The $8 Kitchen Gem You Need to Completely Elevate Your Dorm Meals (Plus 7 More Must-Haves!)

If you make a lot of mug cakes or microwave eggs, let this be the one tool you purchase. It is so useful, as precise measurements are extra important when you’re making a single-serving recipe. It can also double as a coffee scoop if you have a classic coffeemaker or use refillable pods for your Keurig. 

A precise measuring cup will come in handy even if you’re not doing elaborate cooking or baking projects. I used mine for making oatmeal in the dorm, because it was much cheaper to buy a canister of oats than single-serve oatmeal packets. Ali Domrongchai, associate groceries editor at The Kitchn, recommends a glass measuring cup, because she says you can also microwave in the vessel itself — though you should be careful when taking the glass cup out of the microwave, as it could get hot. “The key to having a smart, savvy kitchen in a small space is making sure that your items pull [their] weight in multiple regards. I love a glass measuring cup that has multiple markers to measure a handful of things,” she explains.

If you are a tea lover, a hot water kettle (if it’s allowed in your dorm) is one of the easiest ways to make tea in a small space. But that’s far from all it’s good for; you can also boil hot water to pour over instant ramen or macaroni and cheese so you don’t have to use a microwave. Domrongchai says a water kettle was “the sneaky MVP” in her dorm. Aside from making tea, she says a water kettle served so many purposes, like heating oatmeal, instant ramen, and even cooking spaghetti noodles. 

Chances are, you don’t have many surfaces in your small room. A cutting board can turn your desk into a clean cooking space to prepare meals and snacks. Even though you might think you don’t need a cutting board, Domrongchai says it is a must for creating a food-safe space for food. 

If you have access to a shared kitchen, securing your own skillet or fry pan is essential. You can cook so many things in one pan, and an 8-inch pan is the perfect size for storing in your room if you don’t want other students in the kitchen to use it. This nonstick skillet is more flexible than stainless steel and “less fussy than cast iron,” Wawrzyn says. “If you only have one skillet, a nonstick is a good choice.”

Whether you use it to make oatmeal in the microwave or to mix up a big salad, one versatile bowl can do so much — and it takes just a minute to wash with dish soap in the sink. Wawrzyn says it is preferable to get a microwave-safe option to expand what you can do with the bowl. (Be careful when you take it out of the microwave, though — it can still get hot!)

If you haven’t heard of a spoonula, it’s about high time. Recommended by Wawrzyn, this multipurpose tool can do it all, from stirring to flipping, and even scrambling eggs. It’s a flexible, heat-resistant, and easy to clean spoon-spatula hybrid. Need I say more? 

A solid saucepan has so many uses if you have a stove. Some of my favorite things to make in a saucepan include pasta, popcorn, rice, soups, and one-pot meals. If you don’t have a skillet, you can also use a saucepan to make most things you would traditionally make in there. According to Domrongchai, your cooking abilities will sail past scrambled eggs. “Once you get a saucepan with a lid, the cooking opportunities become endless,” she says. This saucepan is oven safe up to 350 degrees F, so it can be moved easily.