Moving into a new house can be overwhelming, especially if you are also leaving home at the same time, so one thing you need is a university kitchen checklist.
It can be hard to know what you need to bring and what you will actually use, so we have put together a guide to the ultimate student kitchen, starting with:
Food
The food on this list is not a list of everything you need in your fridge, but are staples of what you should have in your kitchen.
Sometimes you might not have the time, energy, or money to buy fresh ingredients and whip up an intricate meal, so having the following items in your kitchen already can be a godsend.
- Pasta (dried pasta costs very little and you can buy in bulk to reduce costs further)
- Rice
- Stir fry noodles (these are also cheap and can be cooked in minutes- simply toss into a frying pan with whatever veg you have lying about and there you have it!)
- Pasta sauce jars
- Salt and pepper (these are often forgotten about when moving into your new uni kitchen)
- Spices
- Olive oil
- Frozen pizzas
- Chicken nuggets or a veggie alternative (the go-to drunken meal after a night out)
- Wraps (check out our article on five simple recipes you can make with wraps here)
- Coffee/tea
- Sugar
Utensils
It is easy to get carried away when doing your big uni shop and you might find yourself tossing tons of utensils into your trolley, but in all honesty, there isn’t that much you will need. Unless you are massively into cooking, the following items are likely to be all you need in your kitchen.
- Wooden spoons
- Spatula
- Chopping boards
- Pizza wheel
- Set of knives
- Colander
- Baking trays
- Frying pan x 2
- Saucepan x 2
- Cutlery (4 knives, 4 spoons, and 4 forks are all you need)
- Plates and bowls (4 of each again)
- Glasses and mugs
- Bottle opener
- Tin opener
Extras
Tea towels
Cleaning supplies (anti-bacterial wipes, mop)
Washing up liquid and sponges
Tin foil
Freezer bags
Kitchen roll
Top Tips
If you are living with a lot of people and want to make sure your utensils don’t get lost, go for a cutlery set with plastic coloured handles. This means they are easily identifiable!
Double up on tea towels- you will go through them a lot quicker than you may think.
Make sure to check what type of stove and hob your kitchen has in advance- often student accommodation kitchens use induction stoves. You can only use a certain type of pans on induction hobs so it is definitely worth looking into.
UCAS always do an inclusive list of everything you need for uni if you need a little more overall help.