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Let's say I wanted to set up a kitchen/home that was kosher enough for most of the Orthodox spectrum to feel comfortable eating and staying in. (By "most," let's say the first two standard deviations of that spectrum, imagining for a second that it were a normal distribution.)* How would I go about doing that? What types of special considerations would there be?

Some I can think of:

  • Possibly keeping cholov stam and/or non-Chabad* meat and/or pas palter and/or non-"big five" hechshers out of the kitchen (not sure which of these, if any, are necessary)
  • Possibly keeping countertops and fridge shelves separate for milk/meat (not sure if necessary)
  • Not having pets (not sure if necessary but probably helpful)
  • Having separate beds in the bedrooms, mezuzos on all doors
  • Having negel vasser sets in the bedrooms
  • Not having obviously objectionable art/magazines/books or controversial seforim lying around

Secondarily: Would there be halachic grounds for them to take my word that I had done all this? (Assume I am a shomer Shabbos, shomer kashrus adult Jew.)

Related: What is the basis for eating in someone's house without a kashrut certificate?

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*Put another way, I would like to be able to host Lubavitchers and some other Hasidim--not the strictest in either group, and not during Pesach--for Shabbos, for example. (If you wonder why I didn't just ask, "How can I make my home kosher enough for Lubavitchers to eat and stay in?," it's not because that's not functionally equivalent, but because that wording doesn't as accurately reflect my goal. Additionally, I think the question as titled is of more general interest.)

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SAH
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    If you use Chabad meat, people who hold mainly like the Star K won't eat by you AFAIR. I believe that R' Heinemann doesn't like to rely on Chabad hashgachot as they may be lenient on meshichists, whose shechita he is said to hold to be treif. – Noach MiFrankfurt Jun 28 '16 at 03:29
  • The question is very difficult. The question is what will lead Orthoprax people to trust the place. Some people wand garantie, mashgiach. They do not know who was here before them. If they has trust in you, so they believe that you are already all Kasher. In dmay, there are some mishnayot on this topic. May be good to edit. – kouty Jun 28 '16 at 05:47
  • It's hard to understand the question. If you are Shomer Shabbos and Shomer Kashrus, people will trust you, and you can ask them for any specifics they personally require (e.g special hechsherim). If you are not, then halacha doesn't trust a person and then buying in special products/ changing your home will not help. – Miriam Jun 28 '16 at 15:08
  • @Miriam For example, I am wondering if people in the given spectrum would consider my kitchen/food treyf for having had stuff in it that they don't eat – SAH Jun 28 '16 at 15:11
  • What kind of stuff? If someone is still not going to eat in your kitchen because you had food with a different hechsher, they will probably not eat in your home anyway. For meat, some people may not eat food cooked in utensils that was used for meat with a different hechsher. And that includes many people who wouldn't eat Chabad meat. – Miriam Jun 28 '16 at 15:18
  • It's hard to answer this question with a list of actions or standards as who people trust to eat in their houses is based on personal trust rather than a checklist as would be the case for a kosher resteraunt that has a mashgiach. However, the fact you are asking a question to be so considerate and helpful to the most number if Jews as possible is highly commendable. – Dude Jun 28 '16 at 16:05
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    I went with the consensus to VTC as "too broad". General suggestions, though - Separate the food concerns from the lodging concerns when you discuss "kosher". Also, concentrate on the group of people you will invite for a particular meal. Ask them, in advance what foods / kashrut, etc. they like, and shop for just that occasion. Your use of another kashrut standard (assuming that it's SOME reliable kashrut) does not traif up your home, no matter what any of your guests might say. If they don't want to come despite your invite, you can't force an invitation. Find someone else who is happy. – DanF Jun 28 '16 at 16:58
  • My apologies if I'm being presumptuous, here, but I think you're "over analyzing" this, a bit. Some things you mention are essentials; the rest, I think may be overkill. – DanF Jun 28 '16 at 17:00
  • @DanF So which ones are essentials? That's all I want to know. – SAH Jun 28 '16 at 17:32
  • @SAH Now that I re-read the list .. none of them, IMO. The 2nd item is the closest. You do need separate cookware and flatware for milk and dairy. AFAIK, not everyone agrees that you need separate countertops or shelves, though, most people will separate the dairy and meat dishes on separate shelves for easier identification. Only the 1st two items are food related. I'm not sure what the others have to do with the kashrut of your food. – DanF Jun 28 '16 at 18:38
  • Stickler here, since you infused statistics. Most American Jews are non-religious. Your footnote focuses on Chabad Jews which is, probably less than 1% of the U.S. Jewish population. That's a far cry from "most". You may want to edit your question. – DanF Jun 28 '16 at 18:43
  • @DanF Thanks for this info. May I ask how you know? Are you connected with any members of groups at the outer limits of my range (and, re: your second comment, I indeed stand by how I have defined it*)? While I agree with you that mainstream, centrist American Orthodox Jews--and even many of those to the right--would not worry about most items on my list, in the dealings and observations I have had with those in the ultra-orthodox world suggests that "by whom one is willing to eat" is actually a big deal and not taken lightly. + – SAH Jun 30 '16 at 05:38
  • @DanF *By my rough research and calculation, Chabad represents about 3% of American Orthodoxy. That said, I'm not at all convinced they would fall outside the first two standard deviations of a normal distribution /of the Orthodox spectrum/, because they aren't at the extremes of frumkeit. So I stand by what I first said. – SAH Jun 30 '16 at 05:39
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    @SAH I have to trust your stats. It's been a long time since I took a statistics course, so I don't recall well enough how standard deviations work. BTW, I'm not discounting your concerns. I am well aware that people fuss about where and with whom they eat, and I validate their concerns, even if I may disagree with the particulars. From my experience as a "chef" and host, it is almost impossible to accommodate everyone or even most, regardless of what you do, and I also don't think the effort is worthwhile. Most food stringencies can be accommodated a few days before guests' arrival. – DanF Jun 30 '16 at 15:11
  • The answer to my question: only ever use cholov yisroel in your dairy pots; only use chassidishe shechita in your meat pots; make sure to serve your guests only pas yisroel (pretzels...); confirm bishul yisroel for potato products; look online for checking instructions for every vegetable; check even "triple-washed" bagged lettuce; check eggs; don't serve fish and milk together; wait after pareves cooked in a meat pot. Mezuzos, separate beds, shisslekh and kverter in bedrooms; negel vasser also by the table; no animals outside of a cage or tank; no treyf art, books, or music in view – SAH Nov 20 '16 at 19:47
  • Edit to the above: Actually, most will be fine with it if your meat pots have previously contained glatt meat, as long as what you serve them is from their shechita. I have confirmation from a Chassidic Rav on a very similar point. – SAH Dec 15 '16 at 06:10
  • Still not sure about cholov stam in the dairy pots. My instinct tells me that especially certain Chasidim wouldn't like it. – SAH Dec 22 '16 at 05:30
  • Improved answer, since it seems that some people are still reading this: Based on the standards of my circles, keilim must be kashered from cholov stam, but it is ok if pas palter or even non-glatt meat was in there, as long as you're not serving it to the people who come. NYC water should ideally be filtered. – SAH Mar 06 '18 at 21:48
  • What do you have against pets as far as Kashrus is concerned? I sure hope you aren’t eating dog meat... – LN6595 Apr 30 '19 at 20:06

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