No cooking can be done without the right pots and pans and some utensils. So let us examine the German vocabulary for cookware (“das Kochgeschirr” in German translation.)
Cookware in German is Kochgeschirr (n., das).
Although mankind started using fire for cooking meals about 100,000 years ago, it took us about 90,000 years to come up with the first pots. It seems the first humans must have been massive barbecue fans, and there’s nothing wrong with that! However, pots and pans were necessary to come up with the rich kind of cooking we have today. No Irish stew without a pot, no pancakes without a pan and no chow mein without a wok.
Cookware in German
Most pots and pans are made of metal, because it has excellent conductivity. There are cookware made of stainless steel, cast iron, aluminum, or copper.
Now, let’s look into a German kitchen and the vocabulary used there.
| English Expressions | German Translations | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| casserole | der Bräter / der Schmortopf | masculine |
| casserole dish | die Auflaufform | feminine |
| colander | das Küchensieb | neuter |
| cooking pot | der Kochtopf | masculine |
| frying pan | die Bratpfanne | feminine |
| gravy boat (British English) | die Sauciere | feminine |
| griddle pan | die Grillpfanne | feminine |
| pan | die Pfanne | feminine |
| pot | der Topf | masculine |
| pressure cooker | der Schnellkochtopf | masculine |
| sauce boat (American English) | die Sauciere | feminine |
| skillet | die Bratpfanne | feminine |
| wok | der Wok | masculine |
Example Sentences
- Sei vorsichtig, wenn du den Schmortopf aus dem Schrank holst. Der ist ziemlich schwer! — Be careful when you take the casserole out of the cupboard. It’s pretty heavy!
- Nehmen Sie die Pfanne vom Herd und lassen Sie sie abkühlen. — Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool.
- Mahlzeiten für die Familie vorzubereiten ist viel einfacher, seit ich einen Schnellkochtopf habe. — Preparing meals for the family is much easier since I got a pressure cooker.
Sayings with Cookware in German
- Auf jeden Topf passt ein Deckel. — On each pot fits a lid.
Meaning: For every person there is a romantic partner who suits him or her.
English variant: Every Jack has his Jill.
