Kitchen Utensils in Spanish: Tools and Appliances

Names of kitchen appliances, tools, utensils and everything in between are well known by kitchen professionals. They are those objects, from the largest to the smallest, that facilitate the work of the Back House. While you are in the kitchen, using them is something that becomes part of you, your body memory already knows how and where to perform certain actions to obtain delicious results. It almost becomes unnecessary to name them, because of how familiar you are with them. Almost, because at the end of the day, when you want to have a communication with your coworkers, it is inevitable that you must ask for something by name.

The problem comes when those names that, in English, are so common to you, cease to be so when you move to a new and apparently mysterious language: Spanish. Knowing that “Cocina” is kitchen in Spanish can help you, but knowing that in some Latin countries “Cocina” can also be stove top in Spanish will make all the difference. If you find yourself thinking “What does taza mean in Spanish?” when talking to your Spanish-speaking colleagues or reading a recipe in Spanish, today we are here to help you. We have collected vocabulary about kitchen for you, focused on all those tools and utensils, with Spanish and English translations that will make it easier for you to learn. Here we go!

Food Preparation 

Starting strong, we have our first kitchen utensils list dedicated to all the tools you use when preparing all the dishes your mind can imagine. Here you will find answers to very important questions, like how do you say knife in Spanish and even learn how to name your cooking pot in Spanish.

Cutting/Cortar

Spanish	English
Cuchillo cebollero (de chef)	Chef’s knife
Cuchillo mondador	Paring knife
Cuchillo pelador (de puntilla)	Peeling knife
Cuchillo deshuesador	Boning knife
Cuchillo de carnicero	Cleaver
Cuchillo de sierra	Saw knife
Cuchillo jamonero	Ham knife
Cuchillo fileteador	Fillet knife
Cuchillo para carpaccio / salmón	Parallele carpaccio knife
Cuchillo japonés Santoku	Japanese Santoku knife
Cuchillo para queso	Cheese knife
Rallador vertical	Vertical grater
Rallador fino / microplano	Microplane grater
Pelador	Vegetable peeler
Tijeras de cocina	Kitchen shears / scissors
Abrelatas	Can opener
Mandolina de cocina	Mandoline
Procesadora	Food Processor
Cortadora	Slicer
Picadora	Chopper
Tabla de cortar de… plástico / madera	Wood / Plastic… cutting board
Bloque de carnicero	Butcher block

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Mixing and Crushing/Mezclar y Aplastar

Spanish	English
Prensa de ajos	Garlic press
Machacador / Aplastapapas	Potato masher
Licuadora	Blender
Extractor de jugos	Juicer
Exprimidor	Squeezer
Mezclador manual	Hand mixer
Batidora	Mixer
Tazón / Cuenco	Mixing bowl
Cuchara de madera	Wooden / Stirring spoon
Espátula	Spatula
Espátula de raspar (Miserable)	Silicon / Scraper spatula
Espumadera	Cooking skimmer
Martillo para filetes	Steak hammer
Batidor	Whisk
Rodillo	Rolling pin
Mortero	Mortar

Cooking and Heating/Cocinar y Calentar

Spanish	English
Estufa	Stove
Quemador	Burner
Horno	Oven
Fuente / Bandeja para horno	Oven dish
Microondas	Microwave
Olla de presión	Pressure cooker
Olla	Pot
Sartén (antiadherente)	(Non-stick) Frying pan
Cacerola / Cazo	Saucepan
Cazuela	Braising pan
Salteadora	Sauteuse
Vaporera	Steamer
Sartén Bratt / De inclinación	Bratt / Tilting pan
Marmita	Boiling pan / Steam-jacketed kettle
Caldero	Stockpot
Hervidor / Tetera	Kettle
Freidora de aceite	Deep-fat fryer
Freidora de presión	Pressure fryer
Freidora de aire	Air fryer
Parrilla	Grill
Tostadora	Toaster
Plancha	Griddle plate
Caldera	Boiler
Salamandra	Salamander
Mesa de vapor	Steam table
Baño de María	Bain marie
Lámpara infrarroja / de calor	Heat lamps
Placa caliente	Hot plate
Flambeador / soplete	Blowtorch

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Other/Otros

Spanish	English
Colador	Strainer / Colander
Tamizador	Sifter / Sieve
Embudo	Funnel
Vasos medidores	Measuring cups
Cucharas medidoras	Measuring spoons
Jarra medidora	Measuring jug
Temporizador de cocina	Kitchen timer
Báscula	Kitchen scale
Termómetro	Meat Thermometer
Molino de pimienta	Peppermill
Cámara leudante / de fermentación	Leavening chamber
Inyector de salsas	Sauce injector
Tenaza para mariscos	Seafood Cracker

Serving Equipment 

From the stove to the plate, there is a stretch that can be as short or as long as your tools allow. Serving soup with a tenedor is not the same as serving it with a cuchara (fork and spoon in Spanish, BTW). If you don’t want to make this mistake by not being able to name silverware correctly, Spanish style, take note of the following terms.

Spanish	English
Pinzas	Tongs
Tenedor	Fork
Cuchara	Spoon
Cuchara para miel	Honey spoon
Cucharón	Laddle
Cuchara pluma	Feather spoon
Cuchara perforada	Perforated spoon
Cuchara para espaghetis	Spaghetti spoon
Pinza para espaghetis	Spaghetti tongs
Pinza de precisión / para emplatar	Plating tweezers / tongs
Plato	Plate
Taza	Cup
Cuenco para servir	Serving bowl

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Food Storage

It would be useless to cook something delicious if you couldn’t save the leftovers when you were done; or worse, you couldn’t prepare anything at all if your meats were damaged or your vegetables weren’t as fresh as you wanted them to be. If I asked you to name something you can find in a kitchen that fulfills this function, what would you say? If you were left for a moment thinking “How do you say refrigerator in Spanish?” you’ve come to the right place!

Spanish	English
Estanterías	Storage racks
Estante	Shelf
Refrigerador	Refrigerator
Cámara frigorífica	Cold room
Armario refrigerado	Refrigerated cabinet
Frigorífico	Walk in Refrigerator
Congelador	Freezer
Armario	Cupboard
Gabinete	Cabinet
Especiero	Spice rack / box
Portaplatos	Dish rack
Envases / Recipientes	Containers
Papel aluminio	Metal foil
Cajón / Gaveta	Drawer

Maintenance & Cleaning

There is a Spanish term that is used at the end of the day in the kitchen to clean up, it is “desembarazar” (by the way, we have an article talking about kitchen phrases and slangs that I recommend you check out). Nobody, with a minimum of sanity, likes to clean; but whether you like it or not, it is important to know how to name everything from the humblest cloth to the biggest sink in Mexican Spanish (or any Latin American Spanish).

Spanish	English
Fregadero	Sink
Lavavajillas	Dishwasher
Jabón	Soap
Esponja	Sponge
Esponja metálica	Metal sponge
Cepillos para fregar	Scrub brushes
Paños / Trapo	Cloths
Paño de microfibra	Microfiber cloth
Triturador	Food waste disposer
Escurridor	Drainer
Chaira / Afilador	Knife Sharpening
Escoba	Broom
Trapeador	Mop

That’s all for today, we hope your Spanish kitchen vocabulary is a little broader after this article. Remember that we have others dedicated to specific topics for the BOH and FOH, and if you want to practice those utensils’ pronunciation, you can contact us and schedule classes for you and all your restaurant staff, for the moment: ¡Adiós!