College can be a significant expense, but this doesn’t mean that you can’t be comfortable. No matter where you’re living, the kitchen is still likely to be at the heart of your home; fueling your body and mind. While you may enjoy the novelty of eating junk food for a couple of weeks, once you get down to some serious study, you’ll need all the conveniences of a kitchen. So, here we’ll explore some affordable ideas for your college kitchen appliances.
Think Size
Of course, a college dorm is likely to lack the space you have at home, so your first thought should be space. Dorm rooms are generally already small, so you won’t want to clutter it further with appliances. Unfortunately, regardless of how space saving it is, your college is not likely to be happy if you try and dig a hole in the wall to fit a built-in model. So, you need to be realistic. Fortunately, there are lots of appliances that are available for more modest locations. Assess the overall size of the unit against what space is offered inside. After all, there is no point in getting a tiny fridge if it will only hold two cans of soda and nothing else.
Be Realistic
While you may fancy yourself a gourmet chef, you only have so much space, so you need to be realistic. You’re not likely to be able to accommodate a stove in your dorm, so you may have to stick to just a microwave. A countertop microwave is simple to install and takes up minimal space, but allows you to create warm food. You can even reheat leftovers during those busy cramming sessions. You can even get creative with your microwave, making mug cakes and other treats, but if you want to get really gourmet, you’ll need to save it for when you visit your parents at home.
Consider Cleaning
No one enjoys scrubbing appliances, but this is even more difficult in a dorm. For this reason, you need to consider how easy to clean your new devices will be. Look for appliances that make cleaning easier, such as easy remove shelves in compact refrigerators and microwaves with easy clean surfaces.
Look for Multi-Use Features
When space is limited, you need to look for appliances that can fulfill more than one task. Search for a compact refrigerator that has a decent freezer section. While you may only use this for the odd carton of ice cream, but it has the possibility to allow you to stack up some ready meals, so you can enjoy a healthy dinner when you’re busy.
Other appliances provide multi-use features, such as microwaves with a grill function. This may negate the need for a hot plate as you can make grilled cheese and other snacks in the microwave rather than needing a pan.
Don’t Forget the Coffee Maker
Very few students can get through a serious study session without a cup of coffee, so don’t forget a coffee maker when you’re shopping for college appliances. Look for an appliance that can make a cup quickly and makes clean up easy. A good coffee maker will take up very little space, but can save you needing to walk to a coffee shop and pay out for an overpriced caffeine fix.
College can be a serious adjustment, and it can make it hard when you don’t have all the conveniences of home. Choosing the right appliances will help to make all your day to day tasks a whole lot easier to manage.
If you’re shopping for appliances for the new semester, you can explore your options with this online collection, or speak to a home appliance expert for a more specialized service.