What is Sabbath Mode?

During the Sabbath or Shabbat, and religious holidays in Judaism, there may be restrictions on certain activities that can extend to the use of appliances. Restrictions may include turning appliances on or off, using control panels or activating lights and sounds. 

Sabbath Mode enables the operation of household appliances in compliance with certain Jewish laws. When appliances are put into Sabbath Mode, certain features may be modified or disabled to accommodate these religious practices.

What appliances have a Sabbath Mode?

Sabbath Mode can be found on a number of appliances, including some refrigerators, ovens, ranges and wine refrigerators. Select Whirlpool brand appliances with Sabbath Mode are STAR-K certified. When an appliance is STAR-K certified, it has met certain requirements to be considered Kosher. An appliance with Sabbath Mode can function like a Kosher appliance. 

Learn more about Sabbath Mode on kitchen appliances:

What is Sabbath Mode on a stove or cooktop?

You can cook on your stove when it’s in Sabbath Mode, but additional features and functionality are disabled. Here are some common features and functions of stoves or cooktops with Sabbath Mode:

• Cooktop burners can still be operated.

• Sounds such as tones or chimes are disabled.

• Displays will not indicate temperature changes.

• Timers are disabled.

• Cooktop Lockout, a feature that prevents unintended use of the cooktop, is disabled.

• Energy Save is disabled in select models.

• Start, Cancel and Off keys, as well as Warming Zone on/off (select models), remain enabled. All other keys are disabled.

How to use Sabbath Mode on a Whirlpool^® stove or cooktop

1. Select Sabbath Mode from the mode options on your Whirlpool^® cooktop or range.
2. Set the cooktop elements or burners to the desired temperature level.
3. Warm dishes by placing them on the stove or cooktop.
4. Deactivate the stove and cooktop elements when you’re finished warming your food.
5. Exit Sabbath Mode on your Whirlpool^® cooktop or range by holding the touchscreen or button for three seconds.

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What is Sabbath Mode on an oven?

When in Sabbath Mode, your oven will disable its automatic shut-off function to stay on longer than 12 hours. This means that the oven will stay in a Bake mode until shut off, which will allow you to use the oven for cooking or warming food. It is important to remember that certain features will need to be enabled or disabled before using Sabbath Mode. This includes the following:

Oven Light: Turn your oven light on or off before engaging Sabbath Mode. Your oven light will remain as it was set until Sabbath Mode is turned off—it will not be affected by the Oven Light switch or by opening or closing your oven door.

Warming Drawer: If you plan to use your warming drawer, it must be turned on prior to enabling Sabbath Mode. Adjust your warming drawer settings prior to turning on Sabbath Mode, as these settings cannot be changed once the Mode is engaged.

While your oven is in Sabbath Mode, only the Bake setting can be enabled—all other oven settings, including temperature displays, sounds and cleaning cycles, are disabled.

How to use Sabbath Mode on a Whirlpool^® oven

1. Select Sabbath Mode on your wall oven or range from the baking cycle options.

2. Select your desired temperature to enable the baking cycle.

3. Exit Sabbath Mode on your Whirlpool^® wall oven or range by holding the touchscreen or button for three seconds.

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What is Sabbath Mode on a refrigerator or freezer?

Sabbath Mode allows you to open and close the refrigerator or freezer doors without activating interior lights, sounds or other controls. While your fridge is in Sabbath Mode, water filter status lights are disabled and temperatures cannot be adjusted.

The refrigerator is at the heart of the kitchen, making Sabbath Mode for this appliance particularly important. Sabbath Mode on a refrigerator allows the appliance to keep food and ingredients cool while limiting interaction with the electrical system.

How to use Sabbath Mode on a Whirlpool^® refrigerator

1. Activate Sabbath Mode on your Whirlpool^® refrigerator by holding the mode button for three seconds.
2. Open and close the fridge door to access chilled food, ingredients and beverages.
   
3. Exit Sabbath Mode on your Whirlpool^® refrigerator by holding the mode button for three seconds.

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What is Sabbath Mode on a wine refrigerator?

When Sabbath Mode is activated on your wine fridge or wine cooler, the exterior lights and display will be deactivated. This will make your appliance appear as if it is turned off, but your wine cooler will keep running as normal and its temperature settings will remain unchanged. Activate Sabbath Mode on your wine refrigerator to keep your wine bottles cool during Shabbat.

How to use Sabbath Mode on a Whirlpool^® wine fridge

1. Activate Sabbath Mode on your Whirlpool^® wine fridge or undercounter refrigerator by holding the mode button for three seconds.

2. Open and close the fridge door to access chilled beverages.

3. Exit Sabbath Mode on your Whirlpool^® wine refrigerator by holding the mode button for three seconds.

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What is Kosher Consumer Friendly Mode on a microwave?

The Kosher Consumer Friendly (KCF) Mode on a microwave oven is similar to Sabbath Mode, but with some important differences. KCF Mode is a version of Sabbath Mode with fewer features. When KCF Mode is activated on your microwave, opening the door will not turn on the interior light, all keypad presses will be ignored—except for Cancel—and the display will remain static. When the microwave oven door is opened, the microwave’s heating elements will turn off immediately.

How to use KCF Mode on a Whirlpool^® microwave

1. Reference your owner’s manual as model-specific instructions may vary. 

2. If you want the cooktop light to be on during KCF Mode, press the Light keypad once for the High setting or twice for the Low setting. 

3. If you want the ventilation fan to be on, press the Fan keypad once for the High speed setting. You may press this keypad repeatedly and choose a different speed. There are four available speeds (High, Med-High, Med and Low). The ventilation fan will automatically turn off after 4 hours. 

4. Open the microwave oven door, place your food inside and close the door. You will see a set of menu buttons on the left side. 

5. Press the Start keypad. Press the Start keypad again to start the cook time countdown immediately, without preheating. 

6. The microwave oven is now cooking with the cooktop light and ventilation fan on the chosen settings. 

7. Press and hold CLOCK/OPTIONS for 3 seconds. The microwave oven is now in active KCF Mode and the display will show “KCF mode”. 

8. While the microwave oven is cooking in KCF Mode, do not open the door, as this will shut off the heat source immediately. When the cooking cycle ends, there will be no beeps and the oven light will stay off when you open the door to remove the food.

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What is Kosher Consumer Friendly Mode on a dishwasher?

Kosher Consumer Friendly (KCF) Mode on a dishwasher is similar to Sabbath Mode on other appliances. When your dishwasher is set to KCF Mode, the controls and lights will not operate and the interior lights will be off. You will still be able to use the Cancel button on your dishwasher, but everything else will be disabled for 75 hours.

This allows you to open and close the door to load or unload dishes without the light turning on or running the risk of accidentally hitting a button and activating the dishwasher.

How to use KCF Mode on a Whirlpool^® dishwasher

1. Refer to the owner’s manual for your dishwasher, as these instructions may vary based on your specific model.

2. Press and hold the “Hi Temp” button for 5 seconds until “Hi Temp” and “Dry” lights turn on. 

3. Press the “Start/Resume” button within 2 seconds. If you do not press Start within 2 seconds, then the display will turn off and you will need to start over and go back to step 1.

4. For models with a display, an “A” will show in the display to indicate Rinse Aid Level.

5. For non-display models, the “Tough or Cookware” light will turn on to indicate Rinse Aid Level. 

6. To go to a feature other than Rinse Aid Level, press the “Cycle” button or “Normal” button (depending on the model) to move to the feature you would like to change. Select Kosher Consumer Friendly.

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To learn more about Sabbath Mode or for further instructions, refer to your appliance’s Use and Care Guide. To download or view your product manual, visit the Whirlpool^® Manuals and Literature page.

Explore STAR-K Certified Sabbath Mode Appliances from Whirlpool brand

If you are looking to upgrade your appliances and would like to be able to utilize Sabbath Mode or Kosher Consumer Friendly Mode, explore the many options available from Whirlpool brand. Whether you need a refrigerator, dishwasher, oven or range, Whirlpool brand has an appliance that will meet your needs and help you care for your family every day.