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 |
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!
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Bio: 28-year-old graphic designer and writer with 7 years of experience, passionate about communication in all its aspects as the main tool to forge links. I consider myself a detailed, patient, and empathetic person, so even if you consider yourself a difficult student, I will know how to guide you to reach the level of Spanish you need for whatever activity you have in mind. As a student of Literature, I always had the same love for books and their stories, as well as for the Spanish language and its formation. I believe that the best way to learn is to be passionate about what you are learning and that is what I always want to achieve with my students. I have worked with children, adolescents, and adults, so I have knowledge about the different learning stages that a person can go through and the different strategies to approach them.
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