Print this Article

In yeshiva we have two Betty Crocker pizza makers, known as “Betties” — one for halavi and one besari. Someone accidentally put eggs and cheese into the besari Betty. The question is whether the eggs may be eaten, and whether the Betty has to be thrown out.
After verifying that the Betty was not used for meat within the last 24 hours – eno ben yomo, and that it didn’t have any actual meat fat on it, the eggs are mutar. Since the Betty was eno ben yomo, the meat taste absorbed inside is considered noten ta’am lifgam — a spoiled taste — and cannot make the eggs assur. However, one may not use an eno ben yomo meat pot for dairy lechat’hilah (Shulhan Aruch, Yoreh De’ah 93:1).
The Betty itself does not have to be thrown out, but it does need to be made kasher. Even after 24 hours from the cheese, it still absorbed both meat and milk taste, so it may not be used lechat’hilah until made kasher.
Normally, something that absorbed through dry heat needs libun – fire (Shulhan Aruch, Orah Hayim 451:4). Since eggs are not watery enough to treat this as regular cooking in water, the Betty would usually need libun. Luckily, though, you don’t have to blowtorch your Betty.
The taste absorbed was not actual issur at the time, making this hetera bala – absorbed mutar taste. Therefore, hagalah – putting it in boiling water is enough (Avoda Zara 76a, Mishna Berura 451:28). Clean the Betty well, wait 24 hours from the cheese, fill it with water, and turn it on until the water bubbles. Yes, it will bubble. I tried it.
The two Betties should also be made clearly different, so they are not mixed up, just like other utensils in the house (Shulhan Aruch, Yoreh De’ah 89:4).