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College Kitchen Essential Top Ten
A checklist for students to help them survive dorm cooking!

Most high school seniors leave for college with plenty of good experience in study habits and social skills. Cooking skills are a different story.

Doesn't it seem that a basic cooking course should be included in a college prep curriculum?

One student found herself in a group of four roomies who had absolutely no cooking experience. Her "Mac & Cheese" from the box was the only food any of them could muster up for dinner. It turned out that she was the star chef in the dorm because she had learned to boil macaroni and mix in some prepared cheese sauce!

While the cafeteria is always an option, the food there normally doesn't get top grades from college students. The prices are high and the taste often leaves plenty of room for improvement. Most college coeds look for ways to prepare meals at their dorm. Parents should keep that in mind when getting dorm supplies together.

The top food group for college students is starch, which may explain the five pounds that most freshmen add before the end of the first year. Ramen noodles, pop corn and sandwiches are supplemented by a variety of vending machine products. Before stocking a dorm room with kitchen appliances, be sure to check and make sure that the items you want are legal. Fire codes prohibit many dorms from allowing in room cooking and RA's will check to make sure that the rules are observed.

The most important dorm accessories just may be the kitchen supplies. News Canada has published a list of the top ten college kitchen essentials:

A couple of other items might also be helpful.

• An outlet strip to provide a few extra places to plug in appliances safely is usually a good idea.
• Stop in the bookstore for a basic cookbook. The Joy of Cooking is always a good starter, but any basic cookbook that includes directions for boiling water will come in handy for college dorm novice cooks.
• Don't think that cooking is limited to the girls. Guys who can cook are very cool! A few lessons on cooking simple meals will be sure to make your son or daughter a very popular person in the dorm.

More about college dorm room essentials around the Web:

Yum Yum.com - Student Cooking Ideas- Great resources for what you'll need for a dorm kitchen setup, including a list of essential spices and easy recipes.

Going to college? Don’t forget your cookbook - Archived feature story with reviews of the best cookbooks for college students.

also see -> Home & Kitchen Appliances

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