The Hogwarts kitchen is located directly under the Great Hall, down the same staircase that leads to the Hufflepuff Common Room. It contains tables identical to those in the Great Hall and are directly below them; food must simply placed on the tables in the kitchens, and it magically appears in the Great Hall. The kitchens are staffed by over 100 house-elves including Dobby, Winky, and Kreacher (since Harry Potter inherited him and ordered him there). Helga Hufflepuff brought the House-elves to work in the kitchens as a way of ensuring they could work and not be abused. To gain access to the Kitchens, one must tickle the pear on a fruit portrait, which turns into a door knob.
