Are Slow Cookers Allowed In Dorms?

Are Slow Cookers Allowed In Dorms?

Once you join college, you will scarcely get enough time to attend to all your college chores.Time will seem a scarce commodity due to the workload you must finish on time.

Indeed, getting free time might seem impossible once you join college since most of the time should be spent studying and doing other extracurricular activities.

You might also find yourself working part-time, leaving you little time to do your cooking.

Many parents and potential students might be asking, are slow cookers allowed in dorms? 

Yes! Some colleges allow students to use slow cookers while others prohibit such use of electrical devices over a specified amount of amperes. Some do not permit exposed heating coils, hot plates, immersion heaters, toaster ovens, space heaters, and toasters.

However, the observance of safety precautions during slow cookers is demanded in colleges that allow such cookers.

This freedom to use or not to use slow cookers is also used on other kitchen appliances.

Therefore, as you shop for a slow cooker, you need to know what you are seeking in addition to learning the safety precautions.

Such dorms associate these appliances with increased fire and electrocution risks.

What are the Rules for Using Slow Cookers in College Dorms?

Despite some U.S. colleges allowing the use of slow cookers in dorms by students, such privilege will only apply to students who show respect to the rules and regulations for using cooking appliances in dorms.

Different colleges have specific rules and regulations when it comes to using slow cookers in dorms.

For instance, it’s required that all rooms, as well as cooking appliances, should be kept clean always.

It’s also expected of students to dispose of all food and beverage containers correctly.

On the other hand, some colleges do not allow devices consuming electricity beyond a particular threshold to be used in the dorms.

Additionally, such dorms might require that all appliances be connected to a wall circuit with a circuit breaker.

Other colleges may forbid the use of certain cooking appliances, including slow cookers that produce smouldering embers or open flames.

In addition to this, such appliances must not contain or use flammable or combustible liquids or substances.

In colleges that allow students to use slow cookers, they will not allow dishes cooked by such students to be sold.

Additionally, students must adhere to state, local, or federal laws regarding public health and safety.

What Happens When You Join A College?

As you move into a new dorm, it’s an exciting step. However, this same process might turn out to be a daunting experience.

Without the comforts a student was used to at home, they might find that college life is not as exciting as imagined.

Consequently, it’s needful to ensure that the transition is as smooth as possible. Easing transition does not come without a cost to meet.

Therefore, you might find that you need to equip the student with home appliances they think they cannot live without.

Before you rush to the store to buy such appliances, parents should first find out the specific appliances allowed in the college.

You do not want to buy an expensive appliance for your son or daughter only to find that they cannot use them in the dorm.

Do not rely on the list of recommended items by the store but rather check out with the college to be sure.

Some appliances will turn out to be approved while others are not approved. Avoid all appliances that the university does not allow.

Limitations imposed on appliances are hinged on fire safety regulations.

Such regulations are based on the premise that appliances with heating elements or that produce flames easily cause fire and other damages.

On the other hand, the prohibition might be pegged on high energy consumption. You will find that there are variations in the appliances that are approved by different universities.

Can I Have A Toaster Oven In A Dorm Room?

Yes. You can use a toaster oven in a dorm room. You can save a lot of money with a toaster oven in a dorm since you can prepare your meals instead of eating from hotels and restaurants.

Cooking appliances are banned in many colleges. Such cooking appliances include toaster ovens, and you, therefore, need to check with your college before you buy or bring one into the dorm.

But the pressing concern might be, can you use a waffle maker in your dorm? Well, all appliances that you use in your dorm must be UL-approved.

Among the banned appliances might be toaster ovens, hot plates, slow cookers, rice cookers, electric skillets, broilers, and hot plates.

Universities categories these items, and you can only bring one from the category. Only one of any appliances is permitted in a dorm room.

Why Do You Need Slow Cookers In The Dorm?

In college, you will not have sufficient time to devote to cooking. Luckily, you will find that there are appliances that can help ease life for you in the college.

For instance, slow cookers(Amazon Link) will come in handy to enable you to cook fast and with much ease.

Any lifestyle will benefit from slow cookers since they come as your perfect kitchen appliances.

Many reasons abound why the slow cooker asserts itself as one of the must-have cooking appliances in your dorm.

Slow cookers are essential since you will not need more than two ingredients. Indeed, two ingredients will suffice.

Dishes that require many ingredients will also require much time to prepare. Many students do not require complex meals and will do with simple meals for weeks.

It’s not easy to ever find a college dorm’s rooms having spice racks or refrigerators. For most students, that is not a concern.

There are very many flavorful meals that you can prepare in a slow cooker.

Peradventure you want to prepare something for eating with your sandwiches, you can try to make a barbecue sauce with chicken.

Additionally, your slow cooker can be used to prepare Bolognese in a concise time. For this, you will not need more than marinara with ground beef.

Does A Clown Cooker Make It Easier To Budget?

As already implied, slow cookers may make use of two ingredients to deliver a delicious meal. Students find it rewarding to use two ingredients to get their meals.

Consequently, armed with a slow cooker and two ingredients, students prepare dishes to their satisfaction.

The two-ingredient dishes are handy in helping the student to stay within their budgets.

However, you will still find that numerous colleges might eat out in a café or restaurant whenever they are hungry. 

This might not be a big problem, but it involves withdrawing money to have the meals from the restaurants.

With a slow cooker(Amazon Link) however, it’s easy to get yourself a decent meal without breaking your bank.

You should expect hearty meals from your slow cooker while the appliance enhances your savings by making it possible to stay indoors and cook your meals instead of depending on expensive take-out.

Although eateries and restaurants around campus remain open and inviting, you don’t have to use them.

Indeed, you will ultimately get tired of eating the same food from the eateries. It can be rather boring to eat some food you have no idea how it was made.

If you feel like you want to eat a better meal, totally different from what is offered in your college cafeteria, use a slow cooker to prepare your meals.

Indisputably, the use of the college cafeteria is very convenient for you. However, you will ultimately need some change, and you better get prepared for the same.

When such time comes, make use of the most reliable appliance, which is the slow cooker.

What Is Not So Cool About Slow Cookers?

Although slow cookers are advertised and marketed as perfect appliances, they have their share of drawbacks. For instance, slow cookers are not very fast.

If you are in some form of a hurry, you don’t want to use the slow cooker to make your meal as you will be late or be disappointed enough not to want anything to eat.

To make anything and eat it from a slow cooker, we talk about 4 hours, technically ruling out any possibility of fast foods from a slow cooker.

Not all people have the type of patience required to get a meal from a slow cooker. It is just as the name suggests: the slow cooker.

With a slow cooker, it’s not possible to have any ad hoc changes. Operating under the basic principle of slow cooking, your food will take some time (hours) to cook.

Again, it’s not possible to change it midway. If you want to make any changes to the meal, you will have to redo the entire recipe.

Unfortunately, you may still not get it right. The relevance of this is that you cannot fine-tune your meal once you start cooking it.

Slow cookers cook slowly, melting everything together to a fine taste.

Can I Cook Any Recipe In A Slow Cooker?

No. You won’t be able to cook every recipe you can think of. Slow cookers are rather choosy. Additionally, not every recipe can be cooked in a slow cooker.

Although the advantages of a slow cooker might mean much to you, you cannot be blinded to the fact that slow cookers will not make every recipe.

Some recipes require cooking conditions that a slow cooker can’t provide.

Although you can try to bend some recipes to meet your needs, remember that everything blends into one thing.

All the flavors are combined into a single flavor. This means that you cannot get a separate taste of carrots, potatoes, and meat. Each ingredient will acquire some attributes of the other.

Again, slow cookers are just great in slow cooking. If you want something like steaming or frying, your preference should not go to a slow cooker.

The design of a slow cooker is simple: to deliver exceptional, slow-cooked meals.

Another thing to remember is that slow cookers do not cook evenly. For instance, potatoes require more time to cook than most meals.

Consider pork that will use only a tiny portion of time for cooking. Pork will need to be cooked at a shorter time using higher temperatures.

However, you can go around this by pre-cooking your potatoes or even adding the port later. However, you will still not get the results you want.

When you go the first way, you will be adding time to your cumulative cooking time. Going the second way, you will have to be physically present to monitor your food to make the addition.

Can I Sear In The Slow Cooker?

Slow cookers are inappropriate to sear your meat in. the fundamental functioning of a slow cooker is to bring your food under 212°F or 100°C (the simmering point) over long periods.

Since searing is a fast process, meat is allowed to close up without releasing more juices. Slow cookers cannot allow this to happen.

As the meat sucks into itself during the slow cooking time, all flavors are sucked into itself.

Conclusion

Slow cookers are an essential part of any person who lacks sufficient time to prepare their meals.

They allow you to have your meal even with two ingredients. Some colleges allow students to cook with slow cookers in their dorms while others deny them.

For the colleges that allow students to cook with slow cookers, there are many safety precautions that the students are required to adhere to.

If you want to make  life of your child good to ensure a smooth transition from home life to college life, first consult with the university to establish if they allow the use of slow cookers.