Meaning & use
a kitchen appliance
Last updated
Meanings
phrasecountable
a machine or device, usually electric, that you use in a kitchen to prepare or cook food.
Grammar: Countable phrase: say 'a kitchen appliance' for one and 'kitchen appliances' for more than one.
Patterns
- a kitchen appliance for doing something
- buy a kitchen appliance
- kitchen appliances are…
A blender is a kitchen appliance that most people use for making soup or smoothies.
The store sells kitchen appliances, from toasters to large refrigerators.
If a kitchen appliance stops working, check the plug before calling a repair shop.
phraseplural
used in a general way to talk about this whole group of machines, especially when shopping, moving, or insuring a home.
Grammar: Usually plural in this general sense; the singular sounds odd when you mean the category as a whole.
Patterns
- a range of kitchen appliances
- the kitchen appliance section
- spend money on kitchen appliances
The kitchen appliance section is on the second floor, next to the cookware.
When they moved into the flat, they had to buy all their kitchen appliances at once.
Home insurance often covers kitchen appliances against fire and water damage.
Common combinations
- a small kitchen appliance
- A hand mixer is a small kitchen appliance that fits in a drawer.
- a kitchen appliance store
- We found the part at a kitchen appliance store downtown.
- energy-efficient kitchen appliances
- New energy-efficient kitchen appliances can lower your electricity bill.
- repair a kitchen appliance
- He repairs a kitchen appliance in his workshop almost every weekend.
- kitchen appliances and cookware
- The shop sells kitchen appliances and cookware for home cooks.
Synonyms and how they differ
- gadget
- Use 'gadget' for a small clever tool of any kind, not only machines used in a kitchen.
- device
- 'Device' is broader and more formal; it can be anything designed for a purpose, including things not used for cooking.
- household appliance
- This is the wider term: it includes washing machines and vacuum cleaners, which are not kept in the kitchen.
Word family
- appliance noun
- a machine or piece of equipment made for a particular job, especially in the home.
- appliances noun
- the plural form, used when talking about several such machines.
Commonly confused: a kitchen appliance or kitchen utensil? a kitchen appliance or kitchen unit?
a kitchen appliance vs kitchen utensil
An utensil is a simple hand tool such as a spoon, knife, or whisk; an appliance is a machine, usually powered by electricity.
a kitchen appliance vs kitchen unit
A kitchen unit is a cupboard or cabinet, not a machine, so it is furniture rather than an appliance.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'a kitchen appliance' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A microwave is a machine used in the kitchen, so it fits the meaning of 'a kitchen appliance'. Option 0 describes a cupboard, which is furniture; option 2 describes a spoon or bowl, which is an utensil; option 3 treats the phrase as a person, which is impossible.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a kitchen appliance”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.