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McDonalds has a special, any size hot coffee for only $1. Assuming you drink Chlav Stam, are you allowed to buy and drink an unflavored hot coffee from McDonalds? Is there a kashrus problem? Is it maras ayin to be seen going into McDonalds? To have someone see you drinking from a McDonalds cup? Is there a difference between going into McDonalds to buy coffee from a local McDonalds or buying it from a McDonalds at a rest stop on the highway?
You’re walking into a treife restaurant to buy a drink. How does anyone seeing you know that you haven’t bought anything else?
Furthermore, in a place that serves treife mamash, how do you know they don’t take the same towels that they use to wipe the tables or counters and use it to wipe the spout or the urn or wash the urn in the same sink with the same sponge, for that matter???
I heard that yes, you are allowed to buy the coffee. But no, you are not really allowed to do into those places.
It does not look right, and more importantly, you are putting yourself at risk since McDonalds is known for its junk food with a strong smell that makes you want to buy their stuff.
It’s kinda akin to going to a church for some matza because they are the kind that like to have a little seder around Pesach time.
My thought is that our precious neshamas are worth not putting at risk for the extra 37 or so cents for coffee.
I have always wondered this!! Does anyone have an answer? On long long car rides I have stopped with my family at McDonalds and the like for coffee, and I always wondered what if people see me? There were usually rest stops in the middle of nowhere though. I have the same question about diners. I know many frum people who will get coffee in a diner, which is served in a china muh which is for sure washed in the dishwasher used for everything else. I was told by many that it is fine but how is it fine?? No one I have spoken to seems to think it is an issue.
If you have Kids, And they have to go to the Bathroom What do you do?
I have found that the bathrooms in those places are the cleanest (Certainly over Gas Stations) which are the other main public restrooms
I know this is Apikorsus, but I hate Coffee so I dont have this problem
Hi. As for the coffee aspect; probably all the keilim (meat and dairy and then some) are all washed together with some kind of soap (that who knows where that comes from) and then on top of everything, I don’t think Tevilat Keilim was on the radar of the establishment’s directives.
Of course, always ask your L.O.R.
In terms of Maras Ayin, I have walked into a non-kosher establishment with my Tzitzis sticking out, reciting LeShem Yichud … invoking the name HaVaYa, Hineini Muchan U’Mezuman LeKayem … the need to use the little boys room.
Most places sell bottled/canned drinks with an appropriate Hechsher.
As with many situations, always ask your LOR and proceed with caution.
What is Chlav Stam?
You probably Chlav Akum.
There are certain instances in life you have to decide on your own if you’re comfortable with such a situation (the Fifth Chelek of shulchan oruch). The Coffee is kosher don’t let anyone tell you otherwise but the least of the issue are of it being washed with products that might have been touched by treif in addition to Maaris Ayain of going into a non-kosher restaurant. Ask your rabbi if he thinks it ok than if your comfortable with this enjoy the coffee and try not to care what others might think.
There is no Maryis Eyin for Rest Stops along the highway
Everybody knows everyone uses them
Just check the Rest Stops along the Garden State Parkway North of Lakewood, there are always Frum people there
As long as the rest stop uses filtered water. 🙂
There’s no problem. Enjoy.
mommamia –
Everyone knows you’re going into McDonalds to buy a drink or to use the bathroom etc., so there’s no mar’is ayin. The other concerns you mentioned are not issues for various technical halachic reasons. Just a very basic explanation* to make it understandable – kosher and not kosher is dependent on whether or not you can taste it. That means that your McDonalds coffee can only become not kosher if there’s a good, noticeable not kosher meat flavor in it, which will obviously never happen. Without flavor, additives can’t normally make something not kosher, even if they do not have a kosher source.
*I am well aware that I am oversimplifying very, very much, and no halachos should be applied from this statement alone to other questions.
Is there a difference between going into McDonalds to buy coffee from a local McDonalds or buying it from a McDonalds at a rest stop on the highway?
Yes. It is common to just purchase drinks or use the rest rooms at rest stops so Maras Ayin doesn’t apply.
Zahavasdad – just b/c other do things, does not make them correct/muttar. Plenty of “frum” people talk in shul, does that make it ok?
Sidepoint – are you going to Yeshivat Citi Field Sunday night for Mets Yankees? Kosher food, minyan and a baseball game – does it get any better?
As much as I would like to go to the game on Sunday Night , Alas
$60 a ticket, $5 Hot dogs , $6 bottle of Soda for a total of $150 is a bit steep
Besides its a Sunday Night game and I wouldnt get home until almost 12 Midnight, some of us have to go to work
I would do it.
I heard from a friend of mine who heard from his rav in his yeshiva that he had gone to, that it’s okay to buy coffee from MCDONALD’s.
Actually, anywhere – for that matter. Most creams are kosher with a OU-D on them. You can always ask them to see the carton of where their cream came from.
Although, I would NOT recommend their flavored coffees, or fraps.
As some of the ingredients are indeed NOT kosher.
This rule applies to STARBUCKS as well. Check with your local kasherus agency for complete details.
There is no issue of tevilas keilim unless the keilim are owned by a Jew.
YIT- Flavored coffee can be treif even if it does not taste like meat
In addition,to rely on the the heter of taam pagum because there is soap being used when the coffee carafes are washed….. sometimes with real treif and sometimes with flavored treif- is relying on leniences and should not be done “lachatchila”. It could be they soak or pour very hot water before using soap. Is there a universal wahing system..?? Do we KNOW what is done and how it is done?
BTW, Thermoses for travel are not so expensive.
RABBAIM – As I wrote, “I am well aware that I am oversimplifying very, very much.” I don’t have the time right now to get into a discussion about specifics, and if you wish to disagree with me you have every right. But from my point of view suffice it to say that after everything you wrote, I’m still perfectly fine with going into any McDonalds and buying a coffee there l’chatchila.
Rabbaim: A Halachah mentioned explicitly in the Shulchan Aruch is one that should not be relied upon Lechatchilah? (Ironically enough, I don’t hold of the Heter of soap, but to say such strong words against the Shulchan Aruch is idiocy.)
The street carts always sell coffee for a dollar. Buy there instead of McDonalds.
Itche: Why?
ItcheSrulik – In Lakewood we only have McDonalds; no street carts. :p
Just to clarify, the OP seems to be asking four questions:
1) Is unflavored coffee, purchased from a treif establishment kosher?
2) Is it Ma’aras Ayin to enter a McDonald’s at a rest stop?
3) Any McDonald’s?
4) From a McDonald’s cup?
What strikes me about the cup business, is even if one should not buy a coke (or fill up water in their coffee cup) in their establishment b/c of Ma’aras Ayin (a point I’m not conceding), to not use the cup would be Ma’aras Ayin on Ma’aras Ayin. Isn’t that way too crazy?
Like others have said- seriously, if you must buy from Mcdonald’s and you feel self-conscious about it, go through the drive through, and ask them to put it in your own hotcup. Some places do that, and you actually save money that way too!
Here’s another good question- if on your way to shul, there is a very good coffee shop you enjoy, or say a duncin donuts which is kosher, and you arrange before shabbos the payment and all- are you allowed to enter the store on shabbos and come out with a hot cup of coffee? Provided there is a Eruv in your town.
lol Itche, I like your subtitle. ^_^
yitayningwut: I see a market …
What is the heter of drinking Chalav Stam (Read Akum).
isnt there a sheila of Treifa?
I heared from a rav that a very large percent cows are considered Treifa.
Am I missing something?
Itche – Great, now we can help kollel guys stay in kollel!
And if we put enough grease in the food we can get Michelle Obama interested in BMG as part of her obesity crusade.
“There is no issue of tevilas keilim unless the keilim are owned by a Jew.”
Sadly, there are McD franchises owned by Jews (obviously not yet frum).
Sam 2- “idiocy”? I won’t insult in return
In the summer months, a person on the road, in a car, who has a bottle of filtered water, a small jar of coffee, some sugar (if required) a polystyrene cup and a plastic spoon can make a cool or semi warm cup of coffee in the car, ( a variation of iced coffee without the ice, without the milk, cream or icecream) while parked in a safe place.
Its also true its nice to sit in air-conditioned comfort, so is it possible to ask (for payment of the price of the coffee sold in the eatery ) for an empty, new, unused disposable cup to mix your own coffee while sitting down in the dining area?
Good chance they don’t mind, though you should ask. I remember in yeshiva we used to walk over to Dunkin Donuts to buy coffee, and one guy who was makpid not to drink chalav hacompanies would carry along his half gallon of Pride of the Farm. They didn’t mind.
2scents: Chalav Yisroel cows have no lower percentage of Treifos than other dairy farm cows. If you’re going to hold by Rav Schachter then not even Chalav Yisroel milk is Muttar.
One of the things the rav hamchshir must do, is make sure that the cows should not be treif.
This is why a lot of people are makpid on a reliable hechsher, so that they can drink milk that comes from non treif cows.
nonsense
2scents said…
“I heared from a rav that a very large percent cows are considered Treifa.”
I hope you are kidding!
It may well be so that a very large percent cows are considered Treifa, – BUT – you wouldn’t know that until AFTER they are shechted! – soooo… even chalav Yisrael milk could have come from a cow that ultimately is determined to be not kosher – FOR IT’S MEAT!
A very machmir rov told me years ago that there was no problem buying a cup of coffee at ‘Chock Full of Nuts’ diners (which were common at the time, – and also served a large variety of otherwise traif food).
“A very machmir rov told me years ago that there was no problem buying a cup of coffee … variety of traif food.”
Did he (the rov) himself buy and drink a cup of coffee at this establishment?
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