Sunday 18 February 2007

Don't cook the coffee, even if you are a good cooker

Be careful when using the word 'cook'

In English we don't cook coffee. We prepare, brew or make coffee.

So, when offering someone a cup of coffee or tea:

"Would you like a cup of coffee?"
"Yes please"
"Ok I'll just go and make it for you"

Also a person who cooks food in a restaurant is a cook or a chef (which is a cook, especially the chief cook of a large kitchen staff); not a cooker.

A cooker is
a device that cooks food, especially in a particular way: a pressure cooker, a slow cooker

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