Kosher is a term used to refer to food that is prepared under Jewish laws and regulation concerning preparation of foods that were considered clean by the Bible. When designing a Kosher Kitchen for a residence, there are several issues that must be addressed to achieve the goals of functionality, practicality plus compliance to the faith set beliefs of the family. Several elements are explained in this article that can help the planning, design and implementation of a Kosher Kitchen.
Keeping Kosher: An Overview
Keeping kosher is a concept that will be best understood after defining it and before carving out the details. The rules governing the kosher cuisine involve the types of foods, the process to prepare them, cook them and store them. The simplest rules in kosher cuisine entail not mixing Meat and Dairy , not preparing food on the Sabbath and using only kosher food items in the preparation of foods.
Designing a Kosher Kitchen: Key Considerations
There are several factors one has to take into account when designing a Kosher Kitchen. Here are some of the most crucial aspects to consider:
Segregation of Meat and Dairy products
The most critical aspect of Kosher Kitchen is the division of the kitchen into Meat and Dairy. This is then a requirement that utensils, pots and pans, other food preparation equipment, plates, cutting boards and other serving and storage implements being used for preparing, cooking and storing Meat and Dairy foods are different. To meet these needs, therefore, there must be a distinct space or sections in the kitchen solely for meat or dairy products.
Dairy and Meat Pans
For the sake of a kosher diet regime, all cooking utensils and especially the sinks should be separate for meats and dairy products. This means that, if you are preparing a meat meal, you should not wash your utensils near a sink where you are washing utensils that came into contact with dairy products. Clean each sink well so they are identified to minimize incidence of cross infection.
Different between Countertops and Surfaces
In a Kosher Kitchen, it is important also to have a separate area and different countertops for meat and milk preparation Due to this, it is recommended that these surfaces should be made from non-porous material, for example: granite or steel. On the other hand, it is also possible to source two different colours with one side for meats and the other for dairy products.
Divide between Refrigerators and Freezers
Kosher laws require to have different refrigerators and freezers for meat and for milk. This is important because, if you mix Meat and Dairy products, those foods will become treif or non-kosher. Using two separate units or selecting an order or a side-by-side refrigerator with an easily accessible partition that divides the meat and the dairy items.
Specific kinds of cutlery and cookware
It is also needed to have two different cutleries for Meat and Dairy products to have Kosher Kitchen. They are dishes, bowls, spoons, knives, forks, pots, pans, spatulas, scoops, including cooking utensils. To prevent confusion and misuse it is therefore important to label these devices appropriately.
Separation of Plates and Dishes
Like with spoons and pots, there will be differing sets of dishes and plates for Meat and Dairy products as well. There should be different glasses, mugs, and serving dishes, and of course, different silverware.
Designated Kosher Symbol
In a Newly designed Kosher Kitchen, it us pertinent to place the Kosher symbol at clearly visible places in the kitchen so that the guests and members of the family become aware and participate in the space in a kosher sensitive manner.
Ensuring Proper Lighting
Of course, apart from the design there are some questions regarding which practical guidelines need to be considered to have a Kosher Kitchen. One of these is that it complies with the right lighting standards. Kosher cooking uses many preparations and methods in cooking since grilling, frying and baking that call for proper specification and accuracy. With this in mind, there should be enough light in the kitchen space, which can consist of ceiling lighting, cupboard lighting, spots over the kitchen island, etc.
Planning for Storage
Proper storage of utensils is critical in any kitchen, and even more, so in a Kosher Kitchen. This is necessary because you need to store your meats and dairy products separately and also needed storage area for kosher foods. Remember to provide enough closed cabinet and space-storing facilities for all your kosher foods; and different stages/sections within a refrigerators-freezers unit as well.
Accessibility and Convenience
Besides this, there should also be proper consideration towards accessibility and convenience while creating a Kosher Kitchen. Like cooking units with a design for the ease of the user, well placed shelves and cabinets, sizeable spacious countertops for food preparation and comfortable ergonomically-accessible-friendly design of the units for the user, cook and assistants. In order for the family and guests to enjoy the kitchen and feel more comfortable, a Kosher Kitchen should be as comfortable as possible in terms of accessibility and easy to use.
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