Lesson

Kitchen

Kitchen vocabulary and items

≈ 15 min 8 block(s)

Text

Kitchen Vocabulary

This lesson covers essential kitchen vocabulary used in everyday and workplace contexts. You'll learn common items, appliances, and utensils found in office kitchens, meeting catering, and business events. Focus on meaning, correct articles, and typical collocations.

  • Recognize common kitchen items (appliances, utensils, cookware).
  • Practice using articles and plurals correctly (a/an/the, singular vs plural).
  • Apply vocabulary in professional contexts: office kitchen, catering, company events.

Useful for TOEIC listening and reading passages about offices, catering services, and hospitality.

Table

Kitchen Vocabulary (Common Items)

Item Category Example
microwave appliance The microwave in the breakroom heats meals quickly.
dishwasher appliance Please load the dirty plates into the dishwasher after lunch.
kettle appliance The office kettle boiled water for the tea service.
ladle utensil Use a ladle to serve the soup at the company lunch.
cutting board cookware/accessory Place the vegetables on the cutting board before chopping.
saucepan cookware The chef prepared the sauce in a large saucepan.
mug dishware Keep clean mugs on the top shelf.
spatula utensil The caterer used a spatula to flip the pancakes.

Tip

Key Usage Tips

Remember these points when using kitchen vocabulary:

  • Countable vs uncountable: 'a mug' (countable) vs 'water' (uncountable).
  • Articles: use 'the' for a specific item (the kettle), 'a/an' for any one item (a spatula).
  • Prepositions: common collocations are 'in the microwave', 'on the counter', 'into the dishwasher'.
  • Compound nouns: use both words for clarity (cutting board, coffee maker).

Practice these tips in short sentences to make them natural.

Example

Examples in context

Please put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher after the meeting.

The office kettle boiled water for the coffee at 9 AM.

We used a ladle to serve the soup during the company lunch.

Store clean mugs on the top shelf.

Tip

Common Mistakes

Avoid these universal errors when using kitchen vocabulary:

  • Using the wrong article: saying 'a water' instead of 'water' or 'a bottle of water'.
  • Confusing countable and uncountable nouns (e.g., 'equipment' is uncountable).
  • Incorrect plural forms: watch irregular plurals or compound nouns (cutting boards, not cutting boardes).
  • Wrong prepositions: 'in the sink' vs 'on the sink'—choose the correct one for context.
  • Mixing up utensils and appliances (calling a microwave a 'tool' instead of an 'appliance').

Check the noun type (countable/uncountable) and common collocations when in doubt.

Quiz

Which word is a utensil used for serving soup?

Hint: Think about a large spoon used to serve liquids.

Quiz

Complete: She poured coffee into the _____ before the meeting.

Hint: Think about the common container for an individual cup of coffee.

Quiz

Which of these is an appliance rather than a utensil?

Hint: Focus on items that require electricity to operate.

Key Points

Vocabulary

ladle

noun CEFR B1 //ˈleɪdəl//

a large deep spoon used for serving soup or stew

The caterer used a ladle to serve the soup.

Vocabulary

microwave

noun CEFR A2 //ˈmaɪkrəˌweɪv//

an electric appliance that heats food quickly using microwaves

Heat your lunch in the microwave for two minutes.

Vocabulary

dishwasher

noun CEFR B1 //ˈdɪʃˌwɔːʃər//

a machine for washing dishes automatically

Please load the plates into the dishwasher after lunch.

Vocabulary

cutting board

noun CEFR A2 //ˈkʌtɪŋ bɔːrd//

a flat board on which you cut vegetables, meat, or bread

Place the tomatoes on the cutting board before slicing.

Vocabulary

kettle

noun CEFR A2 //ˈkɛtl//

a container in which water is boiled, used for making tea or coffee

The office kettle was ready before the meeting.

Vocabulary

saucepan

noun CEFR B1 //ˈsɔːspæn//

a deep pan with a handle used for cooking sauces and boiling liquids

Heat the sauce in a medium saucepan over low heat.