Kitchen utensils names with pictures

1. What are utensils?

Utensils are the tools that we use in the kitchen to prepare and serve food. For example, we use a spoon to eat soup. In this lesson, I’ve listed the names of the most common kitchen utensils in English. I have included pictures to help you memorise them.

2. Kitchen utensils names

We use different utensils to prepare and eat food. Let’s learn their names in English

We use a kettle to boil water.

1. This kettle doesn’t work.

2. We need to buy a new kettle.

A refrigerator keeps food cold.

1. Where did you buy this refrigerator?

2. I want to buy a bigger refrigerator.

A microwave uses electromagnetic waves to heat food.

1. How does this microwave work?

2. Can you warm the milk in the microwave?

A blender crushes food into liquids.

1. You need a blender for this recipe.

2. This blender is broken.

We make juice with a juicer.

1. Where is the juicer?

2. This juicer is defunct.

We use a grater to cut food into small pieces.

1. Use a grater to grate the cheese into a bowl.

2. You can use a knife to finely chop the cheese if you don’t have a grater.

We heat food with hot oil using a frying pan.

1. Is there a shop nearby where I can buy a ceramic frying pan?

2. I don’t like this type of frying pan.

We use a roasting pan to roast meat in an oven.

1. Pace the chicken inside the roasting pan before putting it in the oven.

2. You can cook the vegetables in a roasting pan.

A deep pan with a handle.

1. I don’t have a soup maker. I always use a saucepan to make soup.

2. Where have you put the saucepan?

An egg separator separates the egg white from the yolk.

1. Do you have an egg separator?

2. Why don’t you use the egg separator?

An egg slicer slices eggs evenly.

1. Slice the eggs evenly with an egg slicer.

2. An egg slicer can also slice soft food like mushrooms or kiwis.

We use a spice grinder to crush whole spices into powder.

1. I like this spice grinder. Where did you buy it?

2. Somebody gave this spice grinder to me as a gift.

We wrap food with aluminium foil.

1. Wrap the bread in aluminium foil.

2. Can you give me a piece of aluminium foil, please?

We cook rice with a rice cooker.

1. Do you use a rice cooker?

2. Don’t forget to bring a rice cooker tomorrow, ok?

We use a rolling pin to flatten dough

1. Flatten the dough with a rolling pin.

2. Can you flatten the dough while I'm preparing the eggs?

A toaster is a kitchen appliance used to heat slices of bread.

1. Can you put two slices of bread in the toaster?

2. Please remove the crumbs from the toaster before putting slices of bread inside.

A mug is a large cup we use for drinking hot drinks.

1. I’d like a mug of hot chocolate, please.

2. This is my favourite coffee mug.

A flat surface used to cut food.

1. A wooden cutting board can hold harmful bacteria.

2. What type of cutting board does not harbour harmful microorganisms?

A pot is a deep, round container with handles used for cooking food.

1. Can you stir the sauce in the pot?

2. We need a larger pot.

A stockpot is a huge pot used for preparing a large amount of food.

1. Do you have a smaller stockpot?

2. Put the stockpot on the stove until the broth thickens slightly.

A bowl is a round, deep dish used to hold food like soup, cereal, or salad.

1. Can you pass me the bowl of cereal?

2. I enjoy eating a hot bowl of soup in winter.

A fork is an object with sharp prongs used to pick up and eat solid food.

1. We don’t have enough forks for everyone.

2. I don’t know how to use a chopstick. I usually use a fork to eat pasta.

We use a spoon to eat soft (solid and liquid) food.

1.Give the baby a smaller spoon?

2. This shop has some beautiful spoons that you can buy as souvenirs.

An object with a sharp-edged blade.

1. Be careful with the knife. It’s very sharp.

2. Kid, don’t cut yourself with that knife.

A flat dish used to eat food from.

1. What is this plate made of?

2. Kids, finish your plate before you play.

A piece of paper or cloth used to clean the mouth or hands during meals.

1. Can you fetch the napkins?

2. Fold the napkins into a triangle.

A mesh skimmer is a kitchenware with a fine wire net used to remove food or foam from hot liquid.

1. Use a mesh skimmer to skim the foam off the soup when it boils.

2. Use a skimmer to pull the potatoes out of the pot.

A container with a handle, spout, and lid, used to brew and serve tea.

1. The most expensive teapot in the world is made of 18-carat yellow gold and decorated with diamonds. It is worth $3 million.

2. This shop sells beautiful handmade teapots from Japan.

A piece of cloth worn over the front of the body to protect clothes while cooking.

1. I don’t usually wear an apron when I cook.

2. Do you always wear an apron when you cook?

A cleaver is a large knife with a wide, heavy blade.

1. I need a cleaver to chop the meat.

2. Butcher uses cleavers to cut meat.

A spatula is a flat kitchen utensil used to flip, lift, or spread food while cooking.

1. Use a spatula to flip the pancakes.

2. Scrap the batter from the bowl with a spatula.

A whisk is a tool with wire loops used to mix ingredients.

1. Use a whisk to beat the eggs until they are fluffy.

2. Whisk the cream until it’s thick.

Two thin sticks, usually made of wood or plastic, used in many Asian countries to pick up and eat food.

1. Where did you learn to use chopsticks?

2. These chopsticks are reusable.

A kitchenware with small holes used to drain liquid from food.

1. This strainer is perfect for making tea.

2. You can use this strainer to drain the noodles.

A colander is a bowl-shaped kitchen utensil with holes used to drain water from food.

1. Drain the pasta inside a colander.

2. Are you still using the colander?

Small spoons used to measure the amounts of ingredients like sugar when cooking.

1. Can you hand me the measuring spoons?

2. These measuring spoons are not accurate.

A potato masher is a hand tool used to crush boiled potatoes into a smooth mash.

1. If you don’t have a potato masher, you can use a fork to mash the potatoes.

2. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher.

A container with markings to measure cooking ingredients.

1. I want to buy a stainless steel measuring jug.

2. Use a measuring jug to put 50 ml of water into each container.

An apple corer allows you to remove the core and seeds of an apple easily.

1. Grandma showed me how to use an apple corer without too much waste.

2. It’s not difficult to use an apple corer.

A kitchen appliance used for baking, roasting, or heating food.

1. Put the cake in the oven for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F) for about 15 minutes before putting the pizza inside.

A deep spoon with a long handle used for serving liquids.

1. Pour the soup into a bowl using a ladle.

2. Use a ladle to pour the gravy over the mashed potatoes.

A garlic press is used to crush garlic cloves into tiny pieces.

1. Press two garlic cloves with a garlic press.

2. Press fresh garlic with a garlic press and mix it into the marinade.

A kitchen appliance that automatically washes dirty dishes.

1. Place the knives on the top rack of the dishwasher.

2. Don’t put wooden spoons in the dishwasher.

We use a funnel to pour liquids into containers with small openings to avoid spills.

1. Use a funnel to pour the juice into the bottle.

2. You’d better use a funnel if you don’t want to make a mess.

We use a dish rack to let wet dishes dry.

1. Can you put the plates on the dish rack for me?

2. There’s no more space on the dish rack.

A small spoon.

1. Add one teaspoon of salt to the boiling water.

2. A teaspoon of chilli flakes is enough.

We use a peeler to remove the outer skin of fruits and vegetables.

1. Be careful with the peeler. It’s sharp.

2. There’s a peeler in the top drawer if you need it.

A pepper mill grinds whole peppercorns into ground pepper. 

1. Can you refill the pepper mill, please?

2. My friend gave me this wooden pepper mill.

We use a can opener to open cans of food.

1. I can’t open this without a can opener.

2. Push the can opener down harder so it grips better.

A heavy bowl used with a pestle to grind food. 

1. Use a mortar to mash the basil and olive oil into paste.

2. This mortar is made of stone.

A tool to crack the hard shells of nuts.

1. Do you know where the nutcracker is?

2. You can’t open those with your hands. You have to use a nutcracker.

We use a coffee tamper to press ground coffee into the portafilter before brewing espresso.

1. The coffee tamper is next to the espresso machine.

2. I finally got a stainless steel coffee tamper.

A hand mixer is used to mix, beat, or whip ingredients.

1. Don’t stir it by hand. There’s a hand mixer that you can use.

2. Where are the beaters of the hand mixer?

Cutlery refers to knives, forks, and spoons.

1. My brother bought me a set of gold cutlery from Dubai.

2. I forgot the cutlery at home.

A zester scrapes off thin strips of zest (the outer skin) from citrus fruits.

1. Zest the yellow part of the lemon and mix it with sugar.

2. Don’t zest the lemon too deeply.

A pizza cutter slices pizza.

1. Don’t let the kids use the pizza cutter.

2. Put the pizza cutter in a place the kids can’t reach.

3. Tableware

3.1 List of things that we use for eating

We eat food using different tools. I list below the names of the utensils that we usually use for eating.

• Fork
• Spoon
• Knife
• Chopsticks
• Salad fork
• Soup spoon
• Dessert spoon
• Dessert fork
• Teaspoon
• Tablespoon

3.2 Disposable items

Disposable utensils are commonly used in take-out restaurants, picnics, or parties. They are designed for single use and are typically made from plastic, wood, or biodegradable materials. They are convenient for situations where washing regular utensils is not practical.

• Plastic fork
• Plastic spoon
• Plastic knife
• Wooden chopsticks
• Wooden fork
• Wooden spoon
• Paper straw
• Plastic stirrer
• Compostable cutlery set
• Bamboo utensils

3.3 Things we use for serving food

Serving utensils are used to transfer food from large serving dishes onto individual plates. They are larger than regular eating utensils and are designed for handling various types of food, such as soups, salads, pasta, and meat dishes.

• Serving spoon
• Slotted serving spoon
• Soup ladle
• Pasta server
• Tongs
• Cake server
• Pie server
• Carving fork
• Salad tongs
• Gravy ladle