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1. A steamer for whipping up veggies, fish, and poultry right in your microwave. Keep your favorite spices and condiments on hand and soon you'll forget all about dining hall dinners.
Promising review: "I'm someone who hates cooking broccoli and other similar vegetables because it never turns out right. We've been buying bags of frozen vegetables that can be steamed in the microwave, but they are expensive and often soggy. This steamer is awesome. So easy to use, makes perfect vegetables every time, and easy to clean. I can even prepare it in advance, put it in the fridge, and steam it later. Works with fresh or frozen vegetables. Love it!" —A Frequent Customer
Get it from Amazon for $18.44.
2. A rapid ramen cooker you simply place instant or leftover ramen inside with your choice of liquid and seasonings, microwave, and voilà — ramen has never looked or tasted better. And if you really wanna jazz things up, you can grab some seafood, meat, veggies, or eggs from the dining hall to help make your meal more filling!
Promising review: "There's not much to this. Stick the noodles in, add water, zap in microwave, add seasoning, and eat. Great for when I need a quick dinner and am too lazy/tired to boil water on the stove (don't lie, we've all been there)." —Breton Stailey
Get it from Amazon for $14.99 (available in four colors).
3. Or you can stock up on a pack of Cup Noodles — all that's required is adding hot water to the fill line, waiting three minutes, and savoring every bite.
Get a pack of 12 from Amazon for $15.31.
4. A microwave bacon grill so you can easily satisfy your craving for that salty goodness when it strikes AFTER the dining hall has already finished serving breakfast.
Promising review: "I received this bacon grill a few days ago and it works great!!! This is much better than using the stove top or oven. Depending on how crispy you want the bacon, I usually cook it for three minutes and it's crispy enough for me. I use it with a paper towel and it doesn't stain the grill, there's not as much grease at the bottom, and the paper towel soaks up a lot of it. Without the paper towel, the grill has brown stains, but once you drain the grease and soak the grill in warm or hot soapy water, the stains come out." —Darlene Fears
Get it from Amazon for $9.97+ (available in two colors).
5. A microwave pasta maker that'll allow you to enjoy your favorite noodles and sauces right from the comfort of your dorm room — no stove required!
It yields up to four servings at a time!
Promising review: "I don't want to get all gushy over a pasta maker, but man... I really love this gizmo! I try to limit my monthly food expenditures, and the Fasta Pasta helps me work in at least one inexpensive pasta meal every week, if not more. First of all, I like spaghetti, but I'm lazy and impatient and don't like things that take a long time to make, with a bunch of steps, and a big clean up afterward. The Fasta Pasta is perfect for me. I get the exact amount of correctly measured spaghetti; it's faster than boiling water in a big pot then having to watch and stir the pasta; the pasta comes out perfectly cooked every time and the cleanup is a snap. No big pot, no colander, no spaghetti fork to lift out the pasta. Just the easy-to-clean Fasta Pasta and a pot to heat up the sauce. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!" —Smilin Sam
Get it from Amazon for $16.99.
6. Potato bags for making perfectly cooked microwaved potatoes in a matter of a few minutes. The cooking instructions are labeled right on the pouches, and the pouches can also be used for corn on the cob, old bread, cornmeal tortillas, and more!
Promising review: "I was finally able to have potatoes cooked right! I microwave them for four minutes as explained on the pouches and once they cool off, I peel them, cut them, and bake them or eat them right out of the microwave with some fresh parsley and olive oil. Yayyyy!" —Amazon Customer
Get a pack of two from Amazon for $8.49.
7. A microwave sandwich maker you're bound to feel especially grateful for during those late-night study sessions when the only thing that can possibly help you power through is an ooey-gooey grilled cheese sandwich.
8. A rapid mac 'n' cheese cooker so you can cook up cheesy goodness in the microwave in a matter of FIVE minutes making it quicker and easier than making it on the stove AND dorm room friendly.
Why wait 20 minutes for stove top mac when you can have microwaved mac in a quarter of the time? Use those 15 saved minutes to savor every delicious bite!
Promising review: "This thing is amazing. When I lived in a dorm with no oven or stove, this was great to pop in the microwave for a few minutes and then scarf down an entire box of Annie’s Shells & White Cheddar at midnight during finals week. I love it and it works for all noodles, not just mac 'n' cheese." —Hannah
Get it from Amazon for $10.99.
9. A soup mug for heating up a cozy and delicious meal. This is also great for bringing on the go to study sessions at the library and classes that occur during prime lunch and dinner hours.
Promising review: "I LOVE, love, love these mugs!!! I use them every day! I prepare a recipe for lunch each week, usually some kind of soup or pasta, then divide it into portions and put them into these mugs (I have five). At lunch time, I just grab the mug, heat it up, and eat. So convenient and fast. I don’t have to ponder what to eat each day. It was really great to take to work, too (before I retired). I’ve given them as gifts to my kids also. Very sturdy. Did not leak in my lunch box. Holds a nice-sized portion. Highly recommend!" —Sally Schowengerdt
Get it from Amazon for $14.99.
10. A microwave rice cooker so you can make this versatile food super quickly and enjoy it as a side dish, as the base of meals like the TikTok-famous salmon rice, or just as is for a comforting snack.
Promising review: "A dorm room necessity! Makes pretty good rice fast and simple. Way tastier than minute rice and no hassle of buying an expensive rice cooker or using the stove. Definitely recommend to lazy rice lovers or college kids who barely have time to cook real food." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $25.
11. A microwave egg cooker for making delicious scrambled eggs, omelets, and egg patties for breakfast sandwiches on your watch. Do you really feel like trudging to the dining hall before your 8 a.m. class? Or worse! Making it to the dining hall during breakfast hours when you're #blessed enough to not have your first class until later in the day?!
12. And if hard-boiled eggs are more your groove, then you'll wanna get this microwave cooker. It can cook up to four eggs in the microwave in less than nine minutes and you can also use it to crack the outer layer of the eggs once they're cooked to help make peeling them a breeze. This baby can also steam other foods like small potatoes and corn!
Promising review: "Easy to use and makes wonderful boiled eggs!!! I have always hated peeling eggs and this product is great!!! Makes peeling a breeze!!!!" —Ina Tanner
Get it from Amazon for $14.89.
13. A microwave grill pan that'll basically make you feel like you've unlocked a ticket to your own personal stove top/grill without having to break any campus rules. Get ready to make delicious chicken, meat, veggies, and more all in your microwave. Trust me, you'll thank me later.
Promising review: "I recently purchased this because I live in a dorm-style room. Meaning no stove, no oven, nada. So far I've grilled chicken in this and it was absolutely delicious. Juicy and everything. Next I'm going to try to grill shrimp, but so far I absolutely love it. Definitely worth the value." —Iyanna
Get it from Amazon for $69.95.
14. An instant oatmeal variety pack to make mornings a little less stressful. This variety pack comes with four delicious flavors and will help provide a more comforting and delicious start to your day.
15. A corn steamer for those who enjoy that yellow buttery deliciousness year-round. You don't need a stove or a barbecue, just this steamer and your microwave will do the trick!
Promising review: "This works great and is so easy to use. A little water for steam and five minutes later the corn is done." —Anthony Kunkel
Get it from Amazon for $8.99.
16. Freshly, a meal delivery kit that'll send you a scrumptious selection of precooked meals you just heat up in the microwave and enjoy! Great for those whose schedule makes it difficult to get to the dining hall or who simply don't like dining hall food.
What you'll get: Depending on which subscription you choose, you'll get to choose anywhere from 4–12 meals per week from a generous catalog of menu items like sausage-baked penne, zingy buffalo chicken bowl, and tangy turmeric turkey bowl.
Get it from Freshly starting at $45.96/week.
17. And last, but certainly not least, a microwave splatter cover because making microwave meals in your dorm room should be quick and easy. You have classes, studying, friends, and fun on your plate — you don't need to be spending extra time scrubbing your microwave.
Just don't use this in the microwave for longer than 9 minutes!
Promising review: "Finally! I never heard of a microwave cover until recently. My whole life I've just been using Saran wrap or a napkin. When my egg exploded, I realized I'd had enough. This cover is wide and tall enough for my square plates." —Bunny
Get it from Amazon for $9.88+ (available in two colors).
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