Kashering your Kitchen

Self-Cleaning Ovens : Run one self-cleaning cycle and then the oven Anything which is in the oven during self-cleaning is also kosher without any need for other cleaning, including racks.

Non Self-Cleaning Ovens: Gas or electric, they must be cleaned out spotless, with Easy Off or another caustic cleaner; spray the racks and scrub them outside the oven to make sure they are spotless! Then let the oven and racks sit unused for 24 hours. Then put the racks back in the oven and heat the oven for two hours on the hottest temperature possible, on the "bake" mode so that you use both the upper and lower elements if it is an electric oven. You can then use the racks and the oven without any foiling.

Metal stove tops, gas or electric : Clean them spotless, including the rings around the burners - ideally, get special Pesach rings – then let the stove sit unused for 24 hours, placing no hot food or vessel on it, and then turn the burners on to their highest temperature or flame for an hour. If you are worried about heating up the kitchen too much, you can do each burner separately for an hour each. For a gas oven, turn the grate, which is over the flame, upside down after half an hour. Turn the vent fan on hi during this process, especially if you turn on all four burners at once.

Glass stove tops : Get the top spotless, and then wait 24 hours without using. Then turn all the burners on at the same time, on their highest, for an hour. The entire area is kosher. Make sure there is a vent fan.

Microwaves : Get the oven spotless, let it sit unused for 24 hours. Make sure the glass plate is clean. Then boil a glass of water in the microwave for 15 minutes.

Dishwashers : They can be kashered even if the racks are plastic. Make sure the dishwasher, with its racks and filters, is spotless - just doing a cycle might not achieve this. Then let it sit unused for at least 24 hours. Then run a day's worth of cycles - at least 12 regular cycles, one of them with soap. This can extend over more than one day's time.

Counters and cabinets : Counters should be cleaned and covered with either one very thick layer or, better, with two layers of foil or other cover. You can kasher Formica, granite, including sealed granite, and marble surfaces: get them spotless, let them sit with nothing hot placed on them for at least 24 hours, and then pour boiling water from a kosher stove and kettle all over them. By kashering them you will avoid needing to cover them.

Refrigerator and freezer shelves : Refrigerator: Just clean. Freezer: Just clean.

Cabinets and other shelves : Just clean.

Sinks : Stainless steel or granite: get it spotless, let it sit unused with no hot water, preferably no water at all, poured in it for over 24 hours. Then pour boiling water from a kashered stove and kettle all over it. Porcelain sinks: get them spotless and use a tub and rack/mat. If you have only one sink, you may use it for cleaning dairy and meat simply by cleaning it from one to the other, and also having a separate meat and dairy dish tub and rack/mat that goes underneath the tub to raise it slightly from the surface of the sink.