How to safely keep food hot over Shabbos?

MagentaYenta

Mon, Mar 23 2015, 6:45 pm

m in Israel wrote:

First of all, the dangerous gas that is being discussed is CO -- Carbon MONOxide, not co2, carbon DIoxide.

Second of all, CO is actually slightly lighter than air - and proper ventilation definitely DOES help prevent a build up of CO. CO is produced by the burning of fuel like oil and gas. Gas or oil boilers release CO, for example. If the only source of CO in your home is a flame on the stove, then an open window actually should be more than enough to vent it properly. It is generally larger appliances that can cause danger if improperly vented (or if the vents get blocked).

http://healthybuildingscience......acts/

Thanks for the catch. That's why I shouldn't multi task when posting.

Dolly Welsh

Mon, Mar 23 2015, 7:16 pm

I mean Carbon MONoxide. Sorry. CO.

Yes, look at the numbers.

It is never stupid to speak to a real electrician, at least once.

No, extension cords are not great. It is much better to not use them. If you use one, it should not be touching anything. No wire at all should be touching anything.

I heard of an extension cord running a fax machine once, that was draped over some papers. The only reason I heard about it was it didn't work.

Frumdoc

Mon, Mar 23 2015, 7:19 pm

Can I ask why people cover food on their plata/ hot tray/ blech? Is it to keep it hot? Or another reason?

Asking as no one I know uses anything other than the lid to cover, or foil, and my fear of fire makes me consider all cloth a fire risk and keep far away from my plata.

Have had near accidents when someone has tossed a drying cloth from netilat yadayim onto or next to the plata, so now I watch v carefully. I was surprised to see some people have plata covers, and wondered why?

Even foil used like we often do on Pesach over such thingscan cause sparks and fires.

Ruchi

Mon, Mar 23 2015, 7:24 pm

Ella1 wrote:

My friend had carbon monoxide in her house from using a blech. The man from the gas company that responded to her 911 call on Shabbos told her that he sees this often in the community. B"H, she had a carbon monoxide detector! Now, the recent tragedy in Midwood shows us a hotplate is also not an answer. So, does anyone have a good, safe way they keep things hot over Shabbos?

I raise the blech so that the gas has space to breathe.

I took a foil container and bent it over loads of times and put it on the edge of the pan support (not near any flame) and this keeps it raised allowing for the gas to disperse and not build up under the blech causing carbon monoxide.

Ruchi

Mon, Mar 23 2015, 7:35 pm

It is also important to make sure that the wires on both ends of ANY electrical appliance (at the plug and where it connects to the appliance) are not shredding or showing signs of wear and tear in a bad kind of way, for e.g that you can see the colored wires and they are fraying.
I used to use a hotplate many years ago and one day it started becoming extremely hot. I gave it in to be checked and was told there is nothing wrong with it. After a few weeks of continuing to use it I decided that I shall better stop using it before it can explode cholila. I am glad I threw it out and started using a blech.

vintagebknyc

Mon, Mar 23 2015, 9:46 pm

we use only a crockpot, and put hot coffee in a thermos before shabbas. that's it.

until you find me a hotplate/blech that has been designed for be on for hours, unattended, we eat chulent and cold sandwiches. no offense to anyone here--truly, I promise--but I cannot imagine taking this risk. even when I light yarkzeit candles I place them inside a closed oven.

Dolly Welsh

Mon, Mar 23 2015, 10:46 pm

Not so sure open flame goes in the cavity of the oven. The designer didn't intend that. Maybe put the candle on a raised metal candle holder tray (I got mine at the supermarket) and put that in turn on a metal or heat proof surface.

But I hear your point.

http://www.amazon.com/Candles-.....+tray

http://www.amazon.com/Creative.....+tray

http://www.amazon.com/Alexis-B.....VWMDS

I think it is important to have air space underneath. The little feet are important.

Mevater

Mon, Mar 23 2015, 11:40 pm

vintagebknyc wrote:

If the crockpot is for the daytime meal (chulent), what do you eat in the evening meals? No chicken soup? I wonder how people manage with no blech on a two or three day Yom Tov, if they want a traditional meal with chicken soup, roasted chicken, kugel, etc. How does that all get warmed up?

vintagebknyc

Tue, Mar 24 2015, 12:09 am

Mevater wrote:

we make a warm dinner before sundown on friday, and eat room temp or cold food along with the chulent during the next day. 2-3 days, we eat room temp or cold food. why is this so surprising? don't you think there's a reason why no manufacturer has made any sort of hotplate that one could use safely for 24+hours? sorry, not in my house.

vintagebknyc

Tue, Mar 24 2015, 12:22 am

and I really want to stress that I mean no disrespect in my posts about this. to each her own, I don't mean to point out fault. really only answering the post's question as to what we do.

Mevater

Tue, Mar 24 2015, 12:35 am

vintagebknyc wrote:

Personally, I could eat cold chicken and salad, and fresh fruit for dessert, all Yom Tov. When you have loads of company with kids, from experience, the cold stuff (as main dish or sides) dont go. They want their warm main, next to a piece of warm kugel.

Kugglegirl

Tue, Mar 24 2015, 12:36 am

greenfire wrote:

I'm looking at this item ... what are your thoughts as to how safe it sounds for shabbos

http://www.vikron.com/about

Well, if it's this thing or a shaitl, for sure I'd pick this thing.

I guess I would hope at the price that it is wired well.

tag

Tue, Mar 24 2015, 1:01 am

I have a dream of buying the metal warmers (oven)... The one they use in shul for a kiddush or in the hospital bikur cholim rooms... Those keep all food delicious and evenly warm.. They never get dried out

Sanguine

Tue, Mar 24 2015, 7:09 am

vintagebknyc wrote:

why is this so surprising? don't you think there's a reason why no manufacturer has made any sort of hotplate that one could use safely for 24+hours? sorry, not in my house.

Maybe except in Israel.

Now for the funny (typical Israeli) part. I found the instructions and warnings (since we recently bought a new plata and DH doesn't believe in throwing anything out). So I scanned it to post here. Now if you don't have good Hebrew don't bother trying to read it. If you do have good Hebrew - Good luck to you!! Half the words are written backwards or just jumbled!!! (guess we can't sue them if it malfunctions - Did you follow the directions?) Only in Israel Rolling Laughter

water_bear88

Tue, Mar 24 2015, 7:17 am

Sanguine wrote:

Maybe except in Israel.

What brand is it? We're looking to replace ours and I'd rather avoid that company.

Sanguine

Tue, Mar 24 2015, 7:39 am

water_bear88 wrote:

What brand is it? We're looking to replace ours and I'd rather avoid that company.

Well my old one is Gold Line and we've used it for a few years. Can't find those instructions though I'm sure we still have them. We bought the new one at Osher Ad because it's super big 66x42 cm. The brand is PIXMA. I don't think so many companies sell this extra large size. It seems to work fine. We mostly still use the smaller one (regular size) just cause I don't always need the extra large, and while the regular fits on my counter and I can set it up early and keep putting things there as I cook them, the extra large has to go on my stove top which is being used till the last minute (I then put the blech on the extinguished gases for a flatter surface and also they're still super hot and I put that plata on the blech)

water_bear88

Tue, Mar 24 2015, 7:46 am

Sanguine wrote:

Well my old one is Gold Line and we've used it for a few years. Can't find those instructions though I'm sure we still have them. We bought the new one at Osher Ad because it's super big 66x42 cm. The brand is PIXMA. I don't think so many companies sell this extra large size. It seems to work fine. We mostly still use the smaller one (regular size) just cause I don't always need the extra large, and while the regular fits on my counter and I can set it up early and keep putting things there as I cook them, the extra large has to go on my stove top which is being used to the last minute (I then put the blech on the extinguished gases for a flatter surface and also they're still super hot and I put that plata on the blech)

Thanks! I'm not sure what brand our current one is (got it hand-me-down from a relative), but it's smaller than what we really need now.

Sanguine

Tue, Mar 24 2015, 7:49 am

water_bear88 wrote:

Thanks! I'm not sure what brand our current one is (got it hand-me-down from a relative), but it's smaller than what we really need now.

The standard size is 55x42. In general that is fine for my family

etky

Tue, Mar 24 2015, 7:50 am

I am also, coincidentally in the market for a new platta. I noticed a few weeks ago that ours was no longer heating so efficiently in certain spots. I figured I'd use my current one until Pessach and then toss it (we've had it for well over a decade). We looked at the extra large one but it seems to take up too much space and wouldn't fit on my stove top which is where I position it. I think we'll stick with the standard large one. One tip, Water-Bear, that I remember from the last time I was in the market for a platta - look for a platta that does not have sloping edges since it decreases the functional surface area of the platta. The sharper, squared edges give you a bit more room. I'd also appreciate specific recommendations if anyone has.