There are two main requirements for managing a kosher kitchen:

(1) Only kosher raw products may be used.

(2) Mixing dairy products with meat products must be avoided, and similarly, there must be a full separation between meat and dairy utensils. In a kitchen that has pareve dishes, which are neither meat nor dairy, they should not be mixed with other kinds of dishes. The following are some rules and guidelines on this matter:

Sinks: It is best is to install two sinks in the kitchen, one for meat dishes and the other for dairy dishes. If there is only one sink, one should not place dishes directly in the sink itself. Rather, he should place a rack on the bottom of the sink, to prevent the dishes from touching the sink itself. It is, of course, important to use different racks for meat and dairy dishes. One must also be careful not to allow the sink to fill with hot water while there are dishes in it, as this would cause the dishes to absorb substances from the walls of the sink. An alternative option is to have separate basins for the meat and dairy dishes and to put the relevant basin in the sink as needed.

Refrigerator: Since the food in a refrigerator is cold, there is no problem with using it for storing both meat and dairy products side by side. Cold dishes that are touching one another do not transfer their meat or dairy status to each other. Nevertheless, it is best to keep dairy products away from meat, in order to prevent a liquid milk product from splashing and coming into contact with the meat or the vessel that it is in, or vice versa.

Oven and baking: An oven can be used for cooking meat or dairy products, but it cannot be used for both. It is recommended to have two separate ovens, or at least two chambers in an oven that are entirely separate from one another. If one has only one oven, he should consult a rabbi about how best to use it for meat and dairy without violating the laws of kashrut.

Microwave: In principle, a microwave oven may be used for heating both meat and dairy products (separately, of course), if one is always careful to cover the food and make sure that there are no remnants of food on the rotating glass plate or on the walls of the microwave. In practice, it is hard to ensure that the microwave remains clean, and many people find it inconvenient to cover the food on a regular basis. If foods from both meat and dairy dishes splash onto the microwave’s glass plate, it becomes completely non-kosher. Therefore, it is best to use a microwave oven exclusively designated for either meat or dairy foods. If one needs to heat up food of both types, the ideal solution is to have two separate microwave ovens.

Food processor, mixer, blender: As much as possible, these devices should be kept pareve, and no meat or dairy ingredients should be placed in them. In that case, one can use them to prepare dough, salads, and the like, which can subsequently be integrated into any meal, meat or dairy. If one nevertheless wants to use them for meat or dairy ingredients, it is recommended to have two separate devices.

Toaster: A device that is used for making cheese toasts, for example, may not be used for preparing sandwiches that will be eaten with meat. If a toaster is used for pareve bread only, it can be left as pareve and used for toasting bread for any type of meal.

Stove: There is no problem with using the same stovetop for meat and dairy, as even if the food were placed directly on the iron grate, it would burn completely. Nevertheless, it is best to take care when placing meat and dairy dishes at the same time on the stove lest food from one of the dishes splash onto the second type.

Dishwasher: One may not use the same dishwasher for both meat and dairy dishes. If one has only one dishwasher, he must decide whether it will be designated for meat or dairy, and then use it solely for washing that type of dishes.

For certain devices and under certain conditions, some authorities are lenient in this regard, and one should consult a rabbi.

Pareve kitchenware: In addition to dairy and meat dishes and utensils, it is a good idea to have pareve utensils, i.e., for various uses. A good example of this is a bread knife. It is also good to have a pareve knife for cutting fruits and vegetables. Such a knife is useful if, for example, one wants to cut half an onion or cucumber for a meat meal and leave the other half for a dairy meal. It is also advisable to keep a pareve pot or pan in the kitchen for making fish, which may then be eaten in either a meat or a dairy meal. It is best not to place these pareve utensils into the meat or the dairy sink together with dirty meat or dairy dishes. Likewise, one must be careful that they do not come into contact with hot meat or dairy foods.