Coffee in Halacha · דף לתלמיד · Student handoutSheet Nº 6
קָפֶה בְּפֶסַח וּבְיוֹם טוֹב Coffee 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.

The questions on the tableהשאלות

Is instant coffee (Nescafe) acceptable for Pesach without supervision?
Generally yes — unflavored, non-decaffeinated regular coffee is acceptable for Pesach without OU supervision, with one important exception: Nescafe…
Is Folger's regular coffee acceptable for Pesach?
No longer acceptable for Pesach (as of Nisan 5754 / March 1994). Folger's regular coffee is made on shared equipment with decaffeinated coffee, which…
Does decaffeinated coffee require a hechsher for Pesach, and what about regular coffee?
Decaffeinated coffee requires a Pesach hechsher. Many companies use ethyl acetate derived from chametz in the decaffeination process.
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?
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…
Does instant coffee require kosher l'Pesach certification?
Instant coffee containing maltodextrin requires kosher l'Pesach supervision.
May one drink coffee between the first and second cups of wine at the Pesach Seder?
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.
What may one eat or drink after the Afikoman (Tzafun) at the Seder?
After eating the Afikoman, one is prohibited from eating or drinking anything except water, tea, or coffee.
May coffee substitute for wine for the four cups at the Pesach Seder under extenuating circumstances?
Yes — under extenuating circumstances, coffee may be used in place of wine for the arba kosot (four cups) at the Pesach Seder.
Is one permitted to drink coffee after eating the afikoman at the Pesach seder?
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…
How should coffee be ground on Yom Tov?
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).
May one grind coffee beans on Yom Tov?
One may not grind coffee in a coffee mill on Yom Tov — even with a shinui according to the Pri Megadim and Panim Meiros.

Learn it insideעיין במקור

Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 98:3
Rabbi Shlomo Ganzfried (Kitzur Shulchan Aruch), 1804–1886
"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)
כָּל מְלָאכָה שֶׁאֲסוּר לַעֲשׂוֹתָהּ בַּשַׁבָּת, אָסוּר לַעֲשׂוֹתָהּ בְּיוֹם טוֹב. וּכְמוֹ שֶׁבַּשַׁבָּת אָסוּר לַעֲשׂוֹת אֲפִלּוּ עַל יְדֵי אֵינוֹ יְהוּדִי, כְּמוֹ כֵּן בְּיוֹם טוֹב. וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁאָדָם מְצֻוֶּה עַל שְׁבִיתַת בְּהֶמְתּוֹ בַּשַׁבָּת, כָּךְ הוּא מְצֻוֶּה בְּיוֹם טוֹב.
Pesach Haggadah — Tzafun 2 (Times of London, 1840)
After the ceremony they are prohibited from eating or drinking anything except water, tea, or coffee.
After the ceremony they are prohibited from eating or drinking anything except water, tea, or coffee.
Be'er Heitev 481:1
Rabbi Yehuda Ashkenazi (Ba'er Heitev), 1680–1740
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.

Worth arguing aboutצריך עיון