The hunt for nourishment on a university campus is usually a short, but expensive trip. Food courts and cafeterias offer lots of options and most schools have fast food restaurants available. Even if students would prefer to eat elsewhere, most schools require that anyone who lives on campus pay for a meal plan. If your school is different or if you live off campus, you have two options: get grub from the outside or cook food at home. Cooking is usually the least desirable chore unless it is connected to some sort of social activity. Plus, many college cribs lack large kitchen space, so the options for cooking are limited by space and available appliances. It can also be expensive.

There are several tools that should be used when preparing food with a limited budget and space:

One pot and one pan: Although all of the kitchen-in-a-box sets come with at least three of each, a single person only needs one of each. One medium pot with a lid should handle any rice or pasta you will want to make. One large pan should handle anything you throw at it, whether that be stir fry, chicken or steak. The best choice would be a cast iron pan, because they heat quickly and are remarkably durable (you can even bake on them safely), but cast iron is expensive. You can find these at any secondhand store for pennies on the dollar.

One cookie sheet & one casserole: If you put anything into the oven (except bread or casserole) can be thrown onto a strong cookie sheet or directly on the tray. Even though you won’t be making a ton of it, a good casserole dish with a rubber lid is desirable, because it can be used for so many things from lasagna to brownies. Plus, with a lid, you can tote it around like a middle-aged knitting mother.

A George Foreman Grill: This is the ultimate tool in meat preparation. It cooks evenly, thoroughly and it cleans easily. Any frozen or fresh chicken or beef can be thrown on and left to finish without doing anything else. These can be bought real cheap if used and will make up more than half of your cooking.

One spatula and one big spoon: It doesn’t matter what type of spatula or spoon it is (do avoid any metal-on-Teflon action), but they should be big and sturdy. A deep, plastic spoon and a wide, plastic spatula will do fine.

Tupperware: These are vital. When you cook, you should always have leftovers (time is money, isn’t it?) and those have to be stored in strong, see through containers for no longer than two weeks in the fridge and in the freezer, some food won’t make it past a month with any taste left. Tupperware should be able to handle a fall from the counter without spilling out and should be cleaned in the dishwasher to avoid contamination.

And that’s it, minus various silverware, plates and spices, which really depend on what type of person you are. I’ve lived in an apartment with four other men and have had to juggle through over twelve different pots and pans, most covered in rust, only to realize that we didn’t need but two of them. It not only saves space in the shelves, but saves time and space in the sink or dishwasher.