It has come to the Star-K’s attention that there is a potential halachic issue with some Wolf cooktops that have the auto-ignite feature.
When a burner is on, opening or closing a drawer or cabinet door near the cooktop might extinguish the burner flame, which will automatically reignite.
The manufacturer has informed the Star-K that this poses no safety concern, as the flame comes back right away. However, this DOES present a halachic concern for Shabbos and Yom Tov.
The Star-K advises consumers to conduct the following test on a weekday:
Observe the cooktop under normal cooking conditions while opening and closing drawers and cabinet doors in the area of the cooktop. Verify that the burner remains ON WITHOUT INTERRUPTION.
If testing indicates that opening or shutting a particular door or drawer does cause the burner to extinguish and reignite, that drawer should NOT be opened or closed on Shabbos and Yom Tov when the burner is on. It is recommended that these doors or drawers be taped down before Shabbos/Yom Tov if the burner will be left on.
