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May 16, 2023

The best kitchen gadgets for a dorm room or first apartment in 2023

By Carolin Lehmann, Danica Creahan July 18, 2023 / 3:20 PM / Essentials CBS Essentials is created independently of the CBS News editorial staff. We may receive commissions from some links to products

By Carolin Lehmann, Danica Creahan

July 18, 2023 / 3:20 PM / Essentials

CBS Essentials is created independently of the CBS News editorial staff. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms.

School is still out for the summer, but the best back-to-school shopping starts now. It's a great time to stock up on home essentials if you or a loved one are heading off to college or moving into a first apartment this fall.

While only you can choose the right color scheme for your bathroom or where you think your robot vacuum should go, the CBS Essentials shopping experts have got you covered in the kitchen department. Shop our top picks for small kitchen spaces, according to verified buyer ratings.

Top products in this article:

Keurig single-serve K-Mini, $85 (reduced from $90)

Brita stainless steel water filter bottle, $31

Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 (6-quart), $130

Furnishing a new kitchen can be daunting, but we've done the work for you in tracking down top-rated small kitchen appliances and accessories. From a retro-style mini fridge that won't be an eyesore to handy multifunctional kitchen appliances, here are top-rated kitchen gadgets for a dorm room or first apartment. We even found some great appliances on sale now that will suit even the tightest back-to-school budget.

We found mini coffee makers, egg cookers, mini fridges and more dorm-friendly appliances to help you (or your favorite student) set up a college dorm room.

The single-serve K-Mini can brew a 12-ounce cup of coffee in a few minutes. The five-inch-wide K-Mini is significantly smaller than most coffee makers on the market, making it ideal for homes with precious little counter space. The removable drip tray can accommodate travel mugs, so you can easily take your coffee with you to class.

Keurig single-serve K-Mini, $85 (reduced from $90)

A quick and easy dorm-room breakfast solution, this egg cooker can make soft-boiled eggs, hard-boiled eggs, poached eggs and even omelets. It comes with a boiling tray, poaching tray, omelet tray and measuring cup, all of which conveniently fit inside of the compactly designed cooker for storage. Plus, there's an automatic shut-off feature.

Dash egg cooker, $20

This retro-style mini fridge isn't just functional; it's adorable, too. At just 3.3 cubic feet, this fridge is perfect for keeping all your dorm room drink essentials cold. It's also available in red.

Comfee retro mini fridge (3.3 cubic feet), $220

Not the right mini-fridge for you? Wayfair has a large number of dorm-friendly refrigerators for just $39.

Complete the retro dorm room look with this vintage-style microwave. It comes with nine preset programs including popcorn, pizza, reheat and more. It also comes in red and green, but you can get the biggest discount on the color pictured.

Comfee retro microwave (0.9 cu ft.), $135

Need something a little bit bigger... or even smaller? Wayfair has a selection of countertop microwaves starting at $77.

This 20-ounce stainless steel water bottle's leak-proof straw lid features a built-in Brita filter, so every sip of water tastes fresh, even if the tap water on campus isn't the best. Available in five colors.

Brita stainless steel water filter bottle, $31

Shop blender bundles, air fryers and more kitchen upgrades to help you build out your first apartment's kitchen.

Use a K-Pod to make a single cup of coffee for yourself, or use ground coffee to make up to 12 cups for you and your roommates. Want to wake up smelling the coffee? You can program the Keurig K-Duo coffee maker to automatically brew a carafe up to 24 hours in advance.

Keurig K-Duo coffee maker, $150 (reduced from $190)

This massive 12-in-1 air fryer also functions as a toaster oven, slow cooker and dehydrator (to name a few). Thanks to its large capacity, it can cook up to six slices of bread at once. You can also use that space to bake a 12-inch pizza or even to roast whole chicken. It makes a great all-in-one cooking appliance to invest in for a first kitchen.

Cosori air fryer toaster oven, $150

If you're not ready to drop a ton of money on a high-end Vitamix blender, try this more affordable 72-ounce countertop blender from Ninja. Boasting a 4.7-star rating on Amazon, this blender features a 1,000-watt power base with ice-crushing technology, making it perfect for smoothies. It comes with a recipe guide with 25 chef-inspired recipes.

Get the Ninja professional blender now for $10 off at Amazon.

Ninja professional blender, $90 (reduced from $100)

If you only buy only one kitchen appliance for a new apartment, that appliance should be an Instant Pot. This 9-in-1 Instant Pot model functions as an electric pressure cooker, rice cooker, slow cooker, yogurt maker, steamer, sauté pan and food warmer. You get two other tricks, too: a sterilizer and a sous-vide function that allows you to keep your cooking water at a constant temperature. The machine has 15 customizable programming options.

Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 (6-quart), $130

The Ultramax water dispenser from Brita can hold up to 27-cups of filtered water in a space-efficient, fridge-friendly design. Features include a locking lid and a precision pour spigot.

Brita Ultramax extra large 27-cup filtered water dispenser, $37 (reduced from $51)

Carolin Lehmann is an expert in health, fitness, furniture, apparel, gift guides and books for CBS Essentials. She's always testing new products to recommend. Some of her current favorites include Stanley cups, Alo Yoga workout sets and the Cuzen matcha maker.

First published on July 18, 2023 / 3:20 PM