Slow Cooker on Shabbat

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Dear Rabbi Simon
I wonder if you could answer this question:
I have just bought the below slow cooker. It has a setting to keep food warm.
Would it be ok to leave the setting on “warm” and keep the cooker plugged in on Shabbat? Or do I need to use a timer to make sure it’s not permanently switched on?
https://www.robertdyas.co.uk/tower-1-5l-stainless-steel-slow-cooker-silver
It’s been years since I’ve had a cooker like this, so I am slightly confused. 🙄
Thank you.
Best regards,
Sheva

Hi Sheva
Thank you for your question.
You may leave this appliance on the Warm setting all of Shabbat if you like. Note that returning the porcelain pot and its contents to the unit on Shabbat requires the fulfilment of a number of conditions, and is best avoided as a matter of halachic convenience. In the summer, you may find it useful to utilise an automatic timer to turn the appliance off after lunch (for example) to save electricity and avoid added heat on a hot day (remember those?). This is purely a matter of choice rather than halakhah.
I should add that it is halakhically correct to cover the electric knob with cellophane tape (or similar) as a reminder against adjusting the heat settings. This is not just a recommendation for the absentminded, but rather, according to some authorities, a halakhic preference as stipulated in the Talmud.
Finally, FedTech is a useful resource re are range of electrical appliances and more: https://www.federation.org.uk/online-guides/.
Bon appetit
Rabbi Rashi Simon

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Ask the Rabbi: Quinoa on Pesach
Dear Rabbi Simon,
Where do you stand on quinoa (and the kitniyot ban) for Pesach?
Many thanks,
Tzippy
***
Dear Tzippy,
In line with other American authorities, I am in favour of quinoa. Although I reject completely the voices (mostly from Israel) seeking to abolish the ban on kitniyot entirely, IMO we do not need to include in the prohibition pseudo-grains that were unknown in the Old World until modern times. Best to buy with a Pesach hechsher though, to be free of any possible wheat contamination.
Rabbi Rashi Simon
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