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Pesah- Baby Bottles, Barbeques, Birkat Ha’mazon Cards, Cookbooks, Microwaves, Nutcrackers and Salt Shakers

Glass baby bottles that had been used during the year may be used on Pesah, as glass does not absorb Hametz according to Sephardic custom. Therefore, a glass bottle needs to simply be cleaned to ensure that no Hametz is present, and it may then be used on Pesah. The nipple, however, should be koshered by pouring boiling water on it directly from the kettle, or immersing it in a pot of boiling water. Plastic bottles should be koshered by pouring boiling water over them directly from the kettle.

The Halachic authorities generally advise against using on Pesah a barbeque that had been used during the year, in light of the difficulty entailed in koshering it. Since Hametz is occasionally placed directly on the grates, the grates need to be koshered through Libun (direct exposure to fire), which means applying fire from a blow torch until the grates become so hot that they produce sparks. By the time the grates get this hot, they will likely become ruined. Moreover, food on the barbeque tends to splatter, and thus even the walls of the barbeque may have likely absorbed Hametz at some point during the year. Therefore, it is best not to use the barbeque on Pesah, and to instead buy a cheap, disposable grill for barbequing during the holiday.

Birkat Ha’mazon cards often come in direct contact with food and thus likely have Hametz on them. Therefore, Birkat Ha’mazon cards which one wishes to use on Pesah must be thoroughly cleaned to ensure that they are free of all traces of Hametz. It is preferable to buy special cards for Pesah and keep them with the Pesah utensils to ensure that they are free of Hametz.

This applies to cookbooks, as well, as they are very often present and used in the kitchen as one cooks, and generally come in contact with food. Cookbooks which have been used during the year should therefore be thoroughly cleaned if they will be used on Pesah. Preferably, they should be put away with the Hametz and special cookbooks should be used in their place on Pesah. Likewise, oven mitts should be thoroughly cleaned before Pesah, as food often falls on them, but it is preferable to spend a few extra dollars to purchase special oven mitts for Pesah.

Marble or ceramic countertops in the kitchen should be koshered by pouring boiling water over them directly from the kettle, and then drying them. Preferably, they should then be covered with vinyl or other material.

A microwave oven can be koshered for Pesah by placing in it a bowl of water with a little soap and then turning the oven on until the water creates steam. Needless to say, the microwave must first be thoroughly cleaned to ensure that all traces of Hametz are removed.

Nutcrackers that will be used on Pesah need to be thoroughly cleaned.

Saltshakers need only to be cleaned to be used on Pesah, even if some rice was placed in them. Care must be taken to ensure that the shaker is thoroughly cleaned of all food residue, since it frequently comes in contact with bread. It is preferable to change the salt in the shaker for Pesah. If one uses a salt cellar, it is imperative to change the salt before Pesah, since the salt in the cellar is exposed and likely contains Hametz. Of course, the salt cellar must also be thoroughly cleaned.

 


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