Home Kitchen

[Celiac77]

Currently, our kitchen at home is not completely gluten free. Has anyone had success sharing a kitchen with gluten? If so, what guidelines do you have for all of those involved? 

[Scott Adams]

I've shared a kitchen for over two decades with my wife and son who aren't gluten-free, while my daughter and I are gluten-free. The non-gluten-free family members fully understand the issue with cross-contamination, and the are very careful about things like not getting crumbs from wheat bread back into condiments, cleaning cutting boards, pots, pans, etc., very well. 

I will add that I'm not super sensitive, and do not go to the same extreme as other celiacs, for example I do not have separate pots, silverware, dishwasher, oven, etc., but we all take measures to not contaminate these shared things.

[RMJ]

I have a shared kitchen and am supersensitive.  My husband doesn’t cook, but he makes sandwiches and bowls of wheat cereal, and he uses the microwave. All pots and pans are thus gluten free.

We have separate areas for preparing food.  In cupboards, refrigerator and freezer gluten free foods are stored on upper shelves (so crumbs from gluten foods can’t fall into gluten free foods). We have separate jars of peanut butter etc. Food in the microwave is covered.  If we have leftovers I either serve them or split them into two containers, one for each of us, so my husband can serve himself.  If he wants to go into my food/leftovers he has to wash his hands first and use my utensils. 

We don’t have a dishwasher, and when my husband washes dishes I can often see food residue on them.  Therefore, we each have our own set of dishes and utensils and we wash our own with separate dish brushes.  If he washes a container that leftovers were stored in I rewash it.

This works for us!

[Celiac77]

I appreciate the information that both of you have shared. I am also curious about handwashing practices. Currently, we do not wash our hands prior to touching our fridge in order to obtain water throughout the day via our water filter. Also, my wife will eat gluten occasionally and will be working/typing on her keyboard and touching her phone while doing so. Prior to eating/preparing food we always wash our hands, however I am a bit concerned that I could be cross contaminated if one of us touches our phones or by opening the fridge . Is this a valid concern? How do other handle handwashing? Should touching my phone for example be a concern for cross contamination?

[RMJ]

I wash my hands after using the computer keyboard because my husband eats at this desk and I can see dried drops of food all over it.

[Scott Adams]

Given we’re still in a pandemic more hand washing is probably a good thing, so why not?

[Leeger]

On 10/4/2021 at 8:18 PM, Celiac77 said:

Currently, our kitchen at home is not completely gluten free. Has anyone had success sharing a kitchen with gluten? If so, what guidelines do you have for all of those involved? 

My doctor strongly encouraged a gluten-free kitchen at home and after four years, my husband gave in and went gluten-free!  This was a major hurdle for us and while I still struggle with many autoimmune issues, it is a tremendous relief to know I am not being exposed in the kitchen.  It may take time to convince him that your health should be a higher priority than his food preferences, but well worth it..  There are many foods that are gluten-free and many more bread choices.  It is a challenge but doable.