It’s no surprise that college-living is a major adjustment. It can directly effect everything in your life from your sleep schedule to your social life to your eating habits. Tight dorm rooms and the major lack of home-cooked meals can leave you feeling like the dining halls are your only options, but my all time favorite store, aka Bed Bath & Beyond, has got you covered. If you give these Bed Bath & Beyond kitchen tools a try next year — I promise, they’re oddly useful — there’ll be no need to be stuck with waiting in line at the dining hall.
Oster MyBlend Blender
One thing I had never realized until I started college was how often I’m on the go. Between going to class, club meetings, and attempting to work out, my days fill up fast, so time to sit down for meals becomes limited. With the Oster MyBlend Blender, you can make a smoothie to-go, conveniently in a sport bottle so you can take it with you as you run around campus.
Good Grips Pineapple Slicer
One great way to eat healthy is fresh fruit. Sure, you could bring some fruit back from the dining hall in a container, but they might not always have what you want (or it might not be the freshest).
Pineapple is one of my favorites, and it’s best fresh. But have you ever tried to cut a pineapple? It takes longer to core it and slice it than it does to eat it, but not with this Good Grips Pineapple Slicer. This is for sure going on my back to school shopping list.
Rapid Ramen Cooker
The most popular food in colleges across America has got to be ramen. Even though it contains a ton of sodium, it becomes a staple in most dorm rooms due to its ability to cook quickly and easily. If you’re looking for the most effective way to cook your ramen, this microwave-safe Rapid Ramen Cooker is definitely your answer. Put your noodles in the cooker and within four minutes they’ll be done.
Rapid Pizza Reheater
I’m obsessed with pizza, to say the least. I ate nothing but pizza for five days straight last year and it was quite a time. But, unfortunately, I often struggle to finish an entire pie. This Rapid Pizza Reheater is the key to endless pizza day after day. Place your slice in the reheater and pop it in the microwave for crisped crust without heating up the oven.
Zoku Iced Coffee Maker
Okay, so you have a Keurig, but you’re in the mood for iced coffee instead of hot. Zoku gets it. This Zoku Iced Coffee Maker is a tumbler that can chill your hot coffee in just five minutes without diluting it, like at all. Plus you can take it on the go — that’s a win-win.
Kikkerland Design Rainbow Bag Clips
If you ask me, bag clips are probably the most underappreciated kitchen tool ever. I didn’t think I would need them, but both my freshman and sophomore years I ended up buying them about a week into the school year. Honestly, there’s nothing worse than stale chips.
Piggy Microwave Cover
Picture this: You just finished eating your favorite microwaveable meal (mine would probably be easy-mac) and you realize that you left the microwave a mess. You can’t hop in bed and hope that it’ll just be clean the next time you use it (because unfortunately it won’t). To avoid cleaning the microwave each time, this Microwave Cover is what you need. Did I mention it’s only $4.99? Sold.
Good Grips Avocado Slicer
Everyone knows the struggle of trying to pit an avocado. If you just can’t get it out, you try to cut around it, but by then the avocado is getting all smushed and you question whether it’s even worth it. This avocado slicer is here to answer all your avocado-related prayers. It does it all — pit, slice and peel — so all you have to do is enjoy.
Gourmia Travel Foldable Electric Kettle
As I mentioned, there’s so almost no space in a typical dorm room. The thought of having a full set of kitchen appliances is a bit ridiculous. I do highly suggest, however, that besides your typical microwave and fridge, you pick up this Travel Foldable Electric Kettle. The fact that it collapses means it can fit almost anywhere, so you can enjoy all your favorite warm beverages with no wasted space.
Fasta Pasta Microwave Pasta Cooker
College also taught me to learn to utilize the microwave in ways I had never considered before. As a major pasta person, this microwave pasta cooker is a serious game changer. The Fasta Pasta claims to cook your pasta perfectly al dente in minutes. And for only $14.99, how could you not give this a try?
Texas Grippmat Cutting Boards
A cutting board is definitely a must in a dorm room. Despite the belief of many college students, paper plates cannot be used as cutting boards. These are super flat and flexible, so storage is no issue and they’re easy to clean.
Rapid Veggie Steamer
Getting your daily vegetables in at the dining hall can sometimes be a struggle. There are not usually many options — sometimes none at all. Usually making your own veggies takes too much time, but not with the Rapid Veggie Steamer. In just three minutes, you could have perfectly crisp veggies using the microwave. This is definitely a dorm necessity.
Angry Mama Microwave Cleaner
This is probably one of the weirdest things I came across on the BBB website, but it might be one of the best. If you don’t get the Piggy Microwave Cover and you make a mess in your microwave, this is the product for you. Angry Mama Microwave Cleaner steams the entire microwave leaving you with the task of simply wiping it clean after use. Minimal cleanup means more time for eating.
Sistema Eggs To Go Microwave Cooker
Another thing that I didn’t know could be made in a microwave until college: eggs. This Eggs To-Go Microwave Cooker is one of the coolest kitchen tools I’ve ever seen. You can make your eggs sunny side up or turn them into omelet in just 60 seconds using this tool — definitely worth the $7 bucks.
These products are completely worth the trip to Bed Bath & Beyond. They’ll save you time, money and a trip to the dining hall for another salty slice of mediocre ‘za. No matter what you decide to cook up in your dorm room, these will for sure enhance your experience.