When college students get hungry they don’t always wanna eat cafeteria food. The other option, delivery, has a habit of burning a hole in your wallet if your order more than a few times a week. Outside of those two examples there aren’t too many other food options to explore, unless you hit Target with a Winston Churchill-inspired attack plan and a little dough.

No one ever thinks of their dorm room as a functional kitchen but with the 5 items listed below you will quickly become known as the dorm room Emeril and the man who the ladies always visit for a late night snack…if you know what I mean!

Keep in mind when properly pimping out your dorm’s kitchen area you must always be cautious of fire regulations banning most open flames and appliances that create too much smoke. COED’s list will be sure to work around this problem.

#1 Essential: Grill Cheese maker!

Ramen noodle was beat to death at the turn of the century by the new king of homemade late night goodness – the grill cheese maker. Simple (even when you are blackout after Jumbies) and highly effective. All it takes in bread & cheese and if you are feeling creative, any sort of filler tastes amazing too. I like to mix it up with bacon and tomatoes which I aptly named the Steve Special.
Elite Cuisine Nonstick Sandwich Maker - $17.99

#2 Essential: The Dustvac

Hey slob! You don’t want your dorm smelling like a rodent-attracting ass fest after you cook! Clean up after yourself with this super affordable dustvac and be sure to steal plastic bags from the school to act as makeshift garbage bags.
Dirt Devil Detailer – MCV2000 - $19.99

#3 Essential: Containers

What good is the school buffet if you aren’t stealing goods to bring back to your dorm? How else are you gonna have cheese and bread to use in the grilled cheese maker? Toss these Tupperware containers in your backpack and proceed to fill them with microwavable, refrigeratorable and/or grill-cheeseable ingredients. Just imagine - cheese, chicken, steak, veggies, leftovers…
Food Storage 24-pc. Set - $9.99

#4 Essential: Coffee

Dude I’m f**kin hung over and class starts in 10 minutes! Never have to say that again on your way to class with this little number. Of all the dorm rooms I’ve ever been in I’ve never seen a coffee maker. What’s up with that?! This Black and Decker (quality brand name) beast will brew you 15 oz of glory in minutes and costs only $17! Think about how much time and money that will save you in the long run!
Black & Decker Brew ‘n Go Personal Coffeemaker & 15-oz. Travel Mug - $17.99

#5 Essential: Microwave

Next to a fridge this is the most essential kitchen-dorm purchase. Microwave = frozen dinners and ramen noodle – which is pretty obvious but if you think outside the box and use the Tupperware-steal method properly there are a ton of creations to be made with a microwave.
Emerson 0.8 cu. ft. 800W Microwave – Black - $49.99