Crockpots and Shabbos

Using a Crock-Pot on Shabbos

There are three halachic issues when using a crock-pot on Shabbos: shehiyah, chazarah and hatmanah—and each one has a halachic solution.

Problem: Shehiyah is the prohibition of leaving food on an open fire on Shabbos—due to the concern that one might turn up the fire—unless the food is at least half cooked before Shabbos. According to a stringent opinion, shehiyah is only permissible if the food is completely cooked and it’s mitztamek v’ra lo (prolonging the cooking would cause the food to deteriorate, e.g. it would dry out). 

Solution: Cover the heating element of the crock-pot (found either in its base or in the sides of the outer pot) with a piece of silver foil, mimicking the function of a blech. Alternatively, create a k’deirah chayesah by adding a completely raw piece of meat to the crock-pot right before Shabbos. Since this meat will not be edible at the night meal even if the flame were high, there is no longer a concern that one will turn up the fire.

Problem: Hatmanah is the prohibition of insulating food for warmth on Shabbos. If the insulation increases the food’s warmth, it may not even be set up before the onset of Shabbos. In models where the sides of the outer pot contain the electric coils that heat the inner pot, there could be an issue of hatmanah. Most poskim say that hatmanah is not a problem vis-à-vis a crock-pot since there is a gap between the inner and outer pots, among other reasons. 

Solution: According to the stringent opinion, place balls of silver foil or stones beneath the inner pot so that most of it protrudes above the outer one, and is therefore no longer insulated by the outer pot.

Problem: Chazarah is the prohibition of returning food to its heat source after being removed for serving (unless certain conditions are met). 

Solution: Some poskim are stringent with chazarah to a crock-pot. According to most poskim, however, it may be done if the inner pot is elevated as described above, and the source of heat is covered. #478

https://halacha2go.com?number=478

Practical Halacha: One minute a day. By Horav Yosef Yeshaya Braun, shlita, Mara D'asra and member of the Badatz of Crown Heights.