Cooking Archives - AskTheRav

Can I leave a Kugel wrapped in silver foil on the blech over Shabbos or is it Hatmana?

You may. Hatmana is for the purpose of keeping or adding heat. The silver foil is for the purpose of practicality and cleanliness etc. If that purpose was already…

Can one uncover and re-cover a pot while it is on the Blech?

Question: If food is fully cooked before Shabbos, can the pot it is in be uncovered and Re-covered while it is on the blech as it seems to be…

May I stir a split pea soup or thick soup as I serve it on Friday night?

The soup is completely cooked and wrapped in a towel before Shabbos. It usually settles and the thickness goes to the bottom of the pot. Can I stir it…

Is it permitted to use a hotplate that has timer on Shabbos? (that can be programmed to turn off and on)?

To schedule it before Shabbos to turn off: There’s no issue. To schedule it to turn (back) on: If it is a food that involves a prohibition of…

I turned on the hot water in my sink on Shabbos by mistake, may I turn it off or must it stay running the whole Shabbos?

It would depend on the type of water heater. One would have to determine how their specific water heater works. There are two main types of heaters: tank heaters…

בערב שבת שמתי על כירה תבשיל יבש שמבושל כל צרכו, אחרי כניסת שבת ראיתי ששכחתי להדליק את האש, האם מותר להעביר אותה לכירה עם אש דולק?

מכיוון שמדובר בתבשיל יבש לגמרי ומבושל כבר לגמרי לפני שבת, ע"כ מותר לחמם את המאכל בשבת (כי אין בישול אחר בישול בדבר יבש), אבל זה מותר רק באופן ששמים את זה סמוך לאש…

Can I melt coconut oil on Shabbos? Can I use it then for massage?

You cannot melt it on Shabbos. If it's already melted you may massage it lightly for pleasure. Otherwise, one may not give a massage on Shabbos. Sources: להמיס…

I have a question about cooking a roast in a bag in the crock-pot. I fill the pot with water and potatoes I put the meat in a bag with spices and tie it shut and put it on top of the potatoes in the water. I would like to put this up on Friday to eat Shabbos day. Is this allowed?

The food should either be half cooked before Shabbos, or there should be at least 1 piece of meat that's raw. For more information see here: Halacha2go.com #478 There…

Can I warm up a cold Challah (or other dry baked foods) on Shabbos day by putting it in an oven that is on from before Shabbos? Or directly on a Blech?

Oven that's still on - No. כך נפסק בכ"מ, ראה לדוגמא שו"ע אדה"ז רנג, טו. Oven that's off - Yes, provided it’s not scheduled to turn on through…

What can I do to warm up my makeshift Mikvah in my bathtub on Shabbos / Yom Tov?

Shabbos you may add hot water even from a kli rishon as it will not be able to cook the water. You may add hot water on yom tov…

Can I warm up a chocolate cake on Shabbos on the Blech where chocolate will melt inside the cake?

One may not place a chocolate cake in an area where the chocolate will melt. In addition to the issue of actively melting something, there are concerns of cooking.…

Is an oven with Cook-time or Stop-time Mode acceptable for Shabbos use?

There are many ovens on the market, and it is impossible in this short space to investigate and address every single model. The best we can do is provide…

Am I allowed to use a commercial warmer on Shabbos with a timer, so I can put things in before Shabbos and the timer turns off itself on Shabbos making me be able to take whatever is in there out after it turns off?

Yes. However, the food must be at least half cooked before Shabbos, see halacha2go.com #753. ראה שאלה #3506 #5506

Does cholent need to be cooked before Shabbos starts?

If it's on a Blech, it doesn't need to be cooked. But then you may not put it back on the fire on Shabbos. If it's not on a Blech,…

I often have guests on Shabbos who struggle with keeping Shabbos. Sometimes when we wash for Netilas Yadaim, one of them might turn on the hot water to wash their hands. May I turn off the hot water once they already turned it on?

Water faucet may not be turned off. The reason: turning off the faucet causes to stop the flow of additional cold water, resulting in heating up the cold water…

Can one put up cold water in an urn immediately before Shkiah on Friday, if forgot to do it earlier? What if one has many guests or a baby that would need hot water during Shabbos?

The water must be at least half-cooked before Shabbos. In the event, it was only a third cooked before Shabbos it may be used on Shabbos. However, one may…

האם אפשר לשים מצה במרק (כלי שלישי) בשבת?

יש מחמירים גם בכלי שלישי. טעמים ומקורות: כ״כ להדיא ביראים סי׳ עדר. וראה גם בב״ח או״ח שיח. (ומש״כ אדה״ז שיח, יא להתיר בעירוי מכ״ש - יתכן דהיינו לולא…

May I buy Keilim from someone who cooked food in them on Shabbos B’Meizid? How about buying kosher products that were cooked in these Keilim?

The Keilim may be bought but must first be kashered. Food cooked in these Keilim are forbidden. טעמים ומקורות: ראה מג״א שיח, א. פמ״ג בא״א. תהל״ד א. ובאו״א -…

האם למנהג חב”ד אכן נמנעים מלהשתמש בשעון שבת, לדוגמא בשביל מזגן או פלטה שלוקחים הרבה חשמל וכו’. במילים אחרות, האם יש מקום למנוע לעשות זאת?

מעיקר הדין - מזגן מותר. בפלטה - מותר להשתמש בשעון שבת רק להפסיק פעולתו אבל לא אם השעון שבת מפעיל את הפלטה בשבת, וכל שכן שאסור להניח אוכל לח…

If my oven is set on a timer to keep food hot, can I open and close it on Shabbos while it’s still on?

No. When the oven door is opened, the thermostat will detect the cold air that rushes in and will activate the heating element if it is off at that…