Is it necessary to immerse a toaster? If so, how?

Greetings,

1. If the toaster is manufactured by a company owned by non-Jews, it must be immersed (although in Igrot Moshe, Yoreh De'ah, part 3, section 24, it exempts the toaster from immersion. However, according to the majority of poskim it is obligated to be immersed, as stated in the responsa of Bar Moshe, part 4, section 100, in the responsa of Mishnah Halachot, part 9, section 357, and in the responsa of Teshuvot V’Hanhagot, part 1, section 575).

It should be noted that according to Rabbi Ovadia Yosef zt"l, there is no obligation to immerse a toaster, and it is only good to be stringent in this matter. If one is concerned it might get damaged by water, it is good for him to give it as a gift to a non-Jew and then ask the non-Jew about it again, because one who borrows utensils from a non-Jew is exempt from immersion, since he did not acquire them to be his (Halichot Olam, part 7, pages 275-277 regarding a kettle, and it applies equally to a toaster).

However, this advice is not effective according to all opinions (Taz, Orach Chaim, section 263, sub-section 6, and Yoreh De'ah, section 120, sub-section 18, and Mishnah Berurah, section 263, sub-section 36).

2. Another suggestion is to give the toaster to an electrician to dismantle part of the device in such a way that it loses its status as a utensil, and in such a way that only an electrician knows how to reassemble this part (Responsa Kuntres Teshuvot, part 1, section 3, note 2; Responsa Minchat Shlomo, part 2, section 251, note 4; Responsa Bar Moshe, part 4, section 100; Responsa Even Yisrael, part 9, section 82; and Responsa Teshuvot V’Hanhagot, part 1, section 575).

This advice is effective only if the electrician dismantles and reassembles parts of the device itself, such as the heating element, but with external items such as the cord or plug, it does not remove its status as a utensil, and it still requires immersion (Responsa Minchat Shlomo, there, and Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, part 4, section 138, clause 10).

3. However, as far as known, there is no concern about immersing the toaster in water, because if one waits a day or two afterwards for all its internal parts to dry, no damage will result (one can also dry the toaster using a blow dryer or similar tool), as stated in the book of Kashrut (Chapter 4, note 88), where experience shows that generally the device does not suffer any damage, and many thousands that have been immersed came in and went out without harm. 

Wishing you much success,

Hillel Meirs