So, you’ve moved out of the dorm and into an apartment, and no longer have a meal plan to rely on. Boxed mac and cheese and ramen might suffice for a little while, but eating pre-packaged dinners every night will get tiring. And if you’re like most college kids — on a budget — then eating out can’t be a regular option. Which leaves you with the dreaded final option. Cooking.
I get it. Cooking does not sound like fun, especially when you’ve got school work and social activities and maybe internships or jobs on your plate. I wasn’t exactly thrilled at the idea of learning how to cook either, but you have to start somewhere. Cooking is a life skill, afterall, so it’s better to learn now, when you’re in college with potentially fewer responsibilities than you might have later down the line. So I spent my spring semester scrambling around my apartment kitchen, learning how to make everything from scrambled eggs to my family’s beef stroganoff. I made every rookie mistake you can think of (except burning the place down…I only came close), but that means you won’t have to.
And if you are embarrassed about not knowing how to cook (I know I was), don’t be. We all have to start somewhere, and for you that place is here, learning where to start when it comes to cooking in college.
The kitchen tools you do (and do not) need
There are plenty of lists out there that will say you need all these specific, single-use gadgets for your college kitchen, like an ice cream maker or an egg yolk separator. And don’t get me wrong, those gadgets can be fun and handy. But if you’re just starting out, start with the basics: a set of knives, a set of measuring cups, a couple of mixing bowls, a couple mixing utensils, some pots and pans, a cutting board, a strainer, a casserole dish, and a baking sheet.
The two specialized gadgets I will recommend are a box chopper and a meat thermometer. Cutting vegetables is far more time consuming than you’d think (onions are a beginner’s enemy), so having a box chopper will save you precious time. And it’s easy to get nervous when cooking meat (the fear of undercooking meat is too real) so having a thermometer to ensure your meat is cooked is a major boon.
Now, one very common college recommendation is the air fryer. It might be nice to have, but I’d hold off initially if you have an oven. You can always get one later if you feel it’s needed. The general idea here is to start cooking with basic tools and then add more in later if need be.
Where can you find starter recipes?
Figuring out what to make is sometimes the hardest thing about cooking. If you have a dish in mind, try searching up an easy version of it. For example, if you’re wanting soup, look up “easy soup recipes” or “soup recipes for beginners.” If you’re not dead set on anything, just start perusing the internet for recipes labeled easy or for beginners. But don’t just trust that they’re easy — always read the comments to see what people have to say. If there aren’t any comments, maybe try a different recipe.
Social media is a truly hit-or-miss place for recipe-hunting. Yes, people all over TikTok and Instagram make delectable-looking dishes. However, many won’t give you the full recipe (leaving out measurements or crucial steps) or they’ll lock it behind a paywall. So browse the foodie sections of social media with caution. Honestly, the best use of social media (particularly YouTube) for cooking is to search up how-to tutorials for cooking skills. Like how to cut your chicken or how to wash mushrooms (they can’t just be washed like other vegetables!).
Digging into the family recipe book is also an option — that was where I started, and I had varying degrees of success. Some recipes were simple enough. But be warned that the family-favorite dish might be harder to make than you’d think (I found that out the hard way when trying to make the family meatloaf recipe).
The most important tips for beginners
The number one thing you should know when starting out is to never believe the estimated prep time on a recipe. When you’re a beginner, everything takes longer — cutting, mixing, seasoning, everything. So do yourself a favor and double the prep time when you’re starting out. Another recipe-related tip is to print out the recipe on paper and take notes, jotting down how long it took, how good the meal was, whether or not it makes good leftovers, and any adjustments that should be made to the recipe. Maybe the dish needed less time in the oven or more seasoning. Just make a note!
And speaking of seasoning, if you like flavor, most dishes need more salt, pepper, or other seasoning than they call for. So always taste as you go and don’t be afraid to go off the recipe and adjust to your liking. It was hard for me to do this in the beginning, because I’m a by-the-book kind of person and going off the recipe felt wrong. But you’re cooking for yourself, so make something that you enjoy, even if it requires some improvisation.
Preparing to cook
It can be difficult to find the motivation to cook, so the best thing you can do is decide what you’re going to cook in advance and set aside a dedicated chunk of time to cook. For example, I shop for ingredients on a weeknight and then cook on Saturday nights, making dishes that yield multiple servings. That way I have leftovers, saving me from having to cook every night. And when the leftovers run out, I keep some quick frozen meals or pasta and sauce on hand. After all, you don’t have to cook every night — for a beginner, finding a balance between cooking meals and throwing something quick on the stove or in the microwave is important.
It will also be helpful to keep some staple ingredients on hand at all times. Having things like flour, eggs, milk, butter, and a variety of seasonings (Trader Joe’s has reasonable prices if you’re looking to stock your spice rack!) will make your life so much easier.
When you start, cooking might seem like just another chore. It’s (surprise surprise) not as easy as they make it look on TV and it will 100% suck away hours of your day. At first, anyways. As I continued to cook throughout my semester, I began to value that time to myself, and I certainly enjoyed the results. Eating food you cook is rewarding, and it’s a true breath of fresh air after so many nights of dining hall food. So go forth into your apartment kitchen and start simple. You don’t have to cook all the time or every day. You don’t have to make super complex, multi-hour meals. You just have to cook. And by the time you graduate, you’ll have a degree and valuable cooking experience.