You Can Do WHAT With That?

In college, you are not dealt a lot of space. Shy of knocking down the wall (which you cannot do unfortunately), you have to maximize the space to suit your needs. This means using things in non-traditional or just unknown ways, especially when it comes to kitchen appliances. Usually dorm suites come standard with an oven, stovetop and refrigerator, all designed for massive families or meal planning. The devices I talk about may be less known, but are by no means less effective (maybe more so).

In a hurry, the hot pot is a great option for cooking ramen (the college staple), canned soup or filling Mac n Cheese. With a variable dial, these cooking pots allow you temperature control. Meaning you can quickly cook your food or if waiting for some friends, set the temperature lower so the flavors brew. Not to mention, this easy cooking method requires no cooking know how and are relatively straight forward to operate. Just a simple unplug and this hot pot can go anywhere you need it.

If you don’t have the time or patience to slave away around a stove, the rice cooker and steamer combo may be just the combo device you need. With a measuring cup, all you need to do is measure the amount of rice and water you need, turn it on and let the rice cooker do its job. In addition to perfectly cooking the rice, many units come with a steaming tray. This means you can steam broccoli, carrots and peas while your meal cooks.

Finally, coffee has been the life blood of college students as far back as studying has been important. But did you know that by taking out the coffee and filter from a coffee maker, you have an instant hot water brewer. This comes in handy if you want some hot apple cider during those long winter months. A roommate and I shared a small coffeepot once and used it to enjoy hot tea from a large 40 ounce coffee cup.

These kitchen appliances are only a sample of what you have available. Just a simple search through DormCo or Google will show you some neat stuff. Be sure to check with your school, as regulations vary from college to college (You may not be able to cook with a stovetop or similar device in your dorm ). As the college culture is constantly shifting, you can be assured that new devices will soon be revealed to address what students like you value in a device, speed, quality and cost. So, if you want smaller or smarter appliances in your dorm, the stuff you need is only a click away.

Dylan Swartz