10 Uni Kitchen Essentials You Need In 2023

With the next academic year coming up fast, you’re most likely starting to shop for all the bits and bobs you’ll need for your student apartment.

When it comes to getting your chef on and showing off your cooking skills, you want to be fully prepared which is why this list of 10 uni kitchen essentials you need in 2023 is an absolute must-read. 

Your kitchen is sure to be fully equipped so that you can cook up a storm after reading our guide, so check it out! 

1. Air Fryer 

Coming in at number 1 in our guide of uni kitchen essentials is an air fryer, it’s a must-have for any kitchen nowadays, but especially as a student. 

They may be on the pricier side of things, but if your parents have a spare one or don’t mind forking out for a reasonably priced air fryer, it will be life changing whilst at uni. 

You can have your meals ready in half the time it takes you to pop it in the oven, which is a winner for those long study days, or when you don’t feel like channelling your inner Gordon Ramsay. 

There’s air fryers as cheap as £30 on Argos, so you can make some tasty and time-efficient meals! 

2. Vegetable Chopper 

Gone are the days of preparing your vegetables on a chopping board, you can now get a manual vegetable chopper which does all the work for you. 

If you’re like us and can’t stand chopping onions for the tear factor, this uni kitchen essential needs to be added to your basket, pronto. 

This amazing product has gone viral on TikTok, for its useful design meaning you can quickly and safely chop your fruits and veggies. 

You can get one for less than £10, with a range of different types on Amazon so get shopping! 

3. Blender 

Looking for uni kitchen essentials? No student kitchen is complete without a high-speed blender, it’s just facts. 

If you want to whip up a refreshing smoothie, a tasty pasta sauce or even a hearty soup, having a blender in your kitchen means you can make these things in no time at all. 

For those worried about taking up space in their apartment, there’s plenty of high quality and affordable mini-blenders available from Currys. 

4. Reusable Water Bottle 

Don’t be that person who heads to the supermarket and buys a multi-pack of water, save yourself some money and be more environmentally aware by buying a reusable water bottle. 

Reusable water bottles are great for when you’re heading to lectures, going to workout, or even studying at home. 

To help you stay hydrated, we’d recommend getting a timed water bottle which reminds you to drink your recommended water intake throughout the day. 

All you need to do is fill your bottle, drink to the marker every hour, refill at lunch and carry on!

5. Utensil Kit 

Cooking up your favourite meals would be pretty hard without a utensil kit, so make sure to grab one when you’re doing your big uni shop. 

Kitchen utensils really make life easier when you’re in the kitchen, whether it’s mixing around your stir fry, flipping your pancake or stirring your pasta sauce. 

IKEA offers a really affordable 5-piece kitchen utensil set which features a turner, spoon, soup ladle, pasta server and cooking tweezers for just £4.  

6. Non-stick Frying Pan 

Make sure that you kit out your student kitchen with at least one non-stick frying pan. 

Non-stick frying pans are easy to use for a wide array of dishes, and are a real lifesaver when you’re cooking omelettes, crepes, sausages and so on. 

If you purchase a higher end non-stick pan, it will probably last throughout your student years, so it may be worth splashing the cash! 

7. Reusable Food Bags 

Cutting down plastic waste is something we try to stick with here at Universal, and you should too. 

Rather than getting single use plastic bags to store your leftovers in, purchase some reusable food bags which you can use time and time again. 

Not only will you be more environmentally aware, but these reusable food bags can be placed into the fridge or freezer so you can always keep your leftovers stored away for next time!

8. Plates With A Unique Pattern 

You can imagine that if everyone in your student flat has white plates, it’s going to get hard to distinguish who’s is who, right? 

Plates do go walk about whilst you’re living in shared accommodation, so to help yours stand out and save yourself from eating your tea from the pan, buy some plates with a unique pattern. 

If you really want to ensure your plates don’t get muddled up with anyone else’s, you could even put your initials on the bottom in sharpie, but this may be a bit extreme… 

9. Set Of Mugs 

If you’re a hot drink lover, whether it’s tea, coffee or hot chocolate, you’re going to be lost without a set of mugs. 

Sure, one trusty mug might do the trick, but what if it needs cleaning or goes missing? You’re best of having the full shebang! 

This way, if your family comes to visit or you’ve got friends over, you’ve got a whole set to make everyone a cuppa. 

Plus, you can get some pretty cute sets of mugs out there so you can add a splash of fun to your mornings before uni. 

10. Can Opener 

Whilst a lot of canned food nowadays comes with a ring pull, if you’re going for the cheaper alternatives, they tend to come without this, so you’ll need a can opener. 

The last thing you want to do is be in the middle of cooking a meal and discover you can’t open your tin of beans, sweetcorn, tomatoes or so on. 

You can get an electric can opener or just a trusty handheld one, the choice is yours. 

The best part? Some hand held manual can openers come with bottle openers, so you can open your beers and tinned food! 

That’s the end of our guide on uni kitchen must-haves, now it’s time for you to go out and get all the items you need before term begins!

Have we missed anything off your list? Let us know what uni kitchen essentials you’ll be bringing with you @universalstudentliving.

Wondering what nightstand essentials you need? Take a read of our student guide to find out.