How to Cook in a College Dorm
Moving into a college dorm room means that some of the comforts of a conventional home must be given up. It doesn't mean, however, that you have to be pigeonholed into just eating meals at the college cafeteria or grabbing the standard, unhealthy fare at fast-food restaurants. Thanks to certain modern conveniences and simple-to-use portable appliances, you can create and cook your own delicious and nutritionally-sound meals, right from the comfort of your dorm room. Always be sure to check the rules of your dormitory first, though, to make sure you are permitted to use certain cooking appliances. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Microwave oven
- Hotplate
- Crock pot
- Toaster oven
- Electric skillet
- Mini-fridge
Instructions
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Use a microwave. If you are only allowed to have one cooking appliance in your room, this is probably the first one you ought to consider. You can cook frozen or microwaveable entrees, heat up soups, make hot beverages, make sandwiches, cook pizzas and the like. You can find many food products at the grocery store that are specifically made to be microwaved. There are also several offline and online cookbooks with recipes for dishes you can make in the microwave. Be sure to use microwave-safe dishes and to use every safety precaution when utilizing this appliance. Most dorm rooms have limited space, which makes microwaves feasible, since they will easily fit into a corner.
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Cook with a hotplate, which takes up a minimum amount of space. You can get hot plates that have one or two burners, depending upon your need. A variety of foods can be cooked with a hotplate, including veggies, meats, omelets, pasta dishes, desserts and more. You do need to use considerable caution when using a hotplate, however, and make sure that you don't turn up the heat too high or allow things to boil over or burn. Hotplates, if not used safely, could cause a fire.
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Get a crock pot. Crock pots allow you to slow cook the recipe of your choice, including dishes like stews, soups, casseroles, spaghetti, meat dishes, vegetables, desserts and the like. Once you have put in all of your selected ingredients for whatever you are cooking, all you basically need to do is to turn the crockpot down to a low setting and let your meal simmer all day, while you go to your classes.
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Employ a toaster oven for your cooking needs. You can fix toast, grilled sandwiches, pizza, baked potatoes, desserts and additional dishes in a toaster oven.
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Look for an electric skillet. You can fix any number of dishes, including vegetables, chicken, steaks, turkey burgers, grilled sandwiches, breakfast foods and other favorite recipes. Set the dial on your skillet on a lower temperature, to avoid splashing cooking oil and to keep from starting a fire.
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Make sure you invest in a mini-fridge that is capable of holding perishable cooking ingredients and leftovers.
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Tips & Warnings
Check with the head of your dorm to see which types of appliances are allowed in your room. Keep appliances away from bedding, curtains and other flammable materials, when in use.
