My office has a Keurig machine. They work by inserting small plastic cups, called "pods", that contain coffee or other items. As I understand the machine's mechanism, hot water drips through the pod and comes out a spout at the bottom of the pod.
Some in the office may be inserting non-kosher hot chocolate pods. Does this make the machine non-kosher or can I just wipe the spout before I use it?
Answer
So the issue is two fold: Do the contents of the pod forbid equipment, and does the process of brewing the coffee create an issue.
I have spoken with a Rabbi who is active in Kosher certification about this issue in the past. He was machmir about it (especially in my context where the hot chocolate wouldn't be Cholov Yisroel, so there was no question of the actual contents of the pod) even with regards to flavored pods, as he has seen non-Kosher flavors that are not Bottul.
Basically the main question was in the metal pin where hot water flows down into the pod to brew the coffee. His opinion was that if you could change/Kasher that pin [it is not a user serviceable part, so only try this on a machine you own] then it would be OK.
If I understood him correctly, then he is saying the pin is an Irrui MiKli Rishon - the flow of water is flowing from the heat source through the pin and touching the non-Kosher. However, once the water is in the pod, it is already a Kli Sheini, and so subsequent flow is not an issue. (Of course any residue would have to be cleaned if the pin wasn't an issue).
Others, however, may be more lenient on the matter (it seems that the OU would be included in those others - and I recognize some of the leniencies as things the Rabbi I asked simply doesn't go for). So it not an open and shut case, and is something that requires a specific question to your own Rabbi.
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