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What is necessary in order to clean a toaster from chametz Pesach?

I know the easiest solution is to sell it with chametz, but we prefer to avoid the minhag of mechirat chametz, if possible. (We have no edible chametz left in the house.) Of course, the toaster will not be in use over Pesach itself.

Are there any options for making my toaster clean from chametz before Pesach, that don't involve selling it or disposing of it?

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    Welcome to Mi Yodeya! What are you going to use a toaster for on Pesach? Matza not toasted enough for you? Seriously, though, are you interested in using the toaster over Pesach or just in continuing to own it over Pesach without using it? Please edit to clarify, as the answers would likely be very different.
    – Isaac Moses
    Apr 21, 2016 at 15:30
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    Once it has been totally cleaned you would not need to sell it. You can just put it away with the other chametz utensils. Apr 21, 2016 at 15:52
  • @IsaacMoses Hmmm .. Maybe in Silver Springs, you've found a way to toast matzot and still leave them non-gebrokts? (Only way I know to toast matzot is to make Pesach French toast, aka dry matza bry.) If so, I could use the recipe.
    – DanF
    Apr 21, 2016 at 15:58
  • @isaacmoses : Just continuing to own it; I'm not going to be using it on Pesach. Editing to clarify.
    – Ziv
    Apr 21, 2016 at 16:16
  • @Ziv Do you kasher all keilim that you do not plan on using for Pesach?
    – wfb
    Apr 21, 2016 at 18:01

2 Answers 2

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Star K states that toasters and toaster ovens can not be made kosher for Passover. From what I have heard from a mashgiach, the main problem is that the toaster contains small crevices where crumbs may still be present, and it is impossible to extract the chametz from there. Usually, metal ovens and toasters would be koshered using libun a hot torch. However, doing so would ruin the toasting (electric) elemnent, so it can't be made kosher that way.

Thus, since you cannot own it during Pesach, besides not using it, it becomes part of your chametz sale, assuming that you don't want to dispose of it completely.

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    This is completely untrue. Bread is chametz, not a toaster. A toaster may have absorbed chametz flavor, which means you cannot use it on Pesach, but the toaster is not chametz. To the best of my knowledge, there is no prohibition in owning absorbed chametz flavor on Pesach according to anybody.
    – wfb
    Apr 21, 2016 at 18:01
  • @wfb Happy Pesach, 1st of all. Thanks for the constructive comment. I've edited. Please inform me if it's still inaccurate.
    – DanF
    Apr 22, 2016 at 14:24
  • Happy Pesach to you too. My point was that I don't believe there is any reason to sell it even though it can't be Kashered. Don't see how edits address this
    – wfb
    Apr 25, 2016 at 1:22
  • @DanF I think you just made it wildly more inaccurate.
    – Double AA
    Apr 25, 2016 at 17:58
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My Rav replied to me that it is sufficient to clean the toaster as much as possible, shaking crumbs out, and then "Bittul Chametz will then nullify whatever tiny crumbs or absorbed chametz remains."

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  • I don't know how well an unsourced psak works here as an answer? But since it is at least an additional opinion contradicting other sources, I thought I should mention it.
    – Ziv
    Apr 21, 2016 at 17:38
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    How does this contradict other sources? This just discusses how to not own Chametz on Pesach, not how to Kasher a toaster, as the prior answer did.
    – Double AA
    Apr 21, 2016 at 17:41
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    Ah! So my difficulty was that "kasher for Pesach" isn't actually the same as "clean from chametz", but I mixed the two up.
    – Ziv
    Apr 21, 2016 at 17:55

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