College dining has changed a lot. We’ve got nothing against a package of instant ramen (Buldak, specifically), but the days when instant noodles were the only option for university students are long gone. Don’t have time, or too tired to head down to the cafeteria? We get it — and we’ve got some ideas to help.
Making easy, even healthy, meals has never been simpler. Cooking without a kitchen is now a real option, thanks to all kinds of clever tech. With the push of a few buttons, you can whip up perfectly simple dishes without firing up a full oven or plugging in bulky appliances. So whether you or your kid is heading off to a cramped college apartment or a freshman dorm room with a sad excuse for a kitchen (or none at all), we’ve rounded up cooking devices and kitchen essentials to take your setup from yuck to yum.
For this list, we included cooking gear and small kitchen appliances that are likely allowed in a college dorm and noted ones that may not be, such as air fryers, toasters and other appliances with electric cooking elements. On Reddit’s r/college sub, students report that they’re allowed to bring cooking pots, hot plates, rice cookers and more.
Note: There’s no guarantee that all of these cooking tools will be allowed in your particular dorm room, though. Before buying anything, refer to your school’s student handbook or list of dorm rules and allowances — it’ll save you the hassle of figuring out how to return your new kitchen appliance.
Best kitchen and cooking tools for college students
When stocking a small kitchen, multifunctional tools are key, and The Always Pan is about as multifunctional as cookware gets. The ceramic-coated nonstick pan is a skillet, but with deep enough sides to use as a saucepan or even boil water for pasta in a pinch. It includes a steamer insert and a wooden spatula. It’s also light as a feather and oven-safe up to 450 degrees F.
There’s no better way to cook quick, frozen snacks or simple, healthy meals than with a powerful air fryer. If you’re working with a college dorm or on-campus housing, you’re probably working with limited kitchen space. That’s the beauty of the Ninja Crispi, which breaks down for easier storage than freestanding pod-style air fryers. Even better, the compact cooking chamber is made of glass, so it’s easy to get sparkling clean, and there’s no need to worry about microplastics.
Note: This model is recommended for off-campus apartments. Not all schools allow ovens with this much power in dorms and student housing. Check your student handbook before buying.
The Beast Mini isn’t just the best-looking personal blender we’ve tried; it’s also one of the most powerful. The blending jar fits snugly on the base, so there’s no risk of leaking all over your roommate’s sneakers. A sipping lid with a reusable straw lets you take your concoction seamlessly to class or the quad.
The Mini has a simple one-button control panel, yet it has enough power to blend even the densest frozen fruits and vegetables into healthy smoothies. It’s the perfect foil for that not-so-healthy granola bar breakfast diet you lived on freshman year.
If your college-aged kid is living off-campus for the first time, they might be ready to try their hand at cooking. Nothing flattens the learning curve quite as well as a meal kit service, which sends all the ingredients and detailed instructions for quick, healthy meals in a single box. EveryPlate has some of the easiest recipes of the more than 30 we’ve tried, and many can be completed in as little as 15 minutes.
If you prefer to go the pod coffee maker route, the K-Mini is the most popular, compact model that Keurig makes. While you’re at it, pick up some packs of pods from our list of the best K-Cups out of 40 tested.
If your dorm room doesn’t already include a refrigerator-freezer, you’ve got to get a mini version. It’s a must. If your dorm room is currently your childhood bedroom or basement, it’s still nice to have a dedicated place for snacks.
This retro-style 3.2-cubic-foot dry-erase fridge with neon markers is stylish and lets you write and erase lists and notes right on the fridge door — whether it’s a warning to stop stealing your oat milk or a note to self about next week’s class schedule.
In our test of electric kettles, this Zwilling model took the top spot. It’s a perfect dorm room accessory for making tea, pour-over coffee and instant noodles cups. The Zwilling boils water in under 3 minutes and turns off automatically if you forget to flip the switch.
This kettle holds 1 liter of water — the smallest size for this model — so it won’t take up a ton of space. It also has a cool-touch body to remove the risk of brushing against it and burning your skin.
Your dorm room may include a microwave in it when you arrive, so check ahead. If it doesn’t, go with a small version and then make sure all your plates, bowls and mugs are microwave-safe. To fall within standard dorm safety regulations, you’ll want a compact microwave with 700 watts of power or less, such as this stylish model with a retro oval window. It’s available in three colors and will add some pop to an otherwise drab dorm.
This should’ve been No. 1 on the list, really. I mean, it’s coffee. Regular coffee makers take up a lot of space and make more coffee than one person needs.
Enter this top-rated model, which is sleek and slim. It uses a mesh scoop filter so you can choose your preferred coffee grounds. The personal coffee maker brews an 8-ounce cup in 90 seconds, but you’re gonna want a 14-ounce travel mug’s worth, which will only take about two and a half minutes to fill up.
You’ll definitely want some silverware in your dorm, but I say go for a set that’s easy to pack in case you’re taking lunch or dinner to the quad or a friend’s apartment or dorm. This stainless steel set comes with a storage case so spoons and forks don’t go flying.
If you’re still in a dorm, you won’t need everything in this set, but keep it handy for next year when you move off campus and have to stock a kitchen for the first time. This bundle of essentials includes all the necessary cooking utensils made from premium natural teak wood.
One of the most frequent questions you’ll ask yourself in college is, “Wait, do I even have time to eat?” It’s sad, but it’s the truth. You’ll need appliances that will help you prepare food in no time so that you don’t starve if you’re running late to class, or an internship, or wherever you need to be. This quesadilla maker is cheap and perfect for a quick and easy lunch. Just don’t forget to put the top tortilla down before you close it up, like I definitely didn’t do several times my freshman year.
A waffle maker is a worthy alternative (and is far more versatile than you think; by the same token, the quesadilla maker should be, too).
Note: Not all schools allow devices with electric cooking elements in dorms and student housing. Check your student handbook before buying.
Even more essential than coffee (gasp!) is clean, drinkable water. A filtered water pitcher is a great way to keep the essential on hand at all times. There are many pitchers to choose from, but a slim design works best for a limited space or small fridge. The Culligan pitcher is compact and uses a powerful Zero Water filter — the best at removing dissolved solids of the several we tested.
Getting out the dorm door with a proper breakfast is pretty much impossible, but an egg cooker can definitely help. The popular Dash cooker will make six perfectly cooked eggs in minutes — hard-boiled, soft-boiled or poached (if you’re fancy). Plus, it takes up little space, which is great because space is at a premium in college. Hooray for protein!
If you want to kick things up a notch — maybe a few notches — spring for this beast of an oven and air fryer combo. With the Ninja Foodi oven, you’ll get far more cooking capability than with a solo air fryer, including bake, roast, toast and warm functions. Plus, the entire unit folds up against a wall, so it takes up way less space than any oven with this much oomph should. We’ve tested this one, and the air fryer function works like a champ, making ultracrispy wings and fries in 25 minutes or so.
Note: This model is recommended for off-campus apartments. Most schools don’t allow ovens with this much power in dorms and student housing. Check your student handbook before buying.
If your school allows it, an Instant Pot is a no-brainer, and the 3-quart version is a great fit for small spaces (and those who might not want to deal with 5 pounds of pulled pork at a time). Make fast dinners and batch-cook protein for the week with the efficient, compact multicooker.
Note: Not all schools allow devices with electric heating elements in dorms and student housing. Check your student handbook before purchasing.
This one may not seem to have much to do with cooking, but if you’re going to be making food in a dorm or small space, there are going to be smells and airborne food particles that come along with it. Save your roommate — and yourself — from some of that compromised air quality with a compact air purifier. Blueair’s Blue Pure 311i Max performed the best in our tests for removing airborne contaminants.
What kitchen appliances can I bring to a dorm?
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