Electrical Appliances
36. All electrical appliances designated to be used with food which touch the food itself must be toveled; the fact that they may get ruined in the water does not exempt them. Even if the enclosed instructions say not to immerse them in water, they must still be toveled (שו"ת אג"מ ח"א יו"ד סי' נ"ז, שו"ת מנח"י ח"ב סי' ע"ב, שו"ת שבט הלוי ח"ב סי' נ"ז). One should make sure to dry them well by putting them in the sun for a few days or next to a warm oven before turning them on (שו"ת אבן ישראל ח"ט סי' ע"ב ), [for coffee makers, see next issue].
37. Nevertheless, if toveling the appliance breaks it ch"v, since the company explicitly writes it should not be toveled, one may not return it to the store arguing that the Gilyon Chukei Chaim said to tovel it.. However, most of the time they work fine if properly dried.
38. Electric wire. When toveling an appliance, although it must be entirely toveled, only the part of the wire attached to the actual appliance needs to enter the water; the rest of the wire and plug do not since the wire merely helps power the device and is not considered part of the actual appliance (שו''ת שבט הלוי ח''ב סי' צ''ו, מנחת יצחק ).
39. Electric kettle ['kumkum']. An electric kettle made of plastic with a metal heating element must be toveled since the heating element is the main part of the device. Similarly, a water urn imported from Chutz Lo'oretz must be toiveled unless it has a hechsher from a reliable Rov stating that it does not require teviloh.
40. Some say that a bread toaster does not require teviloh since the bread is baked prior to entering the toaster (אג"מ יו"ד ח"ג סי' כ"ד ). However, most poskim argue and hold it requires teviloh (שו"ת באר משה ח"ד סי' ק' תשוה"נ ח"א סי' ת"נ, ועוד ).
41. If it is possible to remove the metal trays which touch the bread from a sandwich maker, they alone require teviloh. If this is not possible, one must tovel the entire device.
42. If a hand blender is made of two parts, only the part which goes into the food requires teviloh. If it is all one machine, it must be toveled entirely.
