtual Kosher University says it is not really possible to Kosherize a toaster.

Gershon Gold
  • 139,471
  • 12
  • 231
  • 553
1

It is not kosher. In order to use such a toaster, you would have to do a "Libun" because the metallic element had absorbed "taref" food.

Nahouto
  • 111
  • 3
-1

Even if it was totally cleaned and hasn't been used for 24 hours, you would still be unable to use it. Being that you put the bread into the toaster bare you would need to immerse the metallic components of the toaster in the mikvah prior to it being used to prepare food. This is usually done by opening the toaster and removing the grate, then recompiling the toaster's components after the metal parts have dried. In this case, chances are you aren't staying at the hotel long enough for this process to take place and it is inadvisable to use the toaster for your bread.

It is important to mention that some believe you can take apart the toaster and put it back together, thus eliminating the need to immerse it in the mikva.

Source

The Thinking Yid
  • 276
  • 1
  • 11
  • There is no need to immerse something in the Mikva prior to use if you do not own it. – Gershon Gold Jun 26 '17 at 16:38
  • I mean if it is owned by a non Jew. – Gershon Gold Jun 26 '17 at 17:29
  • chances are the toaster was never used for anything other than a non kosher bread. even if the toaster got hot enough to absorb the taste of the bread, if it is totally cleaned and no remenents remain then after a 24 hour wait period you should be able to use it... – The Thinking Yid Jun 27 '17 at 00:59
  • also. perhaps you can wrap it in 2 levels of thin tin foil and toast the bread like that... – The Thinking Yid Jun 27 '17 at 01:01
  • @TheThinkingYid Re last comment - I've never tried this experiment. Offhand, I don't think this would accomplish anything other than giving you warm bread. This assumes that the toaster slot is also wide enough to let you do this. – DanF Jun 27 '17 at 14:46
  • @GershonGold I never knew this nuance. If you are in a hotel room, you rent the room and the appliances. So rentals don't require tevillah? – DanF Jun 27 '17 at 14:49