A question by a friend on FB concerning coffee that is kosher for Pesach prompted more questions on my part and made me do a bit of homework.
I checked How to Keep Kosher by Lisë Stern for a Conservative/Masorti perspective – although Conservative, the author is quite strict in her level of kashrut. Here is what she writes:
According to the “Rabbinical Assembly Pesah Guide”, published by the Conservative movement, certain foods may be purchased before Pesach and do not require a kosher-for-Pesach hechsher. These include the following: “Unopened packages or containers of natural coffee without cereal additives (however, be aware that coffees produced by General Foods are not kosher for Passover unless marked KP); sugar; pure tea (not herbal tea); salt (not iodized); pepper; natural spices; frozen fruit juices with no additives; frozen (uncooked) vegetables; milk; butter; cottage cheese; ripened cheeses such as cheddar (hard), muenster (semi-soft) and Camembert (soft); frozen (uncooked) fruit (with no additives); baking soda.”
As for the Orthodox Union, they have a downlodable Pesach Guide which contains, among other things, a list of items which are OU certified for year-round use and are kosher for Passover even without special passover certification .
Concerning the type of items mentioned above, I follow the list isued by the French rabbinate for two main reasons: commodity (products with a hechsher are rare here and I only ask a friend to get me the more obvious kosher-for-Pesach products) and finances (these items are usually dearer). What is your practice? Do you follow such lists or would you rather purchase only products with hashgakha for Pesach?
Hannah's Nook 