Planning a Kosher Kitchen Renovation: 8 Decisions to Make Early
Published · Infinity Projects
A kosher kitchen is planned around separation: meat and dairy, everyday and Pesach, weekdays and Shabbat. Most of those needs are easy to meet when they are designed in from the start, and expensive to add later. Here are the eight decisions worth making before any cabinet is ordered.
A note before we start: questions of halacha belong with your rav. This guide is about planning the space so that whatever your practice is, the kitchen supports it.
1. Two sinks, or one
Many families choose two sinks, one for meat and one for dairy, placed far enough apart that splashes do not cross. If space is tight, a single sink with separate basins or inserts is another option. Decide early, because it sets the plumbing.
2. Separate counter zones
Plan a clear meat side and dairy side, each with its own work surface. When choosing counter materials, ask your rav how he views each one for kashering, before you fall in love with a stone.
3. Dishwashers
Some families use two dishwashers, one for meat and one for dairy; others use one, or drawer models that fit a smaller kitchen. The choice affects cabinet widths, water points and electricity, so it belongs in the first plan.
4. Ovens and cooktop
Two ovens, or one double oven, give more flexibility for meat and dairy. Many appliances offer a Shabbat mode; check the model before you buy.
5. Shabbat power
Plan outlets for the hot water urn and the hot plate where they are safe and convenient, and discuss with your electrician a circuit controlled by a Shabbat timer.
6. Storage for meat, dairy and pareve
Give each its own cabinets and drawers, labeled if that helps, plus space for the utensils you use on both sides.
7. Pesach
Decide now where Pesach dishes will be stored for the rest of the year, and whether you want a dedicated area, extra cabinets or covers to change the kitchen over. It is far easier to plan that space now than to find it later.
8. Traffic in a compact kitchen
Many Jerusalem apartments have compact kitchens. Separation works best when the two sides do not share one narrow passage, so the layout matters as much as the appliances.
How we plan kitchens
At Infinity Projects we design the kitchen around the way your family keeps kosher, then build it. Every decision above is settled in the plan, before work begins.