As a sophomore in college, this year is the first year where I’m in my own apartment. So far the expierence has been great and I have learned so much about living on my own. I wanted to share with you all 5 items that I have found absolutely necessary in my kitchen.
CrockPot
When my mom was first helping me shop for my new apartment she added a Crockpot to my list. At first I laughed at her, as I always associated using a CrockPot with being an old grandma. Soon I realized how useful it actually was. For those of you who don’t know what a Crockpot is , it’s a cooking device which slowly simmers many different types of food for you. Just this month alone I have used it to make more than 10 meals. Crockpots are super helpful with my busy lifestyle as a working college student. They also make cooking super easy and fun and it is almost impossible to mess up a meal while using a Crockpot. Lastly, and in my opinion most notably, they are realtively affordable costing on average only 20 dollars.
Heres some fun and easy recipes you can try at home with your CrockPot
https://www.delish.com/cooking/g3849/best-slow-cooker-recipes/
Cast Iron Skillet
Now this may actually be one of my favorite items that I have in my kitchen. This item is basically a normal skillet, but made made out of iron. It is pretty dense and great for cooking anything from eggs to an entire 4 course meal. I actually used this skillet to cook my broccoli and chicken casserole which I have a blog post about if you want to go check that out. The coolest thing about the Cast Iron Skillet is that it actually releases healthy levels of iron into your food! This is great news to me because I have iron deficiency. Like the Crockpot the Cast Iron Skillet is relatively cheap costing only about 21 dollars. The only downside is that the Skillet is now dishwasher safe and you must hand wash it otherwise you could cause damage.
Photo by Google Images
Mini toaster oven
At first I didn’t even know these existed, but ever since my new discovery my life has changed. Now I’m not talking about your average “pop tart” toaster, but a literal mini oven!! Having this around has made making quick snacks super convenient. I no longer have to preheat my actual oven to a certain temperature and wait. Now, all I have to do is twist a little dial and what ever I’m making is done in minutes. In a way, it reminds me a lot of a microwave, but it makes way better food! I would recommend this to anyone, especially a college student or a busy adult! The downside to this item is that it doesn’t fit much more than the space two slices of bread would occupy, but in my opinion is still very worth it!
Casserole Pan
Now this is something that I have always taken for granted. I’m sure many of you have seen this at your parents or even grandparents house, but do you have it in your own kitchen? These pans can literally be used for almost anything. Since I’ve been in my own apartment I have used this handy item for cookies, brownies, casseroles, and so much more! There is nothing this pan can’t handle. Another amazing thing is that they are also microwave safe, so along with baking with them you can also use the pan to serve food or even just heat something up in the microwave, in other words the versatility is outstanding. Lastly, these pans come in all shapes and sizes and unlike the cast iron skillet are dishwasher safe allowing for an easy clean up at the end of a meal. The price range for this item varies though since there are so many different options.
These items have all made my college apartment living so much easier. They all have saved me time, energy, and money in some way shape or form. I once again recommend all of these for everyones kitchen. They are definitely staple items that everyone needs to invest in.
Bradley Eats 