Question
I am planning to kasher a set of china. Can I use a large soup pot of mine in which to boil the water? Do I have to do anything with it before or after kashering the dishes?
Answer
Shalom,
Even though many pots, pans, silverware, and other items may be koshered in boiling water, as you write, china cannot be koshered. The law is that china dishes are made of a substance that does not release the non-kosher absorbed tastes even when put in boiling water or heated up by fire.
In certain cases, such as were a large monetary (or sentimental) loss is involved, the law is sometimes more lenient if the dishes have not been used for 12 months or more. But this too depends on how the dishes became unkosher. If you believe that there is a great need to kosher the set of china, please be in touch with the details of (1) how the dishes became unkosher (2) how the dishes were normally used - e.g. they are tableware or used for cooking in (3) what is the extent of the need to kosher the dishes (4) when were they last used.
Blessings.
