I just moved into my college apartment that’s on campus for my Senior year of college. It has been a blessing not having to go near the dining halls. Yet, with moving into an apartment, comes with having to buy appliances and other necessities for your kitchen. Below I’ll go into detail about somethings you definitely need to have in your cabinets.
Spices
Spices are essential if you want to make sure you aren’t eating bland foods. I have the staples in my cabinet: salt, garlic, minced onion, basil, and oregano. I also have paprika and cumin just because they add a unique spice or taste to the meal overall. There’s no need to buy some seasonings that you don’t think you’ll use one time for a meal you saw on Pinterest.
Pot/Pan
I know there are various sizes and styles of pots and pans on the market, but you only need one of each. I chose explicitly non-stick appliances to make cleaning them more manageable. They have some excellent pricing on Amazon and Walmart.
Blender
This might not be essential to some people, but I like to make smoothies. And you never know if you’re making a meal and you need to blend something together real quick. Blenders are not that expensive and can last you a while. Thankfully, my grandma had one hidden that she gave me for my apartment. I use the blender below. It works like a charm and my grandma had it for a couple of years before giving it to me so it’ll last a long time.
Meatloaf pan
I don’t necessarily mean to just make meatloaf, that’s just how I signify this pan in the grocery store. It’s good for not only meatloaf but also stuffed peppers, so they don’t fall sideways in the oven.
Metal sheet pan
Whether it’s for cooking or baking, you need a metal sheet pan. It’s great for meal prepping because you can put a much larger quantity of food so that it can last you a few days.
Plates/Bowls
This is pretty self-explanatory, you need bowls and plates. I think two would be useful unless you’re known to have a bunch of people over. But I would start with two of each.
Oven mitts
Unless you want to leave your sheet pan in the oven until it cools off, I would invest in some sort of oven mitts. Or if you have washcloths, you can use that too.
Meal prep containers
Meal prepping containers are a must for college students. There will be days that you won’t want to cook after a long day of classes or work. All you’d have to do is pull out one of those pre-cooked meals and put it in the microwave.
Spatulas
If you’re going to get spatulas for your kitchen, please get anything that isn’t metal. Trust me, you don’t want to scratch your pots and pans which wear them out faster. If you do end up buying, get wooden or rubber spatulas.
I would love to hear what your kitchen essentials are! Let me know in the comments.
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