Kitchen essentials for university UK 2025, self-catered & flats

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Here we are with another student essentials list for university! In this specific post we will focus on the most useful kitchen essentials for university; all the must take to self-catered accommodations or student flats!

We have crafted separate lists for different aspects of university, you might find them useful:

• Student essentials, a day on campus;
• Study from home essentials, the simple the better;
• Student accommodation essentials, most useful & forgotten;
• Student kitchen essentials (you are here), self-catered accommodation & flats;
• Coolest gadgets for university students, perfect student gifts;

Students and cooking often have a love/hate relationship. However, having the right kitchen utensils at university can really have a positive impact on that!

Learning how to cook and getting more confident in using kitchen stuff and utensil is an invaluable skill to gain. It’s the very first step in the transition to an independent adult life.

Kitchen essentials for university

As usual, you will find a direct link to Amazon UK for each product so that you can check current prices and other info.

Now that we are ready, let’s check our list of kitchen essentials for university.

Knife set (get them coloured!)

A good knife set will make your life easier when cooking. Using the appropriate knifes will enable you to comfortably cut bread, meat, fish; or to chop fruits and vegetables.

This knife set comes in different colours that will help you separate your set from other students’ ones. Moreover, it also comes with protective sheaths, which is a very nice addition for safety!

Chopping Board (set of 3)

Don’t forget a chopping board! You will use it for everything, from making a simple sandwich to preparing proper meals.

This chopping board set is perfect for different meals, it will stay with you for a long time!

Food containers (microwavable)

These are great for storing your food in shared cupboards/fridge. Further, you could (and should!) precook your meal, or even sandwiches, at home and bring it to uni.

This will save you a lot of money as a student! These reusable food containers are microwavable, freezer & dishwasher safe.

Food Labels (stickers)

These will come in very handy for your food containers as you can stick your name on them. Again, this is particularly useful when sharing fridges/cupboards.

Moreover, you can use these labels to put dates if precooking for the entire week. Planning your meals ahead will allow you to save on food cost!

Oven Gloves (heat resistant)

Students tend to use the oven a lot, particularly after long days spent studying. A frozen pizza is a quick solution for those evenings.

A good pair of oven gloves is definitely a kitchen essential for university!

Oven tray (non-stick)

Speaking about ovens, you might want to get at least one of those.

This non-stick oven tray is made of gauge steel, which makes it extremely durable and lightweight at the same time!

Kitchen Scale (usually forgotten!)

This is obviously important when following new recipes, but also to correctly weight pasta or rice without cooking too much (or too little!).

This digital kitchen scale comes with a separate mixing bowl which is a very nice addition!

Kitchen Utensils Set (all useful!)

A kitchen utensils set is essential for university, it will make cooking much easier! These utensils are made of nylon, meaning that they won’t scratch your pans.

Another huge plus is certainly the pizza cutter, but also kitchen scissors, can/bottle opener, peeler and measuring cups too!

Pans & pots set (keep it simple!)

Different story here for pans and pots. Unlike utensils, you don’t need a large set of those. There is simply no need for all that stuff, you would most likely not use it. Keep things simple, all you need is:

• a pot for your pasta/rice cooking etc.
• a saucepan for your sauces etc.
• a frying pan for eggs, meat/fish etc.

That’s literally it! This set is perfect, it’s made of non-stick material and it’s also suitable for induction hubs (very common in student accommodations!).

Air Fryer (hidden gem)

This is something that students love once they try it! An air fryer favours a healthier diet by reducing the amount of fats used for cooking (oil/butter).

This Russell Hobbs air fryer is very compact and if you have the budget it is definitely a great addition to a kitchen essentials for university! (suggestion: keep it in your room after use)