When you’re living in a college dorm, you are faced with some food preparation challenges. Not only are you dealing with limited space, but there are also strict rules on what items are allowed, forcing you to find other ways to make the food that you love.
Don’t worry, we won’t let you go hungry! We’ve compiled a list of some dorm room appliances that students find useful for cooking and other tasks. As a bonus, all these items are small enough to pack in boxes so they can easily be packed up and placed in storage for the summer if needed.
1. Microwave
A microwave is one of the most useful appliances, but unfortunately microwaves aren’t always provided. Whenever you need to heat up leftovers, frozen meals, or looking for other ways to cook your meals, the microwave is there for you. You can make anything from brownies to mac and cheese to even meat loaf, making this essential for cooking in the dorm.
2. Microwave Pasta Cooker
Pasta cookers are life changing. They are easy to use, and you can make pasta in less than 10 minutes. This is perfect for late nights when everything on campus is closed, and you need some sort of dinner to eat without going out.
3. Mini Egg Cooker
A mini egg cooker can make hardboiled eggs, omelets, scrambled eggs, steamed vegetables, and potstickers. It’s kind of amazing what such a tiny appliance can do! When it’s time for a quick, healthy breakfast or a side for your dinner, break out the mini egg cooker.
4. Electric Pot
An electric pot helps you avoid using the messy communal kitchen. We all know those communal kitchens can get dirty, so having one of these electric pots in your room is for the better. These electric pots are basically mini stove tops. They are easy to clean after using and allow you to prepare a wide variety of meals.
5. Mini Pancake or Waffle Maker
Mini pancake and waffle makers are perfect to treat yourself to a nice breakfast in your dorm room. Not only are these good for pancakes and waffles but they can also be used to make toast and even grilled cheese sandwiches! Whenever you’re not using it, it’s easy to store since it does not take up a lot of space.
6. Aroma Diffuser
Dorm rooms can get stuffy (and stinky) due to the lack of air flow. An aroma diffuser is an effective way to combat this common issue. Having an aroma diffuser in your dorm room not only freshens the air but also enhances the quality of your sleep, improves focus, reduces anxiety and stress, and even helps alleviate congestion.
7. Travel Steam Iron
Wrinkly clothes are frustrating. Not having anything to smooth those wrinkles out can be even more frustrating. You could go to the laundry room and rewash your clothes, but that takes time and money. Keeping a travel steam iron handy is much easier. Why waste more detergent or fabric sheets on the same clothes when you can simply iron them in minutes?
8. Water Filter
Having a pitcher water filter in your dorm is more affordable and sustainable than relying on bottled water. It’s also more convenient. Instead of going through multiple water bottles in a day, you can simply fill up a glass or reusable bottle with filtered water using the pitcher filter. It also allows you to cook with purified water (perfect for the pasta maker) and drops the need to run around campus in search of a water fountain.
9. Heated Blanket
During the winter season, having a heated blanket in your dorm room can truly be a game-changer. While space heaters can be a cozy addition to your space (if they’re allowed), they may not always be a hit with your roommates. They might prefer a lower setting or even not want it on at all. This is where a heated blanket comes to the rescue! Not only does it help you steer clear of any potential disagreements with your roomies, but it also provides you with a personal oasis of warmth, especially if you tend to feel chilly often.
10. Mini Toaster Oven
Although a microwave can get the job done, it doesn’t always deliver the same level of crispiness and deliciousness. Air fryers are awesome for cooking quality food, but they take up a lot of space. That’s where a mini toaster oven comes in! Mini toaster ovens produce a similar level of quality as an air fryer but take up much less space. Toaster ovens are perfect for cooking treats like bagel bites, toast, and mozzarella sticks, and they’re also useful for reheating leftovers. Just be sure that your residence hall allows toaster ovens before you buy one.
Once the school year comes to an end, there’s no need to worry about what to do with your dorm appliances (and all your other stuff). You can count on the college storage experts at Collegeboxes to take care of it all. Simply pack up your belongings and we’ll come to your dorm room to collect your boxes. We can store them for the summer or even ship them back to your house, whichever suits your needs best.
With Collegeboxes, college moving is a breeze! Sign up for Collegeboxes today!