קָפֶה בְּפֶסַח וּבְיוֹם טוֹבCoffee on Pesach & Yom Tov
Is the roasted bean ever chametz? Instant coffee, chametz-adjacent processing, coffee after the afikoman, and grinding beans fresh on Yom Tov morning.
11 questions·12 sources·poskim 1680–1889
6.1
Is instant coffee (Nescafe) acceptable for Pesach without supervision?
The bottom lineלְמַעֲשֶׂה
Generally yes — unflavored, non-decaffeinated regular coffee is acceptable for Pesach without OU supervision, with one important exception: Nescafe produced at the Nestle Canada plant that also manufactures Nestle Quik products is not acceptable, due to shared equipment.
OU policy (Daf HaKashrus, June 2000–May 2001): regular unflavored non-decaf coffee has historically been Pesach-acceptable without supervision. However, the Nestle Canada facility that produces certain Nescafe brands also produces Nestle Quik (which contains chametz-related concerns), making that specific Nescafe problematic. This was the only national label affected at the time of publication.
Daf HaKashrus June 2000–May 2001 (OU). Note: policy may have changed since publication; verify current OU Pesach guide.
א
Daf HaKashrus June 2000–May 2001 (Pesach)
6.2
Is Folger's regular coffee acceptable for Pesach?
The bottom lineלְמַעֲשֶׂה
No longer acceptable for Pesach (as of Nisan 5754 / March 1994). Folger's regular coffee is made on shared equipment with decaffeinated coffee, which is itself not acceptable for Pesach.
OU policy (Daf HaKashrus Vol.2 No.8, Nisan 5754): Folger's regular coffee was previously acceptable for Pesach without supervision, but this status changed because it is now produced on shared equipment with decaffeinated coffee. Decaffeinated coffee is not Pesach-acceptable (the decaffeination process introduces Pesach concerns), and the shared equipment makes the regular coffee problematic as well.
Daf HaKashrus Vol.2 No.8, Nisan 5754 / March 1994. Note: policy reflects status as of 1994; verify current OU Pesach guide for updated ruling.
Does decaffeinated coffee require a hechsher for Pesach, and what about regular coffee?
The bottom lineלְמַעֲשֶׂה
Decaffeinated coffee requires a Pesach hechsher. Many companies use ethyl acetate derived from chametz in the decaffeination process. Regular (non-decaf, unflavored) coffee does not require a Pesach hechsher. Some have the custom not to use coffee on Pesach at all.
Ethyl acetate, commonly used in decaffeination, may be derived from chametz and makes decaf coffee chametz she'ein yadua (unknown chametz) or actual chametz. Regular unflavored coffee has no chametz concerns (Shaarei Teshuva 453:1; Pachad Yitzchak Coffee 7:61). A minority custom is to avoid all coffee on Pesach.
Halachically Speaking Vol.4 Issue 19 (Rav Belsky). Cross-reference OU Daf HaKashrus Pesach entries (Folgers, Nescafe) already in DB.
Does ground coffee pose a chametz concern for Pesach if wheat grains were mixed in during roasting or grinding, and does finely ground coffee resemble kemach (flour) halachically?
The bottom lineלְמַעֲשֶׂה
There is a concern. The פמ"ג rules that if wheat grains are mixed into the coffee during roasting and it is ground hot (like kemach), one should not grind it as finely as flour (דק מאוד כקמחה). The מהרש"ם is cited in support. The concern is both the admixture of actual wheat and the product's flour-like appearance and texture.
Two distinct concerns emerge from the sources: (1) actual chametz admixture — wheat grains mixed into coffee during roasting/grinding (נתערב בקאפ"ע) may render the ground coffee chametz; (2) mar'it ayin / kemach appearance — coffee ground extremely fine (דק כקמח) may be halachically treated like flour in some respects. The פמ"ג holds that hot grinding (חם, כדומה לקמח) is the trigger: if the coffee is ground hot like wheat flour, one should not grind it to such fineness. The מהרש"ם (ch"a end si' 19) supports this. The underlying principle connects to the יבש ביבש (dry-dry mixture) rules and pre-Pesach bitul considerations cited via the פמ"ג.
Primary source: cites פמ"ג and מהרש"ם on ground coffee as kemach concern for Pesach when wheat admixed and ground hot to flour-like fineness
6.5
Does instant coffee require kosher l'Pesach certification?
The bottom lineלְמַעֲשֶׂה
Instant coffee containing maltodextrin requires kosher l'Pesach supervision. Plain instant coffee without additives may be acceptable without special certification.
Maltodextrin is a common additive in instant coffee that can be derived from wheat starch, which would render it chametz. Even when derived from corn (kitniyot), it presents concerns for Ashkenazim. The OU therefore requires Pesach supervision for any instant coffee listing maltodextrin as an ingredient.
Sepharad · Ashkenaz Ashkenazim must be especially careful as maltodextrin from corn is also problematic as kitniyot. Sephardim who are lenient on kitniyot may have more room to be lenient when the maltodextrin is confirmed as corn-derived, but wheat-derived maltodextrin is chametz for all.
OU ruling published in Daf HaKashrus Vol.1 No.6 (March 2008), p.27. The broader question of plain instant coffee on Pesach (without additives) is a separate discussion.
OU ruling cited as primary source for this halacha
6.6
May one drink coffee between the first and second cups of wine at the Pesach Seder?
The bottom lineלְמַעֲשֶׂה
Permitted. One may drink coffee between the first and second cups of wine at the Seder in order to stay awake for the entire Seder.
Although there are restrictions on what may be consumed between the arba kosot (four cups) at the Seder, drinking coffee for the purpose of staying awake for the entire Seder is permitted. The functional need to remain alert for the fulfillment of the mitzvot of the Seder night provides sufficient basis for the leniency.
Madrich HaKashrut, Kuntres 7 (Adar–Nisan 5735) — R. Moshe Stern and R. Shalom Yehudah Gross.
What may one eat or drink after the Afikoman (Tzafun) at the Seder?
The bottom lineלְמַעֲשֶׂה
After eating the Afikoman, one is prohibited from eating or drinking anything except water, tea, or coffee.
The Afikoman must remain the last taste in one's mouth (טעם מצה). Eating or drinking after it would remove that taste. Water, tea, and coffee are permitted because they do not constitute a substantial eating experience and do not displace the taste of the matzah in a halachically meaningful way.
Times of London Haggadah, 1840 (Tzafun 2). Complements the earlier entry permitting coffee between the 1st and 2nd cups (Madrich HaKashrut). Together these two sources bracket the Seder: coffee permitted mid-Seder (to stay awake) and post-Afikoman (as a non-displacing drink).
Is one permitted to drink coffee after eating the afikoman at the Pesach seder?
The bottom lineלְמַעֲשֶׂה
The Be'er Heitev (OC 481:1) concludes that it is clearly permitted to drink coffee or tea after the four cups, since the prohibition after the seder applies to intoxicating beverages (and per some opinions, to anything that would remove the taste of the afikoman). He records that the Knesset HaGedolah was personally stringent regarding coffee.
The Rema (OC 481:1) permits non-intoxicating drinks after the four cups. The Be'er Heitev cites the Magen Avraham, Chok Yaakov and Pri Chadash that all non-intoxicating beverages are permitted, and applies this explicitly to coffee and tea. The countervailing concern is that drinking after the afikoman may remove its lingering taste — the basis for the Knesset HaGedolah's stringency (Pesach Me'uvin).
Citing the Chok Yaakov and Pri Chadash that non-intoxicating beverages are permitted after the four cups, the Be'er Heitev concludes: "Therefore the matter is clear, that it is permitted to drink coffee (קאוו"י) or tea and the like" after the seder. He notes that the Knesset HaGedolah (in Pesach Me'uvin) personally declined to rely on this leniency for coffee.
6.10
How should coffee be ground on Yom Tov?
The bottom lineלְמַעֲשֶׂה
Coffee should not be ground in a mill on Yom Tov. It should instead be crushed in a mortar, and done in an unusual manner (shinui). It is preferable, however, to prepare the coffee before Yom Tov (on erev Yom Tov).
Grinding (tochen) is a melacha prohibited on Shabbos and biblically prohibited on Yom Tov as well (since it is not an act of ochel nefesh in the normal sense, or because the grinding could have been done before Yom Tov). Using a mortar instead of a mill and doing so in a shinui (unusual manner) provides a halachic modification that may render it permissible on Yom Tov when necessary. The preferred practice, however, is to grind coffee before Yom Tov begins entirely.
Dat Yisrael uMinhagav Vol.3–4 (Friedlander). Cross-reference: tochen on Yom Tov is distinct from Shabbos — ochel nefesh considerations apply, but pre-Yom Tov preparation is always preferred.
One may not grind coffee in a coffee mill on Yom Tov — even with a shinui according to the Pri Megadim and Panim Meiros. One may pound beans in a mortar with a shinui (e.g., tilting it). Best practice is to grind before Yom Tov.
Grinding is permitted on Yom Tov for food preparation where pre-grinding would degrade flavor, but only with a deviation from the weekday manner; a mill is uvda d'chol (a weekday activity) and is forbidden outright (Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 98:3). Since freshly ground coffee loses flavor, there is room for the mortar-with-shinui leniency for that day's need only.
Primary source: no mill; mortar with shinui permitted; best before Yom Tov
"You may not grind coffee with a grinder [on Yom Tov], but you may pound it with a mortar in an unconventional manner. It is best to prepare everything on the day before Yom Tov." (Metsudah translation; the footnote cites Panim Meiros and Pri Megadim that a mill is forbidden even with a shinui)