Are Slow Cookers Allowed In Dorm Rooms?

Students often find themselves with different challenges when it comes to cooking. Sometimes these challenges might be a lack of time or lack of cooking materials. one of the many reasons students go for frozen ready meals, pizza, boxed mac and cheese, and so on.

But your diet doesn’t have to consist solely of these kinds of food. Fortunately, with a slow cooker in your dorm room, you can prepare healthy, delicious, hearty, affordable meals without you needing to do anything at all.

Quite a number of colleges allow students to have slow cookers in their dorm rooms provided they follow some rules and regulations. With your slow cooker, food doesn’t get any more comforting to make because you don’t need lots of fancy cooking equipment and hours of work and attention. 

However, it is crucial to understand the rules and regulations of using slow cookers in dorm rooms, the sizes, and what to look for when buying slow cookers. 

Are There Any Rules On Slow Cookers In Dorm Rooms?

With newfound freedom comes newfound responsibility. For college students and parents who want to know if there are any rules on slow cookers in dorm rooms, the answer is YES there are rules guiding the use of slow cookers in dorm rooms.

The privilege of using a slow cooker only applies to students who respect and adhere to the rules for using cooking appliances in dorms.

These rules include:

• All rooms and cooking appliances must be kept clean at all times.
  Students are also expected to dispose of any vacant food and beverage containers appropriately.
• Several colleges don’t allow students to utilize cooking appliances, including slow cookers that draw multiple amps or are larger than 4.5 cubic feet.
  Furthermore, all cooking utensils should be connected directly to a wall socket with an electrical switch.
• Students are not allowed to utilize cooking utensils, including slow cookers, which give open flames or smoldering embers.
  Additionally, the appliances must not use or contain combustible liquids or substances.
• Although students may utilize slow cookers in certain colleges, they cannot sell the dishes they prepare with the slow cookers.
  In addition, students are not allowed to violate local, state, or federal laws regarding general health and safety.

Though these rules may differ in some schools, we advise you to check in with your school authority to know the specific ones that apply to you.

What Size Slow Cookers Can I Have In My Dorm Room?

Deciding on the size of a slow cooker to have in your dorm room depends on the number of student(s) you plan to feed and what you plan to cook. Slow cookers are in different shapes and sizes. The sizes range from 1.5 to 8 quarts with everything in between.

If you’re cooking for yourself alone, a 2 1/2 to 3 1/2-quart slow cooker should be large enough for you because It’s great for smaller amounts of soups and stews.

However, if you’d like a little more room or the ability to cook for your friends and colleagues then, a 3 1/2 to 4 1/2-quart pot is big enough for most medium-sized dishes.

Also, smaller slow cookers are usually round in shape and can’t accommodate some foods like big roasts. If you occasionally host many of your friends in your dorm and don’t want to buy more than one slow cooker, you might want to size up.

It’s also important to note that the larger round and oval sizes have the benefit of accommodating a smaller casserole or souffle dish, springform pan, small round baking pan, or a small rack to place a roast on. More so, you should also note that filling a slow cooker at least half full and no more than two-thirds full is recommended by manufacturers.

It would be best if you always had this in mind when deciding on a slow cooker to buy because over-filling can cause your food to take longer to cook, and under-filling can overcook it.

Why Do I Need A Slow Cooker

When you are in school, you will probably don’t have much time to cook. Fortunately, a slow cooker can assist you with preparing delightful meals fast. 

Slow cookers are the ideal kitchen appliances for any way of life. There are many reasons why the slow cooker is one of the most important cooking appliances to have in your dorm room.

You Don’t Need Many Ingredients.

Many undergrads don’t have an opportunity to prepare dishes that require many recipes. Some get by on basic meals for quite a long time. 

It is very rare to discover school dorm rooms with spice racks and full refrigerators. Nonetheless, that is not an issue for most undergrads. You can prepare such countless flavorful dishes with a slow cooker. For example, if you are searching for something to eat with your sandwiches, consider making barbecue sauce and chicken. 

You can also utilize your slow cooker to prepare some Bolognese in a short time. All you need to get is some marinara and ground meat.

It Helps You Stay Away From Dining Halls, Restaurants, and Eateries.

Because the restaurants and eateries around campus are open doesn’t mean you have to utilize them. Sooner or later, you will become weary of eating foods on the same menu. 

At the point when you need something other than what’s expected from what your school cafeteria offers, consider preparing your meals. With a slow cooker, you can prepare any meal you want at whatever point you want. 

Simplifies Cooking.

Another noteworthy benefit of a slow cooker is that it enables you to prepare your meals whenever you want. Whether you are going for one activity or the other, you can put your ingredients in the slow cooker and leave the food to continue cooking while you go for your activity.

The only time you spend in your cooking is when you are preparing your ingredients. Once that is ready, you can spend your time doing something else as you wait for the food to cook. Unlike other appliances, be rest assured that a slow cooker will not burn your food, and it is not a fire hazard.