#03-010: The Common Kitchen - Part II

Some small appliances
(Wikipedia)

---

Note: This time, Roberto and Becky look at the smaller appliances in their dorm's kitchen, and talking about how they're used.

---

Get Ready: Skim through the lesson. Which of the appliances named seem useful? Which seem unnecessary?

---

Note: You can find some of this same information in an article in Lesson #01-012.

--------

In Lesson #03-009, Becky was showing Roberto around the shared kitchen area of the Common Room of their dorm. Here, they continue their conversation.

Roberto: What are these little roll-up doors along the back of the counter?

Becky: Oh, we call those "appliance garages."

Roberto: Are you kidding?

Becky: No! They keep the small appliances clean and handy, but out of sight, just like a car garage.

Roberto: OK, so what's inside each door?

Becky: See the labels?

Roberto: Oh, yeah. Let's see: "blender" and "juicer."

Becky: Yes, you can make shakes and smoothies with the blender, for instance.

Roberto: How is a juicer different?

Becky: Well, it takes the juice out of fruits and vegetables.

Roberto: Got it. I know what a "coffee maker" is, and I suppose an "electric kettle" is to heat water for tea and stuff?

Becky: Right.

Roberto: Wow, four appliances just to make drinks!

Becky: <laughing> Seems a little wasteful, doesn't it?

Roberto: Not as much as having two toasters.

Becky: Huh?

Roberto: Look, "toaster" and "toaster oven."

Becky: Actually, those are a little different.

Roberto: How so?

Becky: Well <opening the door> if you look at the toaster, you can see it has slots in the top. The only thing it can do is toast bread.

Roberto: OK. And the toaster oven?

Becky: Well, see how it's a little closed box, with a tray in the bottom? You can melt cheese or butter on bread with that, or even bake small items, like cupcakes. 

Roberto: But it also toasts bread? So why do we need a toaster?

Becky: This toaster is industrial-sized; we can do eight pieces of bread at a time in it.

Roberto: OK, I'll give you that. But why does ANYone need an "electric can opener"?

Becky: You got me there!

Roberto: Any other "labor-saving devices"?

Becky: Yes, in the counter below, we have a food processor for chopping food; a mixer for things like preparing cake mixes; a rice cooker; a slow cooker for stews and such; a deep fat fryer for making French fries and stuff like that; and a pressure cooker.

Roberto: That can heat some things even hotter than boiling point, right?

Becky: Hey, I think you might know more about this than you're letting on!

Roberto: I'll never tell!

--------

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cooking_appliances

---

Practice: Match the term to its definition below:

1. appliance garage
2. blender
3. deep fat fryer
4. electric kettle
5. food processor
6. I'll never tell!
7. industrial-sized
8. juicer
9. labor-saving devices
10. let on
11. mixer
12. pressure cooker
13. roll-up door
14. slow cooker
15. toaster
16. toaster oven

1. heats water for tea
2. heats hotter than 212°F (100°C)
3. has slots in the top; used only for bread
4. heavy-duty; meant for use in business, not just at home
5. makes French fries
6. a fixed phrase used when one has a secret
7. can be used for melting cheese on bread, or for baking small things
8. helps in making cakes
9. makes stews
10. has a little roll-up door
11. tell someone a secret
12. takes the liquid out of fruits and vegetables
13. one that can be pulled up and down
14. used for chopping food
15. a joking word for appliances, implying that such things aren't really necessary
16. makes shakes and smoothies

Answers are in the first comment below.

---

Submitted to the Shenzhen Daily for February 9, 2012

This lesson received 168 visits on my old site between February, 2012, and July, 2021.