The Ingenious Way College Kids Are Cooking 5-Star Dorm Room Meals

Ramen noodles. Blue box mac 'n cheese. Instant soups. Raise your hand if that's what qualified as a home-cooked meal while you were living in a college dorm. Not so any more. Kids living in cramped spaces are learning to use an array of nearly toy-sized appliances to come up with Michelin star-worthy meals from the surface of their desks and on top of their beds that would put your microwaved frozen lasagna to shame.

Perhaps the most popular of these dorm room chefs is someone who goes by LazyPotNoodle, who has gained millions of followers on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat by making everything from complete holiday dinners, surf and turf mac 'n cheese, carne asada, to beef Wellington from on top of a twin-sized bed. The videos have even attracted the interest of Gordon Ramsay, who has shared them on his own TikTok account. "Your dorm room has just become the poshest restaurant in the world," he said, while giving the college student approving play-by-plays for following Ramsay's own tips for cooking beef Wellington, 

There is some controversy behind LazyPotNoodle's feed, since the account links to a company of the same name selling a digital cookbook and two of the appliances. Still there are plenty of others who have either imitated LazyPotNoodle or come up with their own unique creations. Priyamvada Atmakuri parlayed her creations, including a desktop curry noodle soup, into a career as a pastry chef in India. Other elaborate creations have included bagels, made by @IzaBellJoy, who is now planning on releasing a cookbook, and a seafood boil made by @PerfectPott. How are they all pulling it off? The tools student chefs use are a far cry from the hot plates and microwaves that you usually find in dorms.

Students often use mini versions of convenient multi-function appliances, like the Dash Mini Toaster Oven, to recreate elaborate meals. Five-star meals can also be made with the Rice Robot mini rice cooker and Crock Pot Lunchbox, a 20-ounce version of the slow cooker. Several common appliances have more functions than you might have thought as well. For instance, there are at least 14 things you can make with you coffee pot.

However, many schools do not allow appliances with an open flame or exposed heating element. As many of these devices are inexpensive and made by unfamiliar brands, make sure you are aware of the signs that your cheap air fryer may not be safe. Since rules vary from school to school, you should check in with the school's housing department to see what you or your kids are allowed to bring and also what the school already provides. Some dorms have communal kitchens that allow students to get even more creative in their meal prep. Who knows? The Michelin inspectors may already be scoping out your dorm.