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Basic College Dorm Room Cooking Tips

If you’re new to cooking or just don’t have much experience, the prospect of cooking your own meals can be daunting. But don’t worry – it’s not as difficult as it seems!


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Safety, Cleaning, and Dormitory Meal Essentials

Before cooking in their dorm rooms, students should learn school rules and guidelines, understand safety and cleaning basics, and purchase dorm cooking essentials.

Tired of mystery meat in the student dining hall? For some college students, dorm room cooking is the answer. Of course, college residence halls aren't exactly made for food preparation, so learning how to pull this off can be a bit of a challenge. 

One of the biggest challenges college students face is how to eat healthy on a budget. With the average cost of tuition, room and board rising every year, it’s no wonder that students are looking for ways to save money. Firstly, they are looking for someone like an essay writer helper to get assistance with their tasks. Secondly, cooking at home is one of the best ways to save money and eat healthily, but it can be difficult to know where to start. 

If you’re new to cooking or just don’t have much experience, the prospect of cooking your own meals can be daunting. But don’t worry – it’s not as difficult as it seems! With a little planning and some basic kitchen skills, you can make delicious and healthy meals in your college dorm room. 

Here are some basic tips to get a new student started in the world of dorm room cooking,

Follow Campus Dorm Room Cooking Rules and Guidelines

First of all, before moving into their new digs, incoming students need to find out what the rules are about cooking in their rooms. While some colleges and universities allow students to cook with a wide variety of small appliances, others limit the equipment students can use. Some schools even ban dorm room cooking altogether.

If dorm room cooking is limited or prohibited, find out what kinds of kitchen facilities are available in the building. Depending on the kitchen setup, this might be sufficient.

Dorm Room Cooking Safety

If cooking is allowed in the dorm room, students should familiarize themselves with basic dorm cooking safety information. Students need to be concerned about both fire safety and food safety issues. Here are some important dorm room cooking safety tips that students need to know.

Clean Up Dorm Room Food

Dormitories often are in older buildings that are susceptible to roaches, mice, and other pests. Be sure to clean up any crumbs or other residue of dorm cooking, and get into the habit of washing dishes immediately in the kitchen or bathroom sink with dish soap.

Throw away unused food, or store it in a dorm room or kitchen refrigerator in an airtight container. Be sure to carefully store open food that doesn't require refrigeration as well.

Basic College Dorm Room Cooking Tips
Basic College Dorm Room Cooking Tips

Dorm Room Cooking Essentials

Before choosing dorm kitchen essentials, be sure to check with the university residence's rules regarding appliances. Most college dorms will allow a mini fridge and a microwave but disallow crockpots, hot plates, or other heating elements.

Additionally, many dorms have shared kitchen spaces with large fridges, freezers, sinks, and a stove. Although, you may meet new people like essay writers who can help you throughout your course, residence but in most cases, the dorm kitchens are overcrowded.

So residents do not always have complete access to appliances. It's best to bring some kitchen dorm essentials so that quick, healthy meals can be prepared at any time.

Dorm Room Mini Fridge

The most important aspect of a dorm room kitchen. Always discuss with roommates beforehand: if everyone will be sharing one fridge, choose a larger mini fridge with lots of door space. If each person will have a separate fridge, choose a smaller one. Remember that the freezers in mini fridges rarely work, so don't count on storing ice cream and frozen dinners there for too long.

Dorm Room Electric Kettle

The second most useful college essential is also one that most students forget. Bring a good-quality kettle, a French press for coffee, and large heat-proof mugs and a college student will be set for every meal of the day. A kettle makes student cooking easy. A kettle and a large mug or bowl are all that's needed to cook lots of quick and easy meals, including:

  • Tea
  • Coffee
  • Instant oatmeal
  • Soft-boiled eggs
  • Boiled vegetables
  • Ramen noodles
  • Instant soup
  • Minute rice

Dorm Room Microwave

This one speaks for itself. Entire student meals can be made using a microwave. It's also useful for late-night snacks like microwave popcorn and 5-minute mug cakes.

Pots and Pans for a Shared Kitchen

If there is a shared kitchen in the residence, buy one skillet with a tight-fitting lid and one large pot. This is not the time to invest in high-quality kitchenware, however. Remember that not everyone in the dorms will be trustworthy, and any dorm necessities left in the shared kitchen overnight are not likely to be there in the morning.

Microwave and Fridge-safe Plastic Containers for Dorm Rooms

Store leftovers in the fridge for tomorrow. Also useful to take home over holidays and bring back filled with home cooking.

A shared kitchen and a room stocked with dorm essentials will never equal a full-sized kitchen at home, but with this list of dorm supplies for the kitchen, freshmen moving into a new dorm room can supplement overcooked campus food and greasy takeout with quick and healthy student meals.

Easy Dorm Room Cooking Ideas
Easy Dorm Room Cooking Ideas

Easy Dorm Room Cooking Ideas

Keep dorm cooking simple. It's a good idea to invest in a dorm room cookbook or two to stock up on some easy ideas. It's helpful to try to find recipes that require as little actual cooking as possible.

Here are some easy ingredients to keep on hand to whip up simple meals that involve little preparation:

  • Pre-cooked chicken strips
  • Bagged salad mixes
  • Cut and packaged vegetables and fruits
  • Instant soup containers that can be mixed with hot water
  • Yogurt cups, with granola or fruit to mix in
  • Cereal, milk, and fruit
  • Instant oatmeal
  • Dried pasta
  • Macaroni and cheese or other pasta mixes
  • Canned tuna and tuna salad makings
  • Premade cookie dough
  • Refried beans, tortilla shells, and other basic burrito makings

Getting Ready for Dorm Room Cooking

Although a dorm room doesn't come with a fabulous kitchen, with a little work, students can learn how to prepare simple meals and make their room feel a little more like home. Using common sense about safety and cleaning, and following any school regulations can make preparing food at college easy and fun.


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