Moving to uni and not sure what items you will need for your kitchen?Here is my list of a few university kitchen essentials and some advice on how to avoid a kitchen-clutter-nightmare.
If you are sharing a kitchen in halls, then you probably won´t have a lot of space.
I have stayed in 3 different halls and each time I only had 2 small cupboards and 1 drawer to fit all my crockery, cooking equipment and food. I always struggled with space, as I had bought a lot of things for the kitchen and also always keep a well-stocked food cupboard….
A few things I bought were not really useful and I have discovered a few things that I should have waited to buy. After 2 years I´d say I have a relatively good idea of things everyone should have for the kitchen, and what is unnecessary, so I hope you find this post useful.
If you are still wondering about what other things to pack for university, check out my university packing guide.
A few tips before you buy….
Firstly, here are a few tips I have when it comes to buying your university kitchen essentials:
1) Just get one of each!
The first mistake I made was to buy an entire dinner set (4 large, 4 small plates and 4 bowls). Don’t bother getting one of those because you really don´t need that many… Most of the plates just stayed under my bed the entire time… If you have friends over for dinner you can just ask to borrow some of your flatmates´ plates. And if push comes to shove, you could always ask your friends to bring a plate or two.
2) Wait until you have moved in and met your flatmates before buying some larger items.
This is one of my top tips, because there is nothing worse than everyone arriving with a colander – there really is no need or space for 4! You can also wait and see what other items/gadgets people bring, e.g. toastie makers, blenders etc. and then discuss if you´d be happy to share items.
3) Where to buy things:
I ordered some stuff from IKEA before I arrived, which I could pick up at the IKEA collection point in Aberdeen. This was only possible though because my mum came with me and had hired a car.
I also got some things from ASDA, which I can really recommend. They have a great home section (you can also get your sheets and towels etc from there) and it is one of the cheaper options. Morrisons and B&M can be good places for buying kitchen equipment, too.
University Kitchen Essentials – The only list you´ll need!
Okay, let’s get into the list then. I have divided this section into essential items everyone needs, additional items you might want to get that are non-essential and things you might want to consider sharing with your flatmates.
1) Kitchen Essentials You Need
- 1 large and 1 small plate
- 2 (cereal) bowls
- 1 larger pasta bowl
- Cutlery (again 2 knives, forks, spoons, teaspoons etc are enough, I got a set of 4 of each. This wasn’t as much of a pain as the dinner set because it’s smaller, but I didn’t really need it)
- 1-2 mugs (Here I would say 2 are good, for when a friend comes over for a cup of tea)
- 1-2 glasses
- 1 or 2 pots (I have a small-ish saucepan and a medium-sized pot)
- Frying pan
- Reusable plastic water bottle (Let’s save the planet one step at a time!)
- Wooden spoon
- 1 large serving spoon
- Fish slicer
- Sharp knives
- 1 large and 1 small chopping board
- Dish towels
- Food clips (very essential, e.g. to keep packs of pasta closed)
- Tupperware (again, pretty essential for storing any leftovers in the fridge or freezer (Yay, batch cooking!!!) or for packed lunches. I bought a set with 8 boxes in different shapes and sizes)
2) Additional Things You Could Consider Buying…
Here is a list of a few additional items you could consider buying. I´d say these things aren’t absolutely essential, but depending on what you like to cook or eat, these things might come in handy:
- Garlic crusher (not essential, but very handy if you like cooking with garlic)
- Whisk
- Vegetable peeler
- Tin/can opener (only if you think you´ll need it, I just try and buy tins that come with an opener)
- Corkscrew/bottle opener
- Pizza cutter
- Baking things (i.e. baking tins, measuring spoons etc., these were absolutely essential for me of course 😉 -> Check out some of my recipes here)
3) Things You Could Share With Your Flatmates
Lastly, these are a few more items that you could consider getting together with your flatmates for everyone to share:
- Colander
- Kitchen scales
- Measuring jug
- Grater
- Large baking/mixing bowl (also good for serving snacks)
- Wire rack for drying dishes
- Oven gloves
- Baking trays
- Toastie maker
- Small blender/food processor
- Tin foil, cling film, baking paper, kitchen towel etc.
- Fairy liquid, sponges etc.
I hope you find this kitchen essentials guide useful, let me know if you think I have forgotten something!!! As always, if you have any questions or additional queries, leave a comment down below!
