PORTUGUESE KITCHEN VOCABULARY
A Cozinha - The Kitchen
Here’s a very comprehensive Portuguese vocab list for when you plan on cooking for your friends in Brazil and want to know the words for major appliances, smaller appliances, pots and pans, utensils (utensílios de cozinha) and everything else! Memorizing this list will really impress everyone, so good luck! (Also, click Here for more of my Portuguese vocab lists.) Cheers!
a panela – general word for pan
a frigideira – a frying pan, skillet
panela de pressão – pressure cooker
a caçarola or tacho - a sauce pan or frying pan
o pote - pot, jar
a jarra – jar, jug
a colher (-es) - spoon
a colher madeira – wooden spoon
o garfo - fork
a faca - knife
o amolador - knife sharpener
a espátula – spatula
o batidor - wisk
rolo de abrir massas – rolling pin
o cortador de pizza – pizza cutter
colher sorvete – ice cream scoop
o amassador de batatas – potato masher
o descascador – peeler
a seca salada – salad spinner
o espremedor de alho – garlic crusher
o funil – funel
o ralador – grater (for cheese)
a concha – serving spoon, scoop (also means “shell”)
o abridor de lata – can opener
o abridor de garrafas – bottle opener
escorredor de água – a strainer
porta condimentos – condiment holder, spice rack
colher medidora (colheres de medida) – measuring spoon(s)
copo medidor or xícara de medida - measuring cup
a colher de chá - teaspoon
termômetro de forno – oven thermometer
a tábua de corte – cutting board
a xícara - teacup / coffee cup
o pires – saucer (for a tea cup)
o prato – plate
a tigela – bowl
a taça – wineglass
a caneca – mug
o copo – cup, drinking glass
a pia – sink
a geladeira – refrigerator
a forma de gelo – ice tray
o forno - oven
o fogão - stove
a torradeira – toaster
a microondas – microwave
cafeteira – coffee maker, coffee pot
a chaleira – kettle
a maquina de lavar vasilha – dishwasher (yes, that’s a mouthful, it literally means “the machine to wash dirty dishes” but you really wont have to say it much because few homes in Brazil actually have one.
detergente – dish detergent
a batedeira – mixer
o liquidificador – blender
a lata de lixo – trash can (or just “lixo” – trash)
a misteira or sanduicheira - sandwich grill, like a George Forman type device (these words mean the same thing, but depending on which part of Brazil you are in, you will want to say one or the other. For example, in the state of Bahia, they say the word “sanduicheira,” i learned this when i was making myself a grilled panini one year after coming home to a friend’s house starving one night during carnaval. However, in the state Minas Gerais, they only say “misteira” and may not even know what a sanduicheira is.)
o escorredor de pratos - dish drying rack
a vasilha – dishes
a louça – china, tabelwear
os talheres – cuttlery
guardanapo – napkin
And here are some items that you might find in a Brazilian kitchen, that you didn’t know about before!
lava-arroz - a “rice washer” – this clever gadget has two compartments, one to wash rice (which is eaten practically daily by most Brazilians) and the other to let the water go.
pilão - the wooden mortar that is normally used to prepare the national drink, the caipirinha.
pilão
espeto – This is the metal skewer used to hold bloody steaks in barbecues and churrascarias.
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