Kashering China Through Libun

Q. I bought a set of used China dishes (not kosher). May I kasher them by placing them in a self-cleaning oven?

A. Although China dishes have the status of cheres (earthenware) and may not ordinarily be kashered with hagalah (immersing in boiling water), there is another option for kashering cheres – libun. As was explained in a previous Halacha Yomis, the very high temperatures of a self-cleaning oven qualify as libun. Is it acceptable to place China dishes in an oven and kasher them with a self- cleaning cycle?

No. This may not be done. In theory, the heat of an oven would suffice to kasher cheres. However, Chazal ruled that it should not be done because they were concerned that one might feel compelled to remove the cheres from the fire before it is heated sufficiently so that it does not crack from the heat (Shulchan Aruch OC 451:1). However, the vessels may be kashered in a potter’s kiln. Due to the extreme heat of the kiln, there is no opportunity to remove the pottery prematurely. The China will either crack immediately or it will be kashered.

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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.