Most of the time, living in a dorm room means that you are not cooking for yourself on a regular basis. This is because most colleges and universities have very strict rules regarding items that give of heat. Additionally, most students go to their dining hall for meals. Some of the rules say that you cannot have microwaves, toasters, griddles, hot plates, etc. But do not fret! There are a few key dorm room kitchen tools that you can have to help you eat well in the comfort of your room.
1. Mini Blender
Single-serve mini blenders are a great tool for dorm life! From smoothies and milkshakes to cold soups and salsas, you can get pretty creative with these blenders. My personal favorite uses for the blender are breakfast smoothies and late-night freakshakes.
2. Single-Serve Coffee Maker
Coffee Makers are usually in dorm rooms, you can have the single-serve size coffee makers because of the heat element/power surge restrictions. Although these machines are great for those early morning (or all-day) pick-me-ups like coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, they can also help you make meals. You can use the machine to get boiling hot water so that you can make instant soups or oatmeal. I like to use these to make oatmeal, and dress up the oats with cinnamon and blueberries!
3. Small but sharp knife
Usually there are restrictions on knives in dorm rooms for safety reasons, but if you can bring a small paring knife, it will make your snacking so much better! Paring knives are ideal for cutting fruits and veggies for snacks or salads. My favorite use for these is cutting up an apple to eat with peanut butter. These knives can help keep yourself healthy and avoid the dining hall lunch rush when all you want to eat is a salad. Moreover, do yourself a favor, and get a knife with a safety cover for cleanliness and safety purposes!
4. Small set of plates, bowls, mugs, utensils and tupperware
Often forgotten, a reusable set of plates, bowls, mugs, utensils, tupperware really are important for dorm-room living. Most students, myself included, think that we can make-do with plastic utensil and paper plate. However, you will quickly find that plastic knives are almost completely useless and paper plate are inadequate for mounds of pizza rolls or nachos! An affordable set of reusable basics are not only sturdy, but will save you money in the long-run and are good for the planet too! Though remember you need to clean them off after!
If you are trying to eat healthy in your dorm room, check out these healthy dorm room breakfasts. If you have any kitchen tools that you think all college students should have in their dorm rooms, DM us on Instagram @spoon_bulldogs and tell us about them!