QUESTION: Does a barbecue grill require tevilla?

ANSWER: Yes. The grates of a barbecue grill which have direct contact with food require tevila. The barbecue grill is used to prepare the food, so it is no different than a pot or pan. However, the rest of the grill, including the hood, does not require tevila. Although a pot cover requires tevila, this is because the pot cover does more than just hold in the heat, it also holds in the steam. The steam rises from the liquid, touches the cover and then drips back into the pot. Because there is direct contact between the steam and the pot cover, a pot cover requires tevila. However, while a grill hood helps retain the heat, it is not intended to catch the steam and drip it back on to the food. Although steam will also contact the hood, the hood does not redirect the steam back into the food the same way that a pot cover does.

___________________________________________________

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.