Kitchen Utensils Names: 8 Kitchen Tools With Pictures

Kitchen utensils are the tools you use to cook and to get food ready. Here are the names of 8 of them: a funnel, a whisk, a spatula, tongs, a ladle, a grater, a peeler and a colander. For each one you can see a picture, hear the word, and read what it is for in easy English. They are advanced words (level C2), but you can learn them in a few minutes.

• funnel
• whisk
• spatula
• tongs
• ladle
• grater
• peeler
• colander

▶ Play this topic
Jewel Quest English, a free picture game: Kitchen tools, level 1

8 kitchen utensils names with pictures and meanings

Tap 🔊 Listen to hear the word, and the small speaker to hear the example. Each word has a link to the game level that teaches it.

Looking for basic kitchen words? A pot and a pan are in the In the house topic of the same game (level B1): pot in level 4 and pan in level 6.

Play the kitchen tools game

Jewel Quest English is a free match-3 game. Match 3 pictures in a row, and you see the picture and hear the English word. After each level, a short quiz checks the new words. The Kitchen tools topic has 10 levels. Each level teaches one or two new tools, and the other pictures are food words you already know, like egg, bread and cheese.

Level	Goal	Words
Level 1	Collect 8 funnels	New: funnel
Level 2	Collect 10 whisks and 10 spatulas	New: whisk, spatula
Level 3	Collect 10 pairs of tongs and 8 funnels	New: tongs Review: funnel
Level 4	Collect 8 funnels, 8 whisks and 8 spatulas	Review: funnel, whisk, spatula
Level 5	Collect 10 ladles and 10 graters	New: ladle, grater
Level 6	Collect 8 pairs of tongs, 8 ladles and 8 graters	Review: tongs, ladle, grater
Level 7	Collect 10 peelers and 6 whisks	New: peeler Review: whisk
Level 8	Collect 10 colanders and 8 graters	New: colander Review: grater
Level 9	Collect 8 peelers, 8 colanders and 8 whisks	Review: peeler, colander, whisk
Level 10	Collect 40 kitchen tools	Review: whisk, spatula, grater, peeler, colander

▶ Play this topic

Click Here for Step-by-Step Rules, Stories and Exercises to Practice All English Tenses

Quick quiz: name the kitchen tools

What is the name of each tool? Say it or write it, then open the answers.

Show the answers

1. grater   2. tongs   3. funnel   4. colander   5. whisk   6. peeler   7. ladle   8. spatula

For teachers: a printable word list and class ideas

Print the word list below on one page: it has a picture, the word and a short meaning, plus an empty column where students write the word in their own language. You can also print the quiz above as a worksheet.

🖨 Print the word list 🖨 Print the quiz worksheet

Two ideas for your class

• Mime it (10 minutes). Write the 8 words on the board. One student acts out using a tool, for example whisking eggs or peeling a potato, with no words. The class says the name of the tool. The first student with the right word acts next.
• Which tool do I need? Make two teams. Read a job, and the teams answer with the tool: Your pasta is ready, and you want the water out. (a colander) You want oil in a small bottle. (a funnel) You want cheese on your pizza. (a grater) You want the skin off a carrot. (a peeler) You want to turn a burger. (a spatula or tongs) You want to mix eggs for an omelet. (a whisk)

The game also works on a projector: put level 1 on the screen, and the class says each word before the game does. Share the level link in Google Classroom or any LMS. Nobody needs to sign up.

More picture word lists: food and cooking words, furniture words with pictures, tools names and all our English vocabulary word lists.

Questions about kitchen utensils names

What are the names of kitchen utensils?

Eight useful kitchen utensils are a funnel, a whisk, a spatula, tongs, a ladle, a grater, a peeler and a colander. A funnel helps you pour, a whisk mixes, a spatula turns food, tongs pick food up, a ladle serves soup, a grater cuts cheese into small pieces, a peeler takes the skin off vegetables, and a colander lets the water out of pasta. You probably know the basic ones already, like a pot and a pan: they are in the In the house topic of the same game.

What is a colander?

A colander is a bowl with many holes in it. You put cooked pasta or washed vegetables in it, and the water runs out through the holes. Most colanders are made of metal or plastic and have two handles.

What is the difference between a colander and a strainer?

Both keep the food in and let the water out. A colander is a big bowl with bigger holes, and it often stands in the sink. You use it for pasta and vegetables. A strainer usually has a long handle and very small holes, like a net of thin wire. You use it for small things, like rice, tea or flour.

What is a ladle used for?

A ladle is a big, deep spoon with a long handle. You use it to take soup, sauce or chili out of a pot and put it into bowls.

What is a spatula?

A spatula is a kitchen tool with a wide, flat end. In American English, it usually means the tool you use to turn eggs, pancakes or burgers in a pan. A soft spatula helps you get the last bit of food out of a bowl.

What is a whisk used for?

You use a whisk to mix food very fast, for example eggs, cream or a sauce. It also puts air into the food, so cream gets thick. Whisk is also a verb: "Whisk the eggs."

Is "tongs" singular or plural?

Tongs is always plural. Say "The tongs are in the drawer," not "The tongs is in the drawer." For one, say "a pair of tongs": "Can you pass me a pair of tongs?"

What level are these kitchen words?

The Oxford Learner's Dictionaries list these eight words at level C2. They don't come up often in English lessons, but they are easy to learn with pictures, and you see them in every kitchen and every recipe.

How can I practice the names of kitchen tools?

Play the free Kitchen tools topic in Jewel Quest English. You match pictures, hear each word and answer a short quiz after each level. It has 10 levels and works on a phone or a computer, with no sign-up.