QUESTION: Does a can opener, corkscrew, or meat thermometer require tevilas keilim?

ANSWER: The general rule is that utensils made from metal or glass which touch the food and are used for preparing, serving, or eating the food require tevila.

Although a can opener, corkscrew and a meat thermometer may come into direct contact with food, they do not require tevila, since they are not directly involved in preparing the food. Although they are useful tools, they do not actually hold or change the food in any way. (See Shach, Yoreh De’ah 120:11).

Poskim discuss whether large metal storage containers should require tevila. Rebbi Akiva Eiger (YD 120:1) cites poskim who were lenient not to require tevila, since these containers are not used to prepare or serve food. The Aruch Hashulchan (120:39) supports this view and writes that very large storage containers might not even have the status of a utensil at all. Furthermore, since they are for storage and not similar to the types of utensils that are used to serve food, they do not require tevila.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.