February 09, 2012

#03-010: The Common Kitchen - Part II

a number of small kitchen appliances sit on a countertop: toasters, microwave ovens, etc.
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.

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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!

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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.

1 comment:

  1. Answers to the Practice: 1. j; 2. p. 3. e; 4. a; 5. n; 6. f; 7. d; 8. l; 9. o; 10. k; 11. h; 12. b; 13. m; 14. i; 15. c; 16. g

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