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How to use the blech correctly
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amother
OP


 

Post Wed, Jun 24 2020, 1:59 pm
I'm getting a blech to cover my stove top, I want to use it correctly on Shabbos.

please tell me what I need to know.

my plan is to cook the food before shabbos. two main dishes: cholent, and chicken with vegetables cooked in soup. then before shabbos I will put the metal sheet on top of the stove top. will leave on one or two fires, probably in the back. will probably cover the metal with aluminum foil on all sides. will use deep aluminum pans for the cholent and chicken with vegetables in soup. will cover with aluminum foil. plan to leave it on the blech all shabbos, but to move it around on the blech to hotter and cooler areas. will take food from the dishes on friday night and shabbos day. need to move it away from the fire when taking the food out? is there anything else I need to know? does it sound like I'm doing everything according to halacha? thank you.

also, this is what I ordered from amazon, does it look like the correct item to use for a blech to cover the gas stove?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod.....e3016

Thank you in advance for all replies.
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jflower




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jun 24 2020, 3:06 pm
The link is for a 12" x 12" blech. You need a bigger size for all the food you're planning on heating. You need more space so you can move pans closer/further to the flame.
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amother
OP


 

Post Wed, Jun 24 2020, 3:10 pm
jflower wrote:
The link is for a 12" x 12" blech. You need a bigger size for all the food you're planning on heating. You need more space so you can move pans closer/further to the flame.


Thank you. I'm clueless. what are the inches for a standard stovetop. or half a stovetop. if you have a link or if you know what dimensions I should look for please tell me. thank you
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FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jun 24 2020, 3:12 pm
Shmirath Shabbat is the book set you need to buy. It will tell you everything you need to know about Shabbos and Yom Tov. It's an incredible reference that every home should have.

Personally, I love my water blech. Basically, you get a large industrial cookie sheet, with sides that are at least an inch high. Fill it with boiling water before Shabbos, and then cover it with a cookie sheet that is slightly larger. Set the stove top heat to Low, and the steam will seal inside and not boil over.

Now you have a kli sheini. Because of this, the halacha is much more lenient. You can take things on and off the blech, reheat wet foods, stir food, and warm up challah. All of these things are impossible or very problematic on a plain steel blech.

If you are not sure how to use a water blech, you can always get a local rabbi to teach you. Chabad rabbis are pretty familiar with them because they host so often, and need the flexibility that comes from the leniencies.
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LovesHashem




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jun 24 2020, 3:20 pm
On a regular blech you CANNOT put watery food or anything with liquid on there. You can put your soup on before shabbos, but you cannot take it off and return it. Shabbos day you can't put on anything in a liquidy sauce.

Please DO NOT COVER your blech with aluminum foil! It's INCREDIBLY dangerous and many are unaware. It's a fire hazard in addition it could make your blech explode or something. Ask anyone who works for hatzalah, or anyone who makes blechs or manufactures them. You CANNOT cover it with anything!
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Elfrida




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jun 24 2020, 3:26 pm
LovesHashem wrote:


Please DO NOT COVER your blech with aluminum foil! It's INCREDIBLY dangerous and many are unaware. It's a fire hazard in addition it could make your blech explode or something. Ask anyone who works for hatzalah, or anyone who makes blechs or manufactures them. You CANNOT cover it with anything!


I'm never sure about this. I've seen a lot about it lately, but I know that my blech came with a recommendation that you cover it with foil when in use. It was written in Hebrew, on the instruction leaflet. (My blech also folds in half for easy storage.)

Anyway, I think the OP was referring to a traditional stovetop blech, rather than an electric hotplate/blech/platta, so covering it is far less of an issue.
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amother
Emerald


 

Post Wed, Jun 24 2020, 3:30 pm
I grew up with this sort of blech and use it still. But I’ve never tried to leave food ok the whole Shabbos. I imagine it would get burned/overlooked/inedible. We only hear dry food on the blech and therefore put them on several hours before we need it. Why not do that?
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Elfrida




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jun 24 2020, 3:33 pm
amother [ Emerald ] wrote:
I grew up with this sort of blech and use it still. But I’ve never tried to leave food ok the whole Shabbos. I imagine it would get burned/overlooked/inedible. We only hear dry food on the blech and therefore put them on several hours before we need it. Why not do that?


Does that mean you never ate chulent growing up? (I didn't either - my father objected to it for some reason.) I know plenty of people who leave chulent on that kind of blech overnight.
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amother
Emerald


 

Post Wed, Jun 24 2020, 3:38 pm
[quote="Elfrida"]Does that mean you never ate chulent growing up? (I didn't either - my father objected to it for some reason.) I know plenty of people who leave chulent on that kind of blech overnight.[/quote

Chulent (when made) was in the crock pot.
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FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jun 24 2020, 3:39 pm
PS: About the water blech.

After Shabbos, turn off the heat, and then carefully dump the hot water on the floor. Now you can do a quick sponga!
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amother
Orchid


 

Post Wed, Jun 24 2020, 3:42 pm
My blech is what Amazon calls
"Heat Diffuser Reducer Flame Guard Simmer Plate, Stainless Steel", the top of it (only!) is covered with aluminum foil. When I leave a flame on shabbos, I an 8 quart pot filled with boiling water at the start of shabbos. The top of the pot, instead of the pot lid, I cover with a stainless steel, I guess it is supposed to be a pizza pan. That gives me my kdairah al gabei kdairah, which is what frantic frummie is referencing.
I use it to heat up dry foods (chicken not in sauce, etc) for shabbos day.

it would not be used for cholent, unless I wanted to take fully cooked chulent,make sure it is not really saucy, and wrap a big chunk in aluminum foil and put on top of my pizza pan, and reheat it for shabbos lunch.
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SixOfWands




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jun 24 2020, 3:53 pm
jflower wrote:
The link is for a 12" x 12" blech. You need a bigger size for all the food you're planning on heating. You need more space so you can move pans closer/further to the flame.


For the measurement impaired, like me, a sheet of paper is 11" long. So just bigger than a sheet of paper. Way too small.

I'd also be worried about the proper thickness or whatever if it wasn't made for that purpose.

See http://happyhomelocal.com/juda......html for example of one sold as a blech. It also gives size. They have several there http://happyhomelocal.com/cata.....ch%27

Please note: this is from a google search. I've never shopped there.
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FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jun 24 2020, 3:58 pm
http://happyhomelocal.com/wate......html

This is the one I have. I bought mine 18 years ago, and it's interesting to see that the price hasn't gone up one bit! Mine is also still in "practically new" condition, even after heavy use.

The best thing, is that it's impossible to burn your food on it, even though the food gets very hot.

(I know, I'm starting to sound like an infomercial!)
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shabbatiscoming




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jun 24 2020, 4:02 pm
amother [ Emerald ] wrote:
I grew up with this sort of blech and use it still. But I’ve never tried to leave food ok the whole Shabbos. I imagine it would get burned/overlooked/inedible. We only hear dry food on the blech and therefore put them on several hours before we need it. Why not do that?
I grew up with a blech on the fire. We always had chulent shabbat day in the winter. It was completely fine on the blech. You just have to make sure there is enough liquid before shabbat. otherwise, no problem and always very tasty Smile
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zaq




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jun 24 2020, 4:13 pm
1. Please don't buy plain sheet metal as shown in the Amazon ad. The edges will be razor sharp. Buy a blech that's made to be a blech, with rolled edges that won't slice off fingers or toes (if dropped).

2. get aluminum. It conducts heat way better than stainless steel, is lighter and cheaper. I've never heard of a stainless steel blech unless someone made their own or ordered it custom-made from a metal fabrication shop--in which case the edges would be rolled or ground so they're not sharp.

3. google "stovetop blech""shabbos blech' and "unblech" (the kind you fill with water). Get a blech that's a blech, not a piece of sheet metal (see above).

4. blechs come in sizes to fit standard stoves: 24-30-36 inches wide. get one to fit the entire top of your stove. Those little 12-inch squares will cover one burner only.
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amother
OP


 

Post Wed, Jun 24 2020, 4:57 pm
Thank you to each person that replied.

FranticFrummie, your posts were especially helpful. I like the idea of having the options of a kli sheini, but scared to handle boiling water.

I ordered the water blech that you linked. Hope it comes before friday. does it come with everything I need? you say to fill it up with boiling water before shabbos. I'm a little scared to cook boiling water and then pour it into something. I personally know someone that got terrible burns from water, but it was not from a blech, it was from something else.

can I fill it up with regular tap water and if I leave it on the stove for an hour, will it start boiling before shabbos? or it needs to be boiled before I put it in? is it easy to close after the water is boiled? I'm really scared of handling hot water or hot things. and I'm unsteady sometimes. please tell me how it works with handling the hot water so that nobody gets hurt chas veshalom. thank you!
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amother
OP


 

Post Wed, Jun 24 2020, 4:58 pm
also, thank you to everyone that told me I ordered the wrong thing. I cancelled the amazon order and ordered from happy home instead.
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amother
Yellow


 

Post Wed, Jun 24 2020, 5:01 pm
Also note that some are makpid to cover the knobs as well as the flame. Therefore there's a blech with a bend so it comes down over the front knobs.
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amother
Red


 

Post Wed, Jun 24 2020, 6:08 pm
We use a water blech. We wait until the next morning when it is cooled to empty it. It heats the whole blech to one average temperature, so if you're looking for differences, be aware. In general, we are happy with that part.

BUT we do not hold that all the things FF mentioned are allowed. So consult your own rav.
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Ora in town




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jun 24 2020, 6:31 pm
FranticFrummie wrote:
Shmirath Shabbat is the book set you need to buy. It will tell you everything you need to know about Shabbos and Yom Tov. It's an incredible reference that every home should have.

Personally, I love my water blech. Basically, you get a large industrial cookie sheet, with sides that are at least an inch high. Fill it with boiling water before Shabbos, and then cover it with a cookie sheet that is slightly larger. Set the stove top heat to Low, and the steam will seal inside and not boil over.

Now you have a kli sheini. Because of this, the halacha is much more lenient. You can take things on and off the blech, reheat wet foods, stir food, and warm up challah. All of these things are impossible or very problematic on a plain steel blech.

If you are not sure how to use a water blech, you can always get a local rabbi to teach you. Chabad rabbis are pretty familiar with them because they host so often, and need the flexibility that comes from the leniencies.

eish mechussah


Last edited by Ora in town on Wed, Jun 24 2020, 6:49 pm; edited 1 time in total
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