Hi all.

I am trying to detox my kitchen from cross contamination. I am replacing a lot of things and I was wondering if I need to get rid of my microwave or my oven. My family has agreed to set up a mini kitchen in the basement but I want to know if that should include a new microwave and/or a stove - toaster oven. I am VERY sensitive. I have been trying to be gluten-free for one month now and I am still sick.

THANKS!!

A~

Microwave and oven - are they used regularly for gluteny things? If not, a good clean should be enough. Everything you put in an oven of microwave is in some kind of container anyway, the food doesn't touch the surface, so a good clean should do the trick.

If they are regularly used for gluten foods, everyone has to be diligent about not leaving crumbs around, AND you can always cover your gluten free food that you put in there with a lid (or aluminium foil in the oven). If you can have an extra gluten free microwave in the basement that would be lovely I think.

Pauliina

The most important new appliance would be a toaster and/or toaster oven, since the regular bread and the gluten-free bread all touch the inside of the toaster and the racks/grill and you can't immerse either in water nor clean very effectively.
I would not see a need for a new oven and microwave especially since you always have stuff in a separate dish/container and the food (hopefully) doesn't spill all over the place and not get cleaned up before the next use!
I don't even use separate dishes or pans/pots because we wash them thoroughly.
Gluten is not a vapor, it's a substance that's internal to the grain so it doesn't get into anything that doesn't touch it.
Cross contamination is more likely to occur from human handling of food. Like accidentally dropping bread crumbs into the veggies or using the same frying oil for gluten-free and gluten foods. Also droppings, crumbs on countertops, dinner tables are sources of contamination. Also touching one food without washing before touching the other kind.

I found that focusing more on human handling/washing procedures was more effective (including washing DURING cooking) than new kichen wares.

It's hard, I know. Requires re-training everyone.
Good luck and it's nice that you can have a mini-kitchen all to yourself!

At work, people put their food in the microwave without a cover and it pops all over the place. After being their maid for awhile and cleaning their mess, I finally just started putting a paper plate over my food to protect it from falling gluten.

I'm assuming you don't have this problem with the microwave being at home, but then I remember life with my brother in his teen years. So I thought I'd mention it. :-)

I didn't replace my oven but I did replace my pizza stone because you set food directly on a pizza stone. Hubby gave the oven a good scrub (nice Hubby!) but if gluten food is baked in a clean oven in a container and it doesn't pop inside the oven or boil over, it should be okay to share. Maybe one of the guys that share a kitchen with gluten can confirm this. My home is totally gluten-free now.

Having said that, a microwave and toaster oven would make a great place for the gluten guys to heat up mini pizza or such. You'll probably put them there for convenience later, if you don't put them there right now. I'd bet you end up with a rec room in the basement or do you have one there already?

Are you chief cook and bottle washer in your home?

If so, it would be better to have a gluten-free kitchen, and relegate all the gluten stuff to the basement kitchenette so you're not having to constantly clean off surfaces when doing meal preparation. (I found that when there was gluten food in the kitchen, those who handled it did NOT wash their hands and were constantly touching the handles all over the kitchen - drawers, doors, faucet, etc. - even if they were careful with crumbs, but even then, they still mess up now and then.)

However, if you're not the chief cook and others are cooking/baking with gluten foods in the kitchen, then it would make sense to have your own space elsewhere.

Speaking of touching things with gluten-hands - the TV remote could be a source of contamination if you use it and then don't wash your hands before picking up something to eat.

I am so thankful that our home is gluten free - it's a lot less stressful. If my husband wants something with gluten, he goes out and eats it there. He snacks on popcorn and ice cream and other gluten-less foods at home and eats my gluten-free bread.