Everything but the Kitchen Sink: Transform your Dorm Room into a Kitchen in 3-Easy Steps

Here's how I turned my 125-square foot, Manhattan studio into a gourmet grain & sugar-free kitchen.
Don't have a kitchen? Don't stress, neither did I! Follow these three easy steps and you'll be cooking in your dorm room in no-time!

Step 1: Get Informed

Make sure that small appliances are allowed in your dorm or apartment. For instance, I live in a girl's residency in NYC where all small appliances are banned from the rooms for inconvenience...I mean, safety.

If you find out that small appliances are not allowed, don't be discouraged. Many dorms and student residencies have common cooking areas. It's not ideal, but on the bright side, many communal cooking areas are already equipped with some appliances, pots and pans, and cooking utensils. Check before you buy anything!

However, for those of you with severe gluten allergies, you will want to invest in your own cookware regardless! This eliminates the chance of any cross contamination. 

Even though I currently cook in a community kitchen, I prefer to have my own pots and pans and cooking utensils because I find that people sometimes don't take care of the community-use items like they would if they were their own. 

In the words of former Secretary of the Treasury, Lawrence Summers, "In the history of the world, nobody has ever washed a rental car." So, if you do decide to use the common-use items, just make sure to at least rinse them off before you use them!

Step 2: Get Equipped

Here are 5 of the most essential small appliances that I use on a regular basis and that you will need for your dorm room-kitchen:

1. A Mini-Fridge

Your room might already be stocked with a mini-refrigerator, which is a plus; however, it might technically be a mini-cooler. There's a difference! Mini-coolers don't reach low enough temperatures to stop food from spoiling. I learned this the hard way...

2. A Slow Cooker

Click here for my personal favorite crock-pot on the market. VitaClay's benefits are:

• More bang for your buck--three appliances in one: a slow cooker, a rice cooker, and a yogurt maker (sustains low enough temperatures for raw yogurt)
• Non-toxic--the  pot is made of Zisha clay, which does not leech toxins into your food and retains the enzyme and vitamin content of your meal
• Faster--4-times faster than conventional slow cookers
• Automatic shut-off--don't worry about burning your food or setting off the fire alarm

This is the perfect item for any college student. Put your ingredients in the pot, go do homework, come back and voila--you have a no-hassle, gourmet dinner ready in minutes!

3. Convection Oven

Raw foods are an essential part of a healthy diet, but not all food should be eaten raw! Although I find myself mainly using the slow cooker, here are a few additional things you can use a convection oven for:

• Baking meat--bake chicken, make pot roast or shred pork
• Baking baked-goods--there are tons of muffin and cookie recipes that are grain and sugar-free
• Roasting vegetables--eggplant pizza, caramelized brussel sprouts and roasted zucchini and summer squash are a few of my favorites 

4. Electric Stove-Top

I didn't grow up using a microwave and I'm really grateful for that. There's been a lot of studies that prove that microwaves denature your food's enzyme and vitamin content. Why kill all the nutrients in your food when you can just re-heat things on a stove top? 

Here's why you should have a stove-top:

• Re-heat Food--Replace your microwave with a stove-top and retain your foods nutrition value
• Hard-boiled eggs--boiled eggs are a great breakfast on the go!
• Fry foods--cook ground meat, roast vegetables, scramble eggs, make omelettes and more 

5. Personal Blender

I own a Hamilton Beach personal blender and it has kept working for almost 2-years. Even though I'd rather own a glass blender, this one is really convenient. 

Here's a couple ideas on how to use your personal blender:

• Fruit-Vegetable Smoothies--this is a great way to get raw fruit, vegetables, raw protein, such as raw eggs, and healthy fats, such as raw coconut oil and raw butter, into your diet
• Salad Dressings--just try buying store bought salad dressings that don't contain sugar or trans fats!

Step 3: Get Creative

Laying out your kitchen takes a little creativity. Some things to keep in mind is, even though you're working with a small space, you still want things to be conveniently placed. With that in mind, keep all your kitchen supplies in the same vicinity. 

Here's how your ordinary bedroom furniture can double as a kitchen:

• Kitchen Counter--I use the top of my dresser as a kitchen counter. I store my cutting board there to keep from damaging the dresser
• Pantry--The top shelf of my closet is where I store my spices and perishable items
• Drying Rack--I keep a dish drying rack on top of my mini-fridge. Since space is limited, it usually doubles as dish and silverware storage
• Cupboards--My book case, in addition to school books, is where I store my mason jars, storage containers and dinnerware

Follow these 3-easy steps and you'll be cooking healthy meals in your dorm in no time. Although set-up takes time and money, in the long-run, you will spend less money on food and your mind and body will thank you.

Do you use different small appliances? Please share your favorites below!