Hot water urn recommendation
My latest Shabbat water urn is dying. They don't seem to last long. I've tried expensive ones, cheap ones, pump tops, spigots on the side, just about all of them. They seem to last between 2-5 years.
My mother in law thinks I'm silly. She says to get a cheap one each year at Pesach, throw the old one away and use the new one all year until next Pesach.
The cheap ones don't get the water hot enough, the push pumps get pooped out after a short while and the expensive pretty one from either Revere or Farber (can't remember) was always being repaired for $35 per fix.
There was a Jewish company in Massachusetts someplace that made a pot that they insisted was as hot as permissible. That was wonderful and lasted over 5 years before the pump thing kept getting stuck. They don't seem to be in business any more.
Anyone have a suggestion? Please don't suggest the Japanese pots with the electric mechanisms that Costco has. They are wonderful but cannot be used on Shabbat.
Thanks!!
-
i assume by Japanese pot, you are referring to the Zojirushi brand like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001...assuming that is the case, what is wrong with using the above pot on shabbat?
thank you
›2 Replies-
re: cat81
i posted the wrong link above. this is one i am asking about since it has a manual pump to dispense the water:
-
re: cat81
The pot I was referring to is the one in your first post. As you saw, it has an electric pump. Pity because it heats water very well and best of all it's sold at Costco.
I actually ended up buying the one in your second post through Amazon and it does have a manual pump. I received it last night and I have it running at home to make 100% sure that it won't turn off after 12 hours. The water is very hot and the flower is dumb looking. I didn't realize that they were the same brand.
-
-
-
TZOMET-approved, stainless steel solution.
So, last year about this time I bought a West Bend http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006GQ8J0/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00
Several people who run coffee hour at church seemed to like it, and I figured they should know, even if I was going to use mine for hot water, not for coffee..
It died after less than a year of use. Water began to drip from the water-level column. 11 months and kaput. Shoddy.
This Le Chef
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004...
arrived for Yom Tov. It is stainless steel, which is better than drinking water heated in aluminum. The design is approved by Tzomet!
It stands just above 20" tall,
›3 Replies -
We have been using the Waring Stainless Steel urn for many years and are loving it. http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/...
By getting their credit card we got another $20.00 off.
In order to keep the residue to a minimum we are using filtered water. -
Sorry if this has already been mentioned, but we bought this at our local Kosher market- http://www.kosherhouseware.com/euelho...
-
-
re: MartyB
queenscook
Aug 22, 2012 01:50 PM
No need for Prime membership for free shipping; the listing makes it clear that there is free Super Saver shipping, which means that any items over $25 ship for free.
-
-
re: SoCal Mother
The thing I don't like about the West Bend is the aluminum interior. Call me paranoid, but I worry about the aluminum leeching into the water as the urn breaks down with use. Are there any urns with stainless steel interior options? What about stainless steel Magic Mill on kosherhouseware.com? Is the interior stainless or just the outside?
I'm still looking into the Beem electric samovar option for myself. Has anyone seen them in stores in Southern California or are they just available online?
-
-
-
We like our Farberware urn. Very easy for me to do the repairs myself. If you let it go dry, it has a funky fuse in the bottom which I have not been able to find- solder heats up and spring action kills the power. Right now, I have it bypassed, and we just monitor to make sure it won't run dry. In the future, I guess a soldering iron and some silver solder is the answer. Anyway, this is all qualiity stainless. It does develop scale, but we just don't typically worry about it.
›2 Replies -
LeChef makes a really good one. Its very hot and has a yom tov mode where you can add water on y"t.
›6 Replies-
-
-
-
-
re: Prozack
I looked it up on Amazon and there was one review of it which was horrible. Gave it one star, and clearly written by someone "in the life" (frum) with many, many complaints. totally put me off getting it. I know that those reviews are often written by chronic malcontents with unrealistically high expectations for everything, but I'm wondering if you read that review and what you think.
-
re: helou
Read the review..seems awfully harsh...its true that you do have to use one switch to boil and then switch it off and switch on the other to keep warm, but that's prob so it can be used for yom tov without triggering any change in a light or electricity. I'm in the kitchen a lot of friday so its not a big deal to hear it boiling and "switch" the switch. I don't know what the problem the reviewer has with the plastic lid but it works fine. Never had any issues with it or with emptying the pot. Never ran out of water and we always have guests.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
I have had issues with rust and deposits on the inside of my urn. After many attempts at solutions, the only thing that worked was to use only spring water, which is free from additives. It keeps the inside of the urn clean.
As far as keeping the water hot, my rabbi told me that I could put a cloth over the pot, as long as it doesnt cover the entire pot. A folded towel works perfectly. The water was hot and perfect. This has worked no matter which brand I have owned.›1 Reply-
re: robocop
But eventually they all die.
My Classic Kitchen pot has a pooped out pumper.
My previous pump pot from the Jewish company in Massachusetts had plastic fatigue and the pumper kept getting stuck on the crumbling plastic.
The ones with spouts all leak eventually.Ah well...off to Target (or Home Depot!) next week to buy my next hot pot.
-
-
I am so glad you posted. I feel that all the urns I have purchased in the last ten years (and there have been at least 3) did not keep the water hot enough and did "have issues" at some point. I can't wait to see the posts. I like a very hot coffee on Shabbos morning and I haven't had one in years. Invariably some of my coffee grinds kind of lay there trying to dissolve.
›2 Replies-
re: cappucino
I was told once by a coffee-loving rav -
There are two permissible ways to make instant coffee on Shabbat:
1. Water heats in kli rishon (the urn.) Pour it into a dry kli sheni (first cup) and THEN coffee into the water
2. Water heats in kli rishon. Put instant coffee and sweetener into an empty kli slishi (second cup.) Pour water from urn into kli sheni and then pour from kli sheni into the cup with the instant coffee in it.He told me that method 2 is preferable because the coffee tastes better.
Of course milk goes in last.
This is NOT a valid method for making tea on Shabbat.
To the moderators: This may look like a discussion of Jewish law but it's really an explanation on how to improve on instant coffee while respecting the Sabbath. Please let this one stay.
-
re: SoCal Mother
The problem with option 2 is that when you are dealing with "very warm" water as opposed to scalding hot water, the second cup is just not hot enough. I just want to see steam, for goodness sakes. Steam!!! And it is because I remember the urns of the past and that water was hot. It stinks being middle aged sometimes.
-
-
-
I'm starting to agree with your mother. I have a Perko pot with a Shabbat switch. It has worked pretty well for 2 years, but I'm starting to see some rust on the underside of the lid. Curious to see if anyone has any other ideas. It is difficult to find electric urns without the automatic shut-off.
As far as the mineral deposit problem goes, try boiling two lemons in the pot for 5 minutes (cut them in half, and throw them in with their peel), and leave it to sit overnight. Scrub lightly with a kitchen brush in the AM. If it is still really bad, try a product used for cleaning kettles and coffee makers.›9 Replies-
re: mamaleh
Does anyone out there use an electric Samovar instead of a regular hot water urn? http://www.crcweb.org/kosher_articles...
I've seen these in some Persian homes in my neighborhood, and I'm willing to try this. Any particular brands that you can recommend?-
re: mamaleh
The best shabbos urn that I have seen is the pump pot sold by Classic Kitchen. The water is always extremely hot and it meets the halachic standards. It may be the same company that you referred to above from Massachusetts. I know that they are sold here in many judaic bookstores and kosher supermarkets.
-
-
-
re: PotatoPuff
We have very hard water at our house, so I bought one called Dezcal at Bed Bath and Beyond. Some of the electric kettle and coffee maker manufacturing companies also carry their own brands like Russell Hobbs and Capresso. You may be able to use Lime Away or CLR from a regular hardware store, but I would be concerned about damaging some of the plastic features that are usually on these urns, like the spigot. Perhaps some of the other readers here have used these successfully.
-
re: PotatoPuff
Equal parts water and white vinegar also work. Pour it in, turn on the pot, let heat for a few hours, scrub if needed and rinse. You don't have to pour in the water all the way. Just covering the buildup should be fine or about 2/3 of the pot if the build up is all the way up. I do it at least twice a year to keep the build up at bay.
-
-
-
I have a very basic one from Home Depot (who knew they sold tea urns??!!!). It functions well but has some weird mineral deposit type issue on the inside. No idea how to fix it. It doesn't affect the water after it comes out. The urn cost maybe $25 dollars.
Also could you specify if you are looking for one with visible water level markings on the outside? In my searches for an urn I've discovered that some communities frown upon this as it as it might appear that you are measuring the water level on Shabbos, even if you don't remove an exact amount. Most places I've been to do not seem to care, but we got one without water level markings since we don't really need them.
›9 Replies
