GE Chooses Not to Renew its Hechsher for “Shabbos Mode” on all Ovens Bought after Jan. 1, 2022

By Yehudit Garmaise

 GE decided not to renew, for 2022, its hechsher with the Star-K for the “Shabbos mode” of all its wall ovens and freestanding ovens, Star-K President Rabbi Avrom Pollak told RocklandDaily.

Contrary to other reports, the Star-K did not pull its hechsher from GE ovens, but rather, instead of including the Shabbos mode in most of its ovens, as GE once did, the company will now provide the mode separately via a separate feature that is called “The Shabbos Keeper” that costs an extra $200 to $250 and is certified by the OU, Pollak explained.

“It used to be that the Shabbos mode was included in most GE ovens,” the Star-K’s president explained. “Now, if you buy a GE appliance, you are going to have to buy this added-on ‘Sabbath Keeper,’ which is another expense. It is a very big inconvenience.”

 While the Star-K routinely answers many consumer questions on its certifications of many different products and appliances, Rabbi Pollak said, the agency will no longer be able to respond to questions about GE ovens.

 “We won’t be able to take any responsibility for it or know what they have done, which models will have certification and which will not,” he said.

 Nevertheless, Rabbi Pollak said that the Star-K stands by its hechsher for all GE ovens that were delivered and installed before Jan. 1, 2022.

 In addition, Rabbi Pollak said that the Star-K continues to certify the Shabbos mode on GE’s refrigerators.

 “To prevent confusion: the important thing to remember is that if you already own a GE oven, its Sabbath mode is still certified by the Star-K,” Rabbi Pollak said. “You don’t have to worry about it.

 “It is not like we withdrew the certification because we found a flaw. Anything you bought and had installed, as of Jan. 1, is fine.”

 For Jewish families who are in the market for new ovens that include the Shabbos mode, Rabbi Pollak recommended all of other brands that the Star-K continues to certify, such as: Whirlpool, Sub-Zero, Electrolux, Frigidaire, and Samsung.

 “We are very much in favor of the Shabbos mode, which allows frum families to keep their food warm on pre-set timers, without lights going on or anything beeping. Plus, on Yom Tov, when cooking and adjusting temperatures is permissible, families use the Shabbos feature to cook and to adjust temperatures, which change by time delays.

 “We highly recommend all the companies that we do certify and which are all listed on our website.”