Cooking -only microwave, kettle and toaster

[Anon42anon]

Hi
if my YP gets their grades they will be going to halls with only microwave kettle and toaster (and fridge) in the micro kitchen. Although the halls offer pay as you go meals I would like to find a cook book that has some cheap recipes using only those items. They’re not allowed an airfryer or sandwich toaster for example. Also there is extremely limited cupboard space so I need to think innovatively about what utensils to take. So I thought a Pyrex measuring jug as that can also go into the microwave to heat things.

I wondered if anyone had come across such a cookbook? I’ve looked on Amazon but they either require some other electrical equipment or aren’t really cheap student fare!

sorry for any ramblings but have to take my mind off listening to my YP moaning about the phyics paper!!

equally any good long life products you’d recommend would be good. I thought vettee rice as that is in an individual portion but does anyone do a palatable tinned curry or chilli? Marks?? I guess we might have to road test some over the summer

thanks.

I wonder if some of the Jack Monro books may be fit for purpose. Mug cakes books would fit the bill, but only for sweet recipes.

Sistema microwave pots for soup, noodle etc would work for cooking equipment.

Would they really be cooking in the kitchen though? That sounds like the type of halls where most would only use the kitchen if they were popping a ready meal in the microwave or for late night munchies.

Although its a bit dated in some ways, I had Cooking in a Bedsitter as a student, and it was designed specifically for those with no food storage and a single hotplate so had useful suggestions.
But honestly, I'd work from the meals your child likes and work out ways that these can be made - mine likes noodles and could do egg noodles in broth (soy sauce, stock cube, miso paste) with some bits of broccoli and carrot and some pre cooked chicken 4 minutes in the microwave. Pasta can be cooked in a food flask while the sauce is heated.
M&S tinned meals are good, and Idohoan mash is surprisingly tasty

Some of these are less healthy than others, but this list seems to include a Jack Monro recipe:

www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/what-cook-without-cooker

Thanks for all your replies. Given me lots of food for thought (!).
I think they will have evening lectures/labs so will often miss hall meals. And if they start picking up takeaways it will get expensive very quickly.

Catered halls usually provide grab bags for anyone missing their meal slot. This was what we were told when Ds was visiting unis that predominantly have catered halls especially when they know that some students will miss meal times.

When Ds first went to uni he had a Sistema microwave bowl thing, microwave rice pouches (tolerable) and tinned curries ie M&S for any effortless food. He also had Walkers Poppadom crisps, they keep longer than naan breads. He did have a slow cooker too but his was a full kitchen for self-catered students.

Packets of flavoured cous cous are good. They say to simmer on the hob but if you put in a bowl with boiling water, cover, it’ll cook through in five minutes then you can chuck in anything. Olives, chicken, cherry tomatoes, whatever is in the fridge.

You can get mesh toaster pockets, make a cheese sandwich (other fillings are available) squish it down and stick in toaster. I like to microwave for 30 seconds after as I like lots of cheese that is very melty. If you then peel apart and add cold sliced tomato with a sprinkling of rock salt then it is the food of the gods (of hungover students).

Packets of flavoured cous cous are good. They say to simmer on the hob but if you put in a bowl with boiling water, cover, it’ll cook through in five minutes then you can chuck in anything. Olives, chicken, cherry tomatoes, whatever is in the fridge.

You can get mesh toaster pockets, make a cheese sandwich (other fillings are available) squish it down and stick in toaster. I like to microwave for 30 seconds after as I like lots of cheese that is very melty. If you then peel apart and add cold sliced tomato with a sprinkling of rock salt then it is the food of the gods (of hungover students).

I was given a book years ago it was about making lunches in an office kitchen. It was all based on microwave and kettle.

Hi, OP -

For a cookbook, Barbara Kafka’s Microwave Gourmet is an American classic. Did you rule this out? Lots of wonderful recipes, many very quick. It is available on Amazon but I am not sure if the measurements have been converted. If not, doing the conversions yourself is easy and worthwhile.

Best wishes to your YP

Look up Ping! on Amazon books. And yes DS like M&S tinned curries and chilli.

When dd was in catered halls she could collect a meal if she knew she'd miss it otherwise. Tupperware containers were a godsend for getting meals and sometimes friends would collect them.

Thanks.
it’s Oxbridge. So pay as you go meals. It’s not a catered hall as such so I don’t think that they would do that unfortunately. And he is definitely a hot meal rather than sandwich guy!

some good book suggestions to follow up. I did look on Amazon but I didn’t see anything immediately suitable and personal recommendations always helpful.

It sounded as though you were describing a Cambridge gyp on a staircase. DD had access to the Oxford equivalent and was lucky enough to be allocated a reasonable size fridge for her room as she had a heavy sporting schedule. She did normally manage to go to Hall, but there were usually groups sharing Deliveroo deliveries too if they didn't make it.

I would suggest taking a couple of decent knives, a chopping board or two and then finding a good Sistema stockist for their soup mugs and noodle pots. He should also invest in a washing up bowl.

Tim Anderson has just released a microwave recipe book, looks really good

I was just coming on to recommend Tim Anderson's book too!

Here it is

The Kitchen Cabinet guy. I couldn't remember what he was called.

I’d totally recommend this microwave lid from IKEA, it’s only £1 and it’s amazing for doing baked’ potatoes and various other things, it keeps the steam in and stops everything drying out, I love mine.

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/prickig-microwave-lid-grey-70186090/

Loads of good advice for utensils- washing up bowl is a must even just to store his things in his room. The noodle sistema ones are brilliant, chopping board, knives cutlery and can opener.

if possible try to set his things up in his room, and not store his things in the kitchen, he will loose them in a week !

is there space in his room for a fridge ? Even a little table top one ? And a storage box to keep his food in ?

cous cous is a life saver, in his pot boiling water ready in five minutes, veeta rice, uncle bens do some that are “meals”, my DS liked the mixed pepper one with a tin of tune mixed in. Or the Mexican one with a Tin of Tesco mixed beans in taco sauce. Tesco do some good veggie tinned meals (I’m funny about tinned meat 🙄). He also said cup soups were brilliant when he was to tired to cook or even eat anything

talking about tins, some collapsible storage pots or some of those tops for tins for when he uses half tins etc.

dont forget some basic salt pepper ketchup .

DS had a 'kitchen' like this for the first three years of his course, shared between three students. The college did provide a two ring plug-in induction hob; if there is enough counter space for one of these then it's worth asking.

Pros:
It was cleaned twice a week so stayed in a better state than most student kitchens.
The catered option was reasonably priced (possibly subsidised by the college?).

Cons:
The kitchen was too small for a table, and the nearest communal space to sit with friends was in a different building.

Are they allowed a slow cooker ?

If yes I really recommend ^the bored of lunch recipe book.

I’m not sure these kitchens are designed for anything other than snacks. The meals will be cheap as the colleges are usually pretty cheap when compared to other unis. If storage is limited this tends to tell you it’s heat up ready meals only. I would find out what other students do first and probably just accept the odd lasagne from M&S is the best bet and try and eat the subsidised meals available. Snacks and hot drinks at other times.

We make 'ramen' in the microwave. I add mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes sometimes frozen peas. Dp likes carrots, peppers, and onions, cabbage if we have some.

I microwave mushrooms first with a bit of water and mild curry powder 1-2min add super noodles type of noodles usually tesco with the spice sachet and peppers with a splash of boiling water from the kettle to break down then noodles another 1-2 min then add chopped cherry tomatoes another 1-2 min. I then mix in some sliced chicken, sometimes add some bbq sauce or curry sauce.

Is there a freezer? Veg storage? What about a chopping board and cooking utensils and knives? Even the most basic home cooked meal requires these. Are they available in a kitchen designed for snacks? My DD had a kitchen like this at uni - but it was shared by 6 students. One tried cooking but messed up the space for the others so it wasn’t harmonious. Thats why I’d leave the grand schemes until the situation has been sussed out.