The Alts’ rabbi was consulted a fair bit during the renovation of their kitchen, which took two months and was finished just in time for Passover. They now have two sinks (one for meat and one for dairy), two conventional ovens and two microwave ovens, up from one of each.

The Alts, who have five children, ages 13 to 22, are celebrating Passover at home this year for the first time. In previous years they went to a kosher hotel, which was a family tradition. This year, “We did the kitchen, so let’s enjoy it,” Mr. Alt said.

In a normal week, all the food for the big Friday supper and Saturday lunch must be prepared in advance, since cooking on the Sabbath is strictly forbidden. Like many Orthodox Jews, the Alts had relied on a hot plate to warm meals during the Sabbath; while it heats the food, the temperature does not rise high enough to actually cook it.

Now they also have a warming drawer, a popular device among many Orthodox Jews, that serves the same purpose. The warming drawer is turned on before the Sabbath and kept on, just like overhead lights, for the duration, though some people put their lights and some appliances on timers to conserve energy.

Image Credit... Piotr Redlinski for The New York Times

The Alts’ new warming drawer resides within a large island — 8 1/2 by 3 feet — that was custom-built. They are looking forward to using the island as a buffet and social centerpiece. “I entertain here,” Mrs. Alt said, gesturing around the kitchen. “Every week is sort of like a holiday.”

Although the Alts are not allowed to turn on electric appliances during the Sabbath, they do generally wash plates or rinse them and put them in the dishwasher. “Anything to do with food isn’t considered work except the cooking,” Mr. Alt explained. (Dr. Pollak of Star-K said that loading the dishwasher is generally considered to be “storing” the dishes rather than doing work, though there are myriad interpretations of what can and can’t be done on the Sabbath.)