The right kitchen gadget can make even the smallest kitchen capable of big meals. Find out what your kitchen is missing with a list of college kitchen essentials.

1. The Classic Coffee Maker

College students and coffee, they just go together. Amazon.com offers a variety of coffee makers including brands like Keurig, Black + Decker and Mr. Coffee to satisfy any college student’s caffeine needs.

Keurig leans toward the pricier side at $77.95 for a single-serving coffee maker, but the convenience is worth the price tag. Regular coffee makers sit at as low as $20 even for Black + Decker models.

2. An Air Fryer

Junior zoology major Calia Sharif-Copes recommended purchasing an air fryer to avoid soggy food and to save time. 

“Sometimes you don’t have time to wait for the oven to preheat and, if you’re like me, you burn (food) fairly quickly,” Sharif-Copes said. “People don’t realize how awesome it is until you have one.” 

Air fryers gained popularity for delivering a healthier alternative to fried food.

Amazon.com prices air fryers at an average of $70. The lowest-priced air fryer model can be found for $30.

3. The George Foreman Grill

Grill in the comfort of your apartment kitchen.

For as little as $20 on Amazon.com, you can grill paninis, sandwiches and burgers on your own George Foreman grill.

This appliance can be cleaned easily with a wipe-down and can be stored in a kitchen cabinet.

4. The Pressure Cooker

Sharif-Copes swears by pressure cookers for quick, easy meals. 

“A pressure cooker. Not a slow cooker, a pressure cooker,” Sharif-Copes said. “You can make slow cooker meals, but you don’t have to wait hours.”

Sharif-Copes likes to make rice in her pressure cooker, but there are many other recipes a pressure cooker can make such as chicken, pot roast and even lava cake.

Amazon.com has a variety of pressure cooker brands, but the $79 Instant Pot is a best seller.

5. A Blender

Blenders offer more than just smoothies and shakes. They can be used to make lemonade, soup, sauces, salsa and to mix pancake ingredients instantly.

For just under $30, Amazon.com offers stainless steel blenders that can compete with expensive name-brand blenders. 

The NutriBullet Blender has become a popular appliance because it allows users to create a single-serving smoothie. The NutriBullet Blender does not require users to pour the mixture into a separate cup as it comes in its own blending cup. This brand can cost up to $50 but there are off-brand alternatives with a nicer price tag.

Contact Hannah Gooch at [email protected].