Pesach tips and hacks- please add!

amother

Thu, Apr 18 2024, 10:56 am

I have been making Pesach for about 15 years now and I still don't feel like I got the hang of it.

Most years I get to Pesach stressed.
I don't like to start too early because I have little kids, and because people still want to eat chometz up until erev Pesach , which leaves me in a hard spot.
That being said, I make it work, one way or another.

This year, I did two things that I wish I had done in previous years.

1. I cleaned my oven and fridge a few weeks ago. Even though I have to do it again for Pesach, it wasn't so dirty. My freezer was mostly clean and organized, and instead of taking hours as usual, it was a pretty quick thing.
My oven, I spent just a bit of time cleaning the oven- whatever had accumulated since I cleaned it two weeks ago, and then self cleaned again to kasher.

2. Thanks to a tip, I bought an oven scraper. I never knew such a thing existed, but it really made my job so much easier! I wish I had had this tool all the years when I spent hours on my oven and stove.

Please add your tips, hacks and advice!

Boca00

Sun, Apr 21 2024, 12:07 am

I work pretty much up until erev Pesach so I take all the shortcuts I can.

This is really hard to do but saves time now- don’t spring clean.

I have 2 Pesach convection ovens and a burner that I pull out for Pesach and can cook right away. I don’t kasher my regular oven and stovetop. It takes a bit of coordinating to make it work but it’s worth it for me.

I removed chametz gamur and sealed off all the cabinets in my kitchen and turned my hall closet into a Pesach cabinet (there’s no food stored there during the year so that was an easy wipe down job)

I don’t clean toys (with the exception of a few small favorites that I have my kids clean). I put them away and have special Pesach toys which is exciting for the kids and saves me a job.

Kitniyos or KLP snacks inside once you turn over. I took the kids to a park with picnic tables with lots of chametz. It was great for them the get out and nice for me that the chametz was out of the way.

Cook once, serve twice.

No baking for first days. Dessert can be ice cream, chocolate, ices, store bought cakes/cookies and fruit or nuts.

Last edited by Boca00 on Sun, Apr 21 2024, 1:04 am; edited 2 times in total

Sun, Apr 21 2024, 12:29 am

1- I start cleaning in the kitchen. First thing I do is everything I won't use anymore before Pesach. This takes heavy work out of the last minute preps and I don't end up being so exhausted Yom Tov.
2- as soon as Purim is over I don't bake anything chometzdik anymore, so I can do that too. I still make potato kugel and the oven gets dirty but I know it's not chometz. I don't use my oven on Pesach. I have a separate convection oven that I specifically take out for Pesach.
3- then I go to the top and/or inside parts in all rooms, like closets and top shelves in the kitchen and toilet cabinets. The reasoning is that wherever kids can least teach or don't go to, I do before the places where they spend more time. This postpones anxiety producing situations.
4- my room and other rooms where kids don't go as often.
5- I leave floors for last. I only do floors once, the day of bedikas chumets.
6- once I get into the heavy work I only allow pesachdig snacks.
7- suppers can have chometz but not the crumby types. Like I'm okay with pasta or barley in soups and kugel but don't make breaded stuff or sandwiches.
8- I'd rather make potato kugel than lukshen or apple kugel.

amother

Valerian

Sun, Apr 21 2024, 7:22 am

tf wrote:

I’m the op from the generational pesach thread and this is what I’m talking about. Why are you not baking chometz after Purim in an oven that ur not even using for pesach??? Why are you cleaning top shelves in the bathroom?? Why would there be chometz there?

Sun, Apr 21 2024, 7:35 am

amother Valerian wrote:

You're right. This is habit, what I saw my mother do. TMI

amother

Valerian

Sun, Apr 21 2024, 9:27 am

tf wrote:

You're right. This is habit, what I saw my mother do. TMI

Wow. That is so fascinating to me. You are doing it even though you know it doesn’t really make sense and is not necessary and makes your life harder? I especially don’t get the oven thing. Why would u not use it for chometz when ur not even using it for pesach?

Sun, Apr 21 2024, 11:33 am

amother Valerian wrote:

Because we try not to sell chometz. The reason is that if it's edible for a dog, then we get rid of it and the oven is full of that from all the Challa and other chometzdike stuff we do with the oven year round.

amother

Steelblue

Sun, Apr 21 2024, 11:58 am

tf wrote:

Even if you line it with a bekela?

amother

Steelblue

Sun, Apr 21 2024, 11:58 am

amother Valerian wrote:

Which thread?
Seems like I missed it!

amother

Winterberry

Sun, Apr 21 2024, 2:39 pm

tf wrote:

Have you ever had a dog over? There's nothing edible in your oven. They won't lick an oil spill or burnt sesame seeds or even a cake spill that is caked onto the floor and is burned. (Besides for which if you did want to use the oven on pesach, you can still use it the week before and then kasher it with self clean or caustic cleaners according to halacha.)

Cheiny

Sun, Apr 21 2024, 2:58 pm

amother Winterberry wrote:

Most Rabbonim and everyone else holds self cleaning alone is not sufficient, it has to be cleaned out by hand very well too…

amother

Cadetblue

Sun, Apr 21 2024, 3:12 pm

Cheiny wrote:

Most Rabbonim and everyone else holds self cleaning alone is not sufficient, it has to be cleaned out by hand very well too…

Most rabbanonim and everyone else? All the major kashrus agencies in the US hold that self clean is sufficient. Most people I know hold by at least one of these agencies and follow their guidance for kashering.

little neshamala

Sun, Apr 21 2024, 4:06 pm

Cheiny wrote:

Most Rabbonim and everyone else holds self cleaning alone is not sufficient, it has to be cleaned out by hand very well too…

Interesting, never heard this.
My Rav doesnt hold this way. No need to wait or clean, just run a self clean cycle and thats it.

Sun, Apr 21 2024, 5:55 pm

amother Winterberry wrote:

This is chumra or halacha. What are you accomplishing with arguing? I didn't make this up