Comments on: Choosing Frum Appliances

By: Marc

Marc — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 22:23:50 +0000

We have two low-end Dishwashers (GE, I think) that are purely mechanical, and they are on separate, external, in-the-wall 7-day timers. This ensures that when the timer is off, there is NO power to the dishwasher at all. It is just a big box. (The cheap 24 hour timers maintain a very small current through the device and are therefore unacceptable.)

Not that some opinions forbid running the dishwasher with friday night dishes if they are not to be used on Shabbat Lunch. (i.e. preparing for motzei shabbat on shabbat). Simple answer - don’t lock the DW, it won’t run. Close it motzei Shabbat.

These are a gift on “3-day” yom tovim. We entertain alot, and the dishes go in the box dirty, and come out clean.

The fridge problem is simple for us - we tape the switches every friday.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 01:02:57 +0000

We have a Gaggeneau dishwasher (same basic controls and innards as Bosch) with digital controls that recently broke and required a new control board.

In the process of replacing the control board (I like to do that type of stuff), I added a switch to bypass the handle lock and enable Shabbat usage.

Note that bypassing the switch is necessary for Shabbat use for several reasons:
1. If not bypassed then opening/closing the switch turns on and off the electronic panel and display.
2. After the cycle is finished, the LED message resets when the door is opened.
3. Finally, you can’t just use a timer on the circuit since the machine resets when power is shut off.

I used a SPDT (Single Pole Double Throw) switch rather than just bypassing the switch so that in “Shabbos mode” there is no current running through the switch. Technically, this seemed better than just bypassing the switch in parallel since then closing and opening the door would still change the current through that leg of the circuit even if the panel status didn’t change. Also, I was careful to use the right gauge wire, make secure electrical connections, insulate any connections from errant hands and metal parts, etc. I also used spade connectors and mounted the switch on the underside of the door (which is “open”) so that this mod can be fully reversed if we ever sell the house.

Before Shabbat, I can now flip the switch to the bypass mode and set the time delay to go off in the middle of the night.

The only CAUTION is that with the switch bypassed, the dishwasher will go on and start spraying water whether or not the door is closed so you have to be REALLY careful to remember to close the door securely even if you are tired Friday night(obviously).

Also, I am considering covering the switches with some removeable painter’s tape (or something else more finished)so that one doesn’t forget and accidentally change the settings on Shabbat.

By: mordy

mordy — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 20:06:23 +0000

checkout this oven http://www.tmio.com/ it is expensive but very cool. It is a oven and a frig and has email, and shabbos/ yom tov mode.

By: Mordechai Fabian

Mordechai Fabian — Thu, 01 Dec 2005 16:58:14 +0000

Pease please, Refridgerators are a real uk problem. LED temp displays, door open lights in and outside, internal fans and compressors on closing etc.

Doeas anyone have an incling of makes and models of largish family fridges that are kosher?

By: Jeremy Turner

Jeremy Turner — Thu, 11 Aug 2005 19:23:20 +0000

I’m not sure if I have found a solution to the dishwasher problem on not. I have an idea but as of yet not found a way to test it. Bosch manufactures a dishwasher that has a power switch connected to the handle. When the door is closed the power switch needs to be pressed and the dishwasher will turn on. I believe that if this were done using a timer system one could set the dishwasher while the power supply was off and when the power was restored the dishwasher would start. But I need to find someone who either has access to a live (current) model in order to test it. If it works could it then be loaded and reloaded as many times as you wanted as long as the power was set to be turned on once per day. The model numbers for Bosch that I think might work would begin with SHU or SHX. would love to get some replie on this matter by anyone who might help.

By: Chaim Gottesman

Chaim Gottesman — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 12:44:19 +0000

What about refridgerators? Anyone have a recommendation for a cheap fridge with shabbos mode?

By: Hannah

Hannah — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 16:21:57 +0000

A dishwasher doesn’t only wash dishes, it’s also a place for storing dirty dishes before they are washed. I won’t get into the kashrut issue which I didn’t research much. If you have only one you need to store all the dishes of the gender you are not washing, while waiting for the cycle to finish (and according to some, run an empty cycle in the middle). With our large family we installed two.

By: CT Kosher Ben Noach

CT Kosher Ben Noach — Sun, 15 May 2005 02:27:20 +0000

OK, I’ll admit I’ve got appliance envy reading the post about the Dacor cooktop. But aside from admitting that bit of self incriminating evidence, I have to say I find myself concerned about the trend toward “doubles” in kitchen appliances. Double ovens are great in terms of versatility; they are not, however, in any way, shape, or form required for a kosher home. Same deal for sinks: the more, the merrier from a chef’s standpoint, but not required for kashruth.

Many folks with kosher homes have concerns about a single dishwasher; the rabbis have argued this one over pretty well. For me, a check search on that term at kashrut.org leads me to agree that soap is an effective nullifying agent. But I’m just bitter because our current kitchen has no room for a built-in dishwasher…

-Nathan

By: jabbett

jabbett — Tue, 10 May 2005 12:49:56 +0000

As a little update (mostly for personal documentation, not that anyone really cares), we’ll be ordering a simple GE dishwasher that should cost around $400, and it’s quite quiet (despite the reasonable price tag and American design). In fact, I prefer to buy American whenever possible, which is why I passed on a similar (foreign-manufactured) Maytag model.

The timer/delay issue, what with modern electronics, looks like too much trouble for relatively little use.

As for stainless interiors — the main appeal is aesthetics. People with hard water buy stainless dishwashers so they won’t discolor over time. Where we live, that’s not a problem. Plus, since we’re buying it new, it doesn’t matter if we can kasher it.

By: visitor

visitor — Mon, 09 May 2005 16:13:02 +0000

convection ovens lose interior cooking space. a big disappointment when my big cookie sheets wouldn’t fit.

as for dishwashers….stainless steel interior, not porcelain. my friend only buys bosch-she says it’s the quietest one around.