Search Articles
Filter By
  • Appliances
  • Getting Certified
  • Insect Checking
  • Insights From the Institute
  • Israel
  • Keeping Kosher
  • Medicine
  • Mitzvos
  • Shabbos
  • Travel
  • Yom Tov
    • Pre-Purchase Advice – for Dishwashers

    Pre-Purchase Advice – for Dishwashers

    STAR-K does not certify dishwashers. Dishwashers may not be used on Shabbos and Yom Tov. The recommendations provided below are meant only as guidelines for consumers who wish to purchase a dishwasher that can be opened and loaded on Shabbos and Yom Tov without a worry that doing so will violate any aspects of shmiras Shabbos.

    NOTE: Some dishwasher manufacturers include a “Sabbath Mode” or “Kosher Consumer-Friendly Mode” in their devices. While this mode does not allow the device to be used on Shabbos or Yom Tov, it will disable other controls and allow it to be opened and loaded on Shabbos and Yom Tov.

    Opening the Dishwasher Door

    Should not activate any tones or digital readouts (e.g., ‘door ajar’ icons, settings).

    Should not trigger an interior light.

    Should not trigger a change in door icons. (e.g., Some dishwashers display the word Clean at the end of a cycle. Opening the door to unload […]

    Pre-Purchase Advice – for Refrigerators

    Pre-Purchase Advice – for Refrigerators

    Opening the Refrigerator/Freezer Door

    Should not cause circulation fans to go on/off. (Check to see if the fan runs with an open door. If it does not, press down the door plunger switch and listen to detect if the fan goes on. Some models have two door plunger switches – one for the light and another for the fan motor.)

    Should not activate any tones or digital readouts (e.g., ‘door ajar’ icons, cabinet temperature, or settings).

    Should not affect defrost cycle. (Defrost cycle should not be dependent upon the number of times you open the door and how long you keep it open.)

    Light in refrigerator cavity should be deactivated, either by unscrewing the bulb or taping down the light switch. Check to make sure there are no other lights (e.g., door lights) that turn on when the door is opened. See CAUTION about disabling door switches below.

    CAUTION: Disabling Door Switches

    Taping or otherwise holding
    down […]

    Pre-Purchase Advice – for Ovens and Cooktops

    Pre-Purchase Advice – for Ovens and Cooktops

    Visit the STAR-K website at www.star-k.org.php73-40.lan3-1.websitetestlink.com.php73-40.lan3-1.websitetestlink.com.php73-40.lan3-1.websitetestlink.com for lists of oven products under STAR-K certification.

    Countertop Pre-Purchase Advice

    Countertop Pre-Purchase Advice

    Granite, Marble, or Stainless Steel – To kasher (for year-round and Pesach), clean the countertop, wait 24 hours after its last use, and then pour boiling water over each part of the countertop. You may need to refill the pot several times. (It is not sufficient to pour on one spot and let the water run over the counter.) Make sure the material is a pure granite or stone. Sometimes they are really “composites” and therefore CANNOT be kashered.

    Wood may also be kashered as stainless steel if it has a smooth surface and no cracks.

    Porcelain Enamel, Dupont Corian® Solid Surface and Corian® Quartz Surface (formerly called Zodiaq®), Formica, Silestone – Star-K policy does not allow kashering of plastic or materials with plastic components.

    Year-Round Use: As long as the countertop is clean, it may be used for cold pots and food. Hot food should not be placed on it. If inadvertently hot food was put […]