QUESTION

Can the Rosh Yeshivah’s clarify his position regarding induction stovetops? Having read/watched his views on cooking with it on Yom tov and regarding its status vis a vis bishul akum, would it be correct that the same burner could be used for both meat and dairy?

If so:

A. Would this be permitted even on the same day?
B. If there are spills, would one be required to wipe the surface between uses, or would that simply be recommended as a best practice?

As well, regarding Pesach, would the induction surface not require kashering, but simply thorough cleaning?

Thank you very much.

ANSWER

USE FOR MEAT AND DAIRY
Let’s begin with the question of using the same burner interchangeably for meat and milk. Yes, one may use the same induction burner for both meat and dairy pots.

This is actually the same situation we have with a regular gas or electric stove, where the same burner is commonly used for both meat and dairy pots.

By way of example, imagine you have chicken soup boiling on a gas burner. The soup boils over and spills onto the burner. You turn off the flame, but the soup is still yad soledet bo (halakhically hot).

In that case, the metal of the burner is not superheated in the way it would be on an electric stove. Even if some of the soup is absorbed into the burner, it will not later transfer into another pot unless another spill occurs.

For that to happen, the new spill would need to run between the pot and the burner while the liquid is still flowing (iruy she-lo nifsek ha-kiluach).

Halakhah does not require us to be concerned about such a scenario. And even if it did happen, the absorbed taste would be considered eino ben yomo (more than 24 hours old), unless such spills were occurring multiple times a day.

The same logic applies here. Even though the surface itself does not get hot, a bliyah (absorbed flavour) could occur if food overflows onto the cooktop. Nevertheless, it is still fine to use the burner for both meat and milk.

Bottom line: the same burner may be used for meat and dairy, even on the same day.

SPILLS

Regarding the spills – yes, you need to wipe them up. If there is dried chicken soup on the surface and I put my milk pot on it, then when the pot gets hot, it will absorb the dried chicken soup residue (be’eyn).

If you want to be extra stringent and pour water from a kettle on the spot where the bliyah occurred, you can do that, but I do not think it is strictly necessary, certainly not if it has been more than 24 hours since the spill (and the spill has been wiped up).

PESACH

For Pesach, it should be kashered and not merely cleaned.

Even though the regular tashmish (usage) is without bliyot occurring (since regular use is with a pot on a glass surface without any liquid between), we would still le-chatchilah want to kasher it (SA OH 451:6). This can be done by pouring boiling water from a kettle on it, since any bliyot that occurred did so through iruy (overflow from the pot). I do not imagine that this should be a problem, as I believe that these tops can handle hot liquid on them. So that is what you should do.

(One might argue that no absorption should occur here at all, since the cooktop surface is cooler than the pot and we normally apply the rule of Tata’ah Gavar (“the lower item dominates”), meaning the cooler surface prevents the transfer of taste (Pesachim 76a, SA YD 105:3). However, the bliyah of an overspill is not limited to cases where we would say tata’ah gavar. There are many cases where we do not apply tata’ah gavar.

We do not apply that rule when dealing with iruy she-lo nifsek ha-kiluah (a continuous pour of hot liquid from its source). In addition, if the spill gets between the bottom of the pot and the cooktop surface, the pot continues heating it, and a real bliyah can occur.)