Checklist: What You Need in Your College Kitchen

Cooking dinner for yourself as a college student can be a very daunting task. Without having the proper ingredients, tools, and skills it can end up being a disaster. This begs the question: do you have all that you need to make yourself dinner at the drop of a hat? If not, do not fear! This post will walk you through what you need to make sure you can cook dinner for yourself as a college student!

Pots and Pans

Having good pots and pans are essential to preparing a meal. Without them, you have nothing to cook in! Most college students do not have the money or storage space to have every type of pot and pan, but you really don't need many to be able to cook! During my freshman year of college, I had one frying pan, one sheet pan, and one three quart pot and it was perfect because they could all fit in my small, designated kitchen space and were perfect size for cooking for one.

Utensils

Utensils, in my opinion, are the next most important item to have when cooking. Similar to pots and pans, you can't get very far in the cooking process without them. You don't need to have a lot of cooking and eating utensils to get the job done though. A simple spatula, set of tongs, ladle, and wooden spoon should be enough for you get by cooking wise. And eating wise the set of forks, spoons, and knives should do the trick!

Spices

Spices are the next most important item to have on hand when cooking in college! While some might argue that spices aren't that important for someone who is cooking on a budget, I have to disagree. Spices are fairly inexpensive and can last a long time. They also make a huge difference in the taste of your meals and can increase your overall enjoyment of them greatly. For a college student who is learning to get comfortable in the kitchen, I would suggest garlic salt, pepper, cinnamon, paprika and some sort of Italian seasoning blend.

Ingredients

Last, but certainly not least, you need to have ingredients to cook! While this might seem like a no brainer to have on your checklist, it is a little but more complicated than you might think. You need to have a wide range of different ingredients in order to cook nutritious meals for yourself. This is includes a good selection of fruits and veggies, protein (meat or another substitution), and starches (rice, pasta, potatoes). These ingredients can be bought fresh for the fridge, frozen, or canned for longer shelf life.

Regardless of what meals you like to cook, these four checklist items are essential in any college kitchen and will help you make the most of your time spent cooking in between classes and studying.