College Kitchen Checklist

Dorm room sinks and hallway water fountains don’t always have the best quality water. A lot of students opt to bring a water filter, like a Brita, in order to have convenient access to better tasting drinking water. A personal water filter is cheaper than buying plastic water bottles and also helps to reduce waste. You may also want to consider bringing a refillable water bottle for when you’re on campus.

If you’re a frequent coffee drinker, you should also think about investing in a single cup coffee maker, like a Keurig. There will be dining halls and other places around campus that sell coffee but we recommend making your own (especially if you’re a daily drinker) in order to save money or when you don’t have time to stop by the store.

Most students underestimate the amount of times they will end up eating in their dorm room. In a lot of cases you’ll find yourself without enough time to make it to the dining hall or simply feeling too lazy to leave your room. If you don’t have a car or if its a hassle to get to a grocery store, we recommend bringing enough snacks to last you about a month. Luckily, a lot of college campuses have small convenience stores for students with microwaveable meals, drinks, and snacks, but buying in bulk is still a lot cheaper.

Students with access to a microwave in their dorm or common room kitchen, have plenty of great options to avoid making a trip to the dining hall. However, a lot of microwavable foods require fridge or freezer storage, so your options will be limited without access to one.  We don’t recommend keeping snacks in the common room refrigerator because your food could disappear, even if it’s labeled. You can survive without bringing microwavable snacks, but they are very convenient and can help you save money if you are on a limited dining plan. Some college student favorites include: Popcorn, Instant Mac & Cheese, Ramen Noodles, Soups, Oatmeal, bagel bites, burritos, cheese quesadillas.

If you don’t have access to a microwave or fridge, there’s still plenty of traditional snacks that are great for college dorms. Some popular options include: chips, pretzels, goldfish, beef jerky, pop tarts, cereal, granola bars, candy, chocolate, jello, pudding, cookies, PB&J sandwiches, and TrailMix.

Most of the stereotypical college dorm snacks are pretty unhealthy, but that doesn’t mean healthier alternatives aren’t out there. Some more healthier options include: Apples, Oranges, Carrots, Protein Bars, Granola bars, Nuts, Bananas, Yogurt, Hummus, and rice cakes. 

While you can stock up on water and gatorade bottles, it is more efficient to bring a container of your favorite drink mix.  You can find gatorade, lemonade, tea, and hot chocolate drink mixes that come in a variety of flavors. If you are already bringing a water filter or Keurig, then you should consider picking up some extra filters and K-cups.