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Kosher Kitchen Dos and Don'ts
January 04, 2008
Though Jews who follow kosher dietary laws make up a small percentage of the overall population, they have very specialized kitchen design needs. Below are a few pointers, though it's important to remember that your clients' needs may vary depending on their religious beliefs and level of observance. Finally, this is just an introduction, not an exhaustive list. For more information, be sure to contact your local Jewish authority.
Do check appliance serial numbers before purchase with Star K, an organization that works with manufacturers to provide kosher certification. In fact, many appliance makers now offer a Sabbath mode on several models.
Don't buy appliances with all the bells and whistles, literally. The more complicated the appliance, the harder it is to disable alarms, lights and sounds on the Sabbath and during holidays.
Do consider (if you have a large budget) building two separate kitchen areas, one for meat and one for dairy. Each should have its own sink, prep area, cooktop, oven, dishwasher (or a dishwasher drawer to save room) and microwave.
Do include storage for two sets of dishes. Many observant households maintain two complete sets of color-coded dishware, one for meat and one for dairy. It's a good idea to run cabinets to the ceiling so seldom-used holiday dishes can be stored higher, freeing up space for everyday items.
Do use stainless steel as much as possible. Stainless steel can be kashered (made kosher), while other surfaces, such as Formica and Corian, cannot.
Do choose gas over electric when possible. With gas, the cooktop can be lit before a holiday and used for cooking throughout the day, whereas electric models cycle on and off.
Don’t choose electronic controls that automatically return to the off position after loss of power. This may seem like a minor point, but if the power goes out on the Sabbath or during a holiday, you don’t want your clients to be without the ability to cook.
Do plug gas cooktops and dishwashers into a switchable outlet. Switchable outlets can be turned on and off, usually via a light switch. This is helpful when using cooktops on holidays and the Sabbath, as kosher laws allow fire to be transferred (in this case from burner to burner) but not created by electric ignition. It is also useful with dishwashers, because although they cannot be used on the Sabbath or holidays, dishes can be placed in them. Keep in mind that all electricity must be cut off from the unit to ensure no bells or controls are activated.
Don’t choose appliances with slew controls (up/down arrows). Knob controls are best, but if they aren’t available, number pads are the next best option. When displays are turned off for a holiday it’s much easier to key in a temperature than try to adjust blindly with slew controls.
Don't choose a refrigerator with a magnetic switch to control the door light. Instead, choose a manual switch that can be taped down during the Sabbath if the unit doesn't already have a Sabbath mode.
Do choose a two-handle faucet. Hot water can't be used on the Sabbath, so it's easiest if cold water can be turned on separately from hot.
A few manufacturers that offer kosher appliances (check with Star-K for exact model numbers)
Aga
Bertazzoni
Electrolux
Fisher & Paykel
General Electric
Kenmore
KitchenAid
Sub-Zero
TurboChef
TMIO (the company's refrigerated, Internet-controlled electric double wall oven, Model PS302SS00, is shown)
Viking Range Corporation
Wolf Appliance
By Jennifer Brite
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