Smeg Warming Drawers

FedTech is delighted to announce that a range of Warming Drawers have now been produced by Italian manufacturer Smeg with a certified ‘Sabbath mode’.

Please click HERE to view the Certificate.

READ THIS PAGE TO UNDERSTAND WHICH WARMING DRAWERS ARE COVERED BY THE HECHSHER AND LEARN HOW TO USE THESE WARMING DRAWERS ON SHABBOS AND YOM TOV.

Why do Warming Drawers require certification?

Warming drawers are primarily designed to provide comfort benefits, such as plate warming, dough rising, or slow-cooking. However, for the Shomer Shabbos householder, they present an ingenious solution for maintaining the warmth of food throughout Shabbos and Yom Tov. These drawers discreetly store the food, ensuring clean countertops and eliminating clutter. Nonetheless, there are a few considerations to keep in mind!

Although these devices may seem to be very similar to the hot plate or blech, and would be ideal for Shabbos usage, in reality they can carry some serious halachic challenges.

Some appliances will have lights, fans or displays which will change when the door is opened. In these cases, the challenges will generally be obvious and visible.

In some cases, the issues are hidden away from the eye. FedTech have found that in some devices, the power will be turned off when the drawer is opened; use of these appliances is certainly forbidden on Shabbos and Yom Tov. In other cases, thermostatic control used to calibrate the temperature raises questions about their usage.

FedTech strongly recommend that any device which is used on Shabbos or Yom Tov should be carefully checked in advance.

Are all of Smeg’s warming drawers covered by FedTech’s Hechsher?

The user should be aware of the following important points:

• Only the devices listed below are covered by FedTech’s hechsher.
• Even the certified devices may only be used when the device has been correctly operated as per the appliance’s instructions.
• The devices must be used in accordance with the guidelines explained below.

Can I insert food into the device on Shabbos?

Our Beis Din have not taken a formal position with regards the practical application of the halochos of Shehiya and Chazora and how these affect usage of these devices on Shabbos.

In general terms, we can confirm that the heat of the device will generally not rise above 45C when in operating in Sabbath mode. Likewise, it is worth noting that the device’s heating elements will not glow when operating in this setting.

These points should be taken as guidance when discussing with your family’s Rov the permission to insert food to the device on Shabbos or return food to the device on Shabbos.

In all cases, users should be careful not to open or tamper with the drawer in any way if the food in the drawer is not fully cooked. This is because closing the drawer will speed up the cooking time of uncooked foods and this is forbidden on all accounts. We therefore recommend that all food is fully cooked before the onset of Shabbos.

Does food need to be fully cooked before Shabbos?

See above.

Are there any instructions for removing food from the warming drawer on Shabbos?

The warming drawers covered by this hechsher do not carry the shailas which are associated with thermostatic control used in many devices. These devices have been programmed using a simmerstat or duty cycle control. Therefore, the food in the warming drawer may be accessed freely during the course of Shabbos and Yom Tov whilst the Sabbath mode is in operation.

When the food has been taken out of the warming drawer on Shabbos or Yom Tov, may it be returned to the drawer if the drawer is in Sabbath mode?

Our position is that food may not be returned to the warming drawer on Shabbos.

May the controls be changed on Shabbos or Yom Tov?

It remains forbidden to make any changes to the device’s settings when making use of the warming drawer on Shabbos or Yom Tov. The device must have been set before Shabbos or Yom Tov and no changes may be made until after Shabbos or Yom Tov.

I have read elsewhere that a Shabbos mode oven or warming drawer may only be opened once over the course of Shabbos or that one should wait for the indicator light to show. Is this necessary when using these devices?

Your question may be based on other articles published on our website – for example here. The concerns addressed in these articles are relevant for devices which are controlled by a thermostat.

The devices covered by this hechsher are not controlled by a thermostat when operating in Sabbath mode. It is therefore not necessary to limit the number of door openings or to wait for the indicator light. It is for this reason that the Federation Beis Din have awarded these warming drawers with a Mehadrin “Kehillas” hechsher.

Which models are certified?