One of the adventures of moving to France is learning a whole new set of kitchen vocabulary. Whether you’re reading a French recipe, shopping for cookware, or setting up your kitchen after a move, you’ll quickly discover that many cooking terms don’t translate exactly into English.

Some are easy to recognize, while others can be surprisingly confusing. For example, a casserole in France is a saucepan, not a baked casserole dish. A faitout isn’t something you’ll find in most North American kitchens, and a cocotte refers to a lidded cooking pot rather than anything from the farmyard.

This guide covers the most common French cooking terms for cookware, utensils, kitchen appliances, and cooking methods so you can feel more confident cooking in France.

French Pots and Pans Vocabulary

French	English
Une casserole	Saucepan
Une marmite	Large pot / stockpot
Un faitout	Large covered cooking pot
Une cocotte	Dutch oven / lidded casserole pot
Une poêle	Frying pan / skillet
Une poêle antiadhésive	Nonstick skillet
Une sauteuse	Sauté pan
Une poêle à griller	Grill pan
Un wok	Wok
Une crêpière	Crêpe pan
Un plat à gratin	Gratin dish / baking dish
Une plaque de four	Baking sheet
Une plaque à pâtisserie	Baking tray
Un moule à gâteau	Cake pan
Un moule à tarte	Tart pan
Un moule à cake	Loaf pan

What’s the Difference Between a Casserole, a Marmite, a Faitout, and a Cocotte?

These four terms often confuse English speakers because there aren’t always exact equivalents.

A casserole is a saucepan with a long handle, used for making sauces, cooking vegetables, rice, and smaller portions of food.

A marmite is a large pot, often used for soups, stocks, pasta, and large batches of food.

A faitout is a versatile large cooking pot with two side handles and a lid. It’s commonly used for stews, soups, braises, and one-pot meals.

A cocotte is usually heavier and often made from cast iron. Similar to a Dutch oven, it’s designed for slow-cooked dishes, braises, and roasts.

Common Kitchen Utensils

French	English
Une spatule	Spatula
Une cuillère en bois	Wooden spoon
Une louche	Ladle
Un fouet	Whisk
Une écumoire	Slotted spoon / skimmer
Une pince de cuisine	Kitchen tongs
Un éplucheur	Vegetable peeler
Un économe	Vegetable peeler
Une râpe	Grater
Un couteau de chef	Chef’s knife
Un couteau d’office	Paring knife
Une planche à découper	Cutting board
Un ouvre-boîte	Can opener
Un tire-bouchon	Corkscrew
Une passoire	Colander / strainer
Un tamis	Sieve
Un chinois	Fine conical strainer
Un saladier	Mixing bowl
Un rouleau à pâtisserie	Rolling pin
Une balance de cuisine	Kitchen scale

Éplucheur vs Économe

You’ll see both éplucheur and économe used in France. They generally refer to the same kitchen tool: a vegetable peeler. Économe is especially common in everyday French.

Common Kitchen Appliances in France

If you’re furnishing a kitchen in France or shopping online for appliances, these are some of the most useful terms to know.

French	English
Un four	Oven
Un four à micro-ondes	Microwave
Un réfrigérateur	Refrigerator
Un frigo	Fridge
Un congélateur	Freezer
Une cuisinière	Stove or range
Une plaque de cuisson	Cooktop / hob
Une plaque à induction	Induction cooktop
Une plaque vitrocéramique	Ceramic cooktop
Une hotte aspirante	Range hood
Un lave-vaisselle	Dishwasher
Un robot ménager	Food processor
Un mixeur	Blender
Un mixeur plongeant	Immersion blender
Un batteur électrique	Hand mixer
Un robot pâtissier	Stand mixer
Une machine à café	Coffee maker
Une cafetière	Coffee maker / coffee pot
Une bouilloire	Electric kettle
Un grille-pain	Toaster
Une friteuse	Deep fryer
Un autocuiseur	Pressure cooker
Une cocotte-minute	Pressure cooker

A Note About Coffee Makers

The word cafetière can refer both to the machine used to make coffee and to the coffee pot itself. In everyday French, many people simply refer to any coffee maker as la cafetière.

Measuring and Baking Terms

French	English
Une cuillère à soupe	Tablespoon
Une cuillère à café	Teaspoon
Un verre doseur	Measuring jug
Peser	To weigh
Mesurer	To measure
Mélanger	To mix
Incorporer	To incorporate
Tamiser	To sift
Étaler	To roll out or spread

A Quick Note About French Recipes

Unlike many American recipes, French recipes typically rely on weight measurements rather than cups. Ingredients are usually listed in grams, making a kitchen scale one of the most useful tools to have in a French kitchen.

French Cooking Methods You’ll See in Recipes

French	English
Faire bouillir	To boil
Mijoter	To simmer slowly
Faire revenir	To sauté or lightly brown
Saisir	To sear
Rôtir	To roast
Griller	To grill
Cuire au four	To bake
Frire	To fry
Pocher	To poach
Cuire à la vapeur	To steam
Réchauffer	To reheat
Mélanger	To mix
Remuer	To stir
Battre	To beat
Fouetter	To whisk
Pétrir	To knead
Émincer	To thinly slice
Hacher	To chop
Couper en dés	To dice

Two Cooking Terms Worth Knowing

Faire revenir

This is one of the most common instructions in French recipes and doesn’t have a perfect English equivalent. It generally means cooking ingredients such as onions, vegetables, or meat in a small amount of oil or butter until they become lightly browned and aromatic.

Mijoter

Mijoter means cooking slowly over low heat for an extended period. It is commonly used for soups, stews, sauces, and many traditional French comfort foods.

Helpful French Recipe Instructions

French	English
Ajouter	Add
Incorporer	Fold in or incorporate
Égoutter	Drain
Assaisonner	Season
Préchauffer le four	Preheat the oven
Couvrir	Cover
Découvrir	Uncover
Servir	Serve
Laisser refroidir	Let cool
Porter à ébullition	Bring to a boil
Faire fondre	Melt
Réserver	Set aside

Specialty Equipment You May See in French Kitchens

French	English
Une mandoline	Mandoline slicer
Un moulin à légumes	Food mill
Une terrine	Terrine mold
Un chinois	Fine conical strainer
Une cocotte en fonte	Cast-iron Dutch oven
Une pierre à pizza	Pizza stone
Un siphon	Culinary siphon / whipped cream dispenser

Your French Kitchen Cheat Sheet

Learning French cooking vocabulary makes grocery shopping, reading recipes, and equipping your kitchen in France much easier. While many items are similar to what you may have used at home, the names—and sometimes the cooking traditions behind them—can be quite different.

The good news is that once you learn the basics, you’ll be able to follow French recipes with much more confidence. You may even discover a few new tools, techniques, and favorite dishes along the way.

Keep this article or this downloadable guide handy the next time you’re browsing a French recipe, shopping for cookware, or wandering through the kitchen section of a French hypermarket. You’ll be surprised how quickly these terms become second nature.