If you’re getting ready to fly the nest and head off to university this September, you’ll likely be preoccupied by the nervous anticipation that comes with the prospect of moving away from home and embarking upon such a big transition.
In the midst of it all, it’s easy to forget about one thing - cooking. If you grew up on homemade meals, the act of cooking for yourself for the first time can be daunting. There’s also the limitations of living in shared accommodation, as you might have as you'll have to balance all your new societies and clubs with trying to find a free spot in the kitchen.
No student is complete without a small set of appliances to their name. We've compiled our most student-proof designs to help you as you get settled into university life. From smoothie makers to toasters, these should get you whipping up meals in no time. Pot noodles optional.
Cookware Set
While you may be provided with a few pots and pans in your accommodation, it’s worth investing in your very own cookware set. Living on ready meals and takeaways might SEEM like you're living the student dream, but eventually your wallet and waistband might start to disagree.
A full cookware set is a must if you want to make Simple and (relatively) healthy meals that taste great too. Choose a set that gives you the complete package, useful for all types of cooking, such as a frying pan for making fried foods, pots for cooking vegetables, a wok for stir frying, and a casserole dish for making hearty dishes perfect for that first winter in halls or your student house. Sooner or later you’ll be hosting dinner parties!
Coffee Machine
A steaming cup of coffee is a lifesaver for many people in the morning, especially if you’ve got a day full of lectures ahead of you. It might be easy to dash to your nearest high street coffee chain, but with that comes sky high prices. It can set you back upwards of £700 per year if you buy a cup of coffee everyday!
Save time and money in the morning with your own coffee machine, ensuring on-demand caffeinated goodness to set you up for the day. If you want to try your hand at becoming an amateur barista, a more advanced espresso machine can give you many of the same great tasting beverages as your favourite chain without the price tag, or the queue.
Toaster
The humble toaster is often there to save you when you don’t have time to make anything more elaborate than toast. Whether it’s before rushing out for a day of long lectures, or after you come home from an equally lengthy night out, there’s nothing more welcome than a buttery piece of toast. Even if your accommodation comes with a toaster, there can be a lot of competition over who gets to use it and when.
Instead of fighting over a shared toaster, get one you can call your own. A two slice toaster is easier to pack, but if you’re a bit of a toast addict, a four slice unit will save you time, while also giving you the opportunity to share that all important toasting capacity with someone else, if you’re feeling generous.
Smoothie Maker
Instead of fuelling your late night study sessions with fizzy drinks, or even worse, energy drinks, make your own smoothies that are rich in brain-boosting nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
With your own smoothie maker, you’ll make keeping healthy just that little bit easier, as you’ll be able to throw all your favourite fruits and vegetables into one convenient drink. Find yourself a handheld smoothie maker or blender that’s easy to pack when you move, and is easy to store in the tightest of spaces, just in case you’re restricted in terms of storage space.
Food Steamer
Your accommodation may come with a shared cooker, and while having to share it with others already limits the amount of cooking time available to you, that cooker may not be on the larger side.
Installing your own oven inside a pokey apartment isn’t an option, but a countertop steamer is. A steamer is an efficient and healthy way of cooking vegetables, meats and more - you could even cook an entire Sunday roast on your countertop!
Rice Cooker
With tasty steamed meats and vegetables, you’ll be looking for something to add to them to make a meal. If you’re without your own oven top, or a hob, you’ll find it tricky to create meals like curries that often come with rice.
Bring the taste of home cooked meals with you and invest in a rice cooker. Combine rice with vegetables and create quick and easy meals in no time at all. Just throw it all in! It’s a student’s dream, all with the same great freshness and taste of the meals you were raised on. If you’re short on space, a rice cooker with an included steamer can combine the best of both worlds, with rice on the bottom, and steamed vegetables cooking on top.
Get Cooking!
Flying the nest and making the move to university is both exciting and daunting. Stocking up on these essentials can lighten the load, and make cooking for yourself and your housemates all part of the fun. Dive into the rest of the Geepas range for more appliances that can help you turn your student accommodation into a home away from home.
