BT starting to cook dairy in kitchen. Have some detailed Qs

amother

Sun, Jun 16 2019, 12:17 pm

We're fairly recent BTs and have operated a "meat only" kitchen for the past couple years. We got a few dairy items for Shavuout, and we're wanting to start cooking more dairy.

1) We have a 4-burner stove top. My understanding is we can any of the burners for either meat or dairy because they "self-kasher" each time they're used. But the rest of the stove top surface (I.e., the metal areas in between and around the burners, the removable metal covers below the grills) -- are these considered treyf surfaces because things can splatter onto them?

2) What about the granite countertop areas immediately around the stove top? Sometimes hot food cooked on the stovetop is going to splatter onto the nearby countertops. Or we put down the stirring or mixing spoon on that countertop. How does one handle this without treyfing up the countertops?

3) Speaking of countertops, we basically have one contiguous granite countertop. Can we use cold dairy directly on the countertop? How do we possibly put any hot dairy down?

4) We have a double metal sink, with the food processor in one of them. We will eat primarily meat and not too much dairy. If we want to keep both the sinks meat, can we just wash all the dairy stuff with cold water (not so sanitary)? Is there any way we could wash dairy stuff with hot water without treyfing the sink or our meat stuff?

I know "ask your LOR," but it's a little embarrassing to be asking all this -- and so many Q's. I'd just appreciate hearing what different people do. Thank you very much.

WitchKitty

Sun, Jun 16 2019, 12:27 pm

Yes, "ask your lor" because everyone does something else... I can tell you how it is by me:
1. Yes, correct.
2. Be careful about hot food splattering. But about the spoons and such, according to my lor it's okay because by the time it gets to the counter it's not really hot anymore.
When I cook by my friend I always forget that they don't hold that way, and they get hysterical when I put a milchig spoon down on a fleishig counter.
Just be careful because "marinating" is like cooking- in other words, leaving it for 24 hours makes it treif.
3. like 2. But seriously, ask your rav. I really hope that you have a rav who doesn't mind a lot of questions. I can sometimes come to mine with like 15 hilchos shabbos Qs all at once. He doesn't mind.
4. I'm really not sure. Metal is easy to kasher, that I know, and I also know that people put a silicon or plastic on the bottom in order to wash dishes that way, which makes the sink not either- But since we have 3 sinks in our kitchen, milchig, fleishig, parve, I have really never asked such questions. Sorry.

yerushamama

Sun, Jun 16 2019, 12:34 pm

I am not a Rav, but I will tell you what I would do. Actual Halacha may be more lenient, but this is what I have seen,

1- I try to use one side mainly for dairy, and the other mainly for meat. Anything that falls on the stove (hot) is generally considered treyf.

2- Don't put hot things directly on countertop, put a plate or something underneath.

3-I think that cold s fine, but I don't put food directly on counter. I also never put hot things directly on countertop - most can't handle the heat.

4 -I am not 100% sure about this one. Do you mean garbage disposal unit? In my mother's house, we always put a dishrack in the sink, and didn't fill the sink with water. Within those limitations, we washed everything using hot water. You can also put a dairy dishpan in the sink to wash dairy dishes.

Kol hakovod for having the courage to ask. It is THE most important part of keeping a kosher home!

amother

Tangerine

Sun, Jun 16 2019, 12:37 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

You should not be at all embarrassed to ask all the questions you have to a caring Rov. You should be proud of the commitment you’ve taken on, and I admire you. But this isn’t the place to ask halacha questions. Many people here will answer incorrectly, and each person’s shaila may be answered differently in certain circumstances considering their own situation,
Make a list of all your questions, ask a competent rabbi and don’t be embarrassed. Be proud that you’re taking such care trying to fulfill Hashem’s will! No rov will be upset or bothered. Good luck!

thunderstorm

Sun, Jun 16 2019, 1:03 pm

OP, I'm posting so that you are encouraged to ask your questions to a Rav. Every single one of your questions are valid questions. As an FFB I would have the same questions. On the day I kashered my kitchen for Pesach , we kept coming up with questions and called our Rav multiple times with tons of questions in each phone conversation. This is what a Rav is for. They have no issues being asked and you are not being a burden to them. It's advisable not to shy away from asking because other issues pop up throughout life and a Rav can really provide the proper guidance you need and it only makes your life easier. Good Luck!

amother

Seagreen

Sun, Jun 16 2019, 2:03 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

I have a lot of rabbonim in my family, and I can tell you from experience that everyone asks these questions. Newly Weds ffbs, people who have been married a long time, etc. I can't get thru to some of them on erev pesach. Don't be afraid to ask ever. It's their job and they don't mind

naturalmom5

Sun, Jun 16 2019, 3:13 pm

1)
If electric burners, when on high for 5 minutes, they self kasher.. Unless the stove area around burners gets over 105 degrees F and cooks the food, its fine. Be as clean as you can and wipe down the surface between M and D.

2)
Putting down a pot, spoon, or any item that is second degree or more away from cooking (ie: pot on fire, then on counter) is fine, possibly put down a splash board if stuff is going straight from pot to counter top.. That isn't absolutely required , but logistically a very good idea.*

3)
Cold dairy is fine. If pot cooled off a bit , so you won't burn yourself if you touch the contents inside the pot, its fine. Otherwise put pot down on splashboard.

4)
If possible put a plastic dish drainer inside the sink if using the same sink for m and d