<p>OK - I have never once used a microwave oven. My dorm provides a microwave and a fridge next fall. I love to cook and plan to do some of my meals in the dorm. </p>
<p>What do I need to know about microwaves?</p>
<p>Can I somehow use a microwave to make coffee? What is the best way to make tea?</p>
<p>What supplies are handy? </p>
<p>Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>Well, for coffee you’d just be best off buying a coffee maker. If you really want to try and make coffee in a microwave buy some instant coffee and add it to hot water and stir. </p>
<p>Tea you should heat up a mug of water, and put a tea bag in it.</p>
<p>How long does it take to boil a cup of water for tea? (I am clueless about microwaves)</p>
<p>Be careful with heating water in the microwave. Water doesn’t boil in the microwave, it holds the heat in. If you get it too hot and then add something (like instant coffee) it will explode. This happens with distilled water, btw. Tap water is safe.</p>
<p>I’m guessing that your dorm will have a communal kitchen somewhere. So, if you want, you should be able to go there, do your cooking, then take your meal back to your room.</p>
<p>It’ll depend on the power of the microwave and how cold the water is to begin with, and how much you want. I imagine it’ll be an old low powered microwave. If you’re doing 16 oz microwave for 2 min and see how it is. If it needs more microwave it more.</p>
<p>Since it’ll just be water, if you go too far and it’s too hot you can just throw it out and get some more. If it’s not hot enough just warm it up a little longer.</p>
<p>If you’ve really not ever used a microwave before, you might want to try this summer. See if you can get together homemade meals and make them in the microwave. Since I’m assuming you’d prefer that than to just eat all frozen meals.</p>
<p>I don’t think we have a communal kitchen, but I’ll try to find that out. That would help. </p>
<p>Coffeemakers - - aren’t they prohibited because of the heating elements? Do people pay attention to these restrictions?</p>
<p>Here is what I was thinking as an alternative if coffee makers are not allowed - - boil water in the microwave and then use a french press to make coffee. Not as convenient but I will be dying without decent Java.</p>
<p>If you’re going to one of the colleges that has a forum here just go ask now if they’re going to care about a coffee maker. A coffee maker can’t be more dangerous than a hair straightner right?</p>
<p>I’d guess that the coffee maker is less dangerous because most will shut down automatically after x hours. Hair irons don’t shut down.</p>
<p>Many microwaves have preprogrammed buttons that will heat things for the right amount of time … including a mug of water. (Though “popcorn” remains the most popular and most ubiquitous setting.) It varies somewhat, but basically you can heat a mug of water to “hot enough for coffee/tea” in about 1:45 to 2:00 minutes. You CAN heat water to the boiling point – and it will boil - but it wills stop boiling as soon as you shut the microwave off. A lot of prepared food has microwave instructions on the package.</p>
<p>The main thing you need to know is never put anything metal (like foil or a fork) in a microwave and never heat an empty container. Stuff can and does explode in microwave, but generally with little harm other than the mess it makes. Things heat up from the inside out, so basically you are avoiding heating sealed containers, including when the “container” is the food itself. For example, you don’t put a potato in and just heat it, because it is “sealed” within its skin - instead, if you want to bake a potato, you pierce it several times with a fork first, so that there will be holes for the steam to escape. (Baked potatoes are one of the really yummy, easy foods to make – it takes 5 minutes to bake a medium size potato in the microwave, and potatoes are really cheap).</p>
<p>If you are going to cook eggs, you want to break them and stir them – its easy to make a microwave omelette -but don’t try cooking an egg with an unbroken yolk. (It can be done, actually, but its tricky – it will explode unless you use a toothpick to poke tiny holes in the outer membrane – but its a real art to be able to poke the holes without breaking the egg. Needless to say, you will NEVER try to cook an egg while still in the shell, unless you want to clean up lots of fragments of shell).</p>
<p>All you need for cooking is microwave safe dishes, and most glass or ceramic fits that category, as do many plastics. </p>
<p>All in all, microwave cooking is easy and fun and you’ll get the hang it very quickly.</p>
<p>If you want to make some of your own meals, invest in some basic cooking utensils (pans, pots, etc) and work from there. Really, microwaved meals make my stomach churn.</p>
<p>[qupte]My dorm provides a microwave and a fridge next fall.
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</p>
<p>That’s great. Then you don’t need to put a microwave on a BB and B graduation registry. </p>
<p>You can buy a simple microwave cookbook at any bookstore, and they are inexpensive. I would suggest asking for one as a gift for graduation. Directions for most things will be in the book if you choose the right one. Most people use microwaves for heating up beverages, popping popcorn, warming up leftover foods, and cooking frozen dinners. If it were me, I’d stick to that in the college dorm (actually, I wouldn’t plan to cook dinners there at all…that’s why you have a MEAL PLAN…so save your money) and not try to be Rachel Ray.</p>
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Hahaha! </p>
<p>Won’t you have a meal plan, like Thumper says? If so, then you will only want the microwave to heat up beverages and snack foods, I would think. Maybe frozen entrees.</p>
<p>If coffee makers aren’t allowed in your dorm, try this method to get a cup of coffee brewed the way you like it. It’s low-tech, but effective when you can’t use an electric appliance.</p>
<p>[1</a> Cup Cone Coffee Brewer by Melitta U S A Inc - More Coffee makers at doitbest.com](<a href=“404 | Do it Best”>404 | Do it Best)</p>
<p>My tap water coffee “explodes” sometimes. Why is that? I find that I have to add the instant coffee very slowly.</p>
<p>do a youtube search for “water can explode” - there is a 9 second video demonstrating this and some comments below that might help explain… (we can’t post youtube links right?)</p>
<p>One of my best friend appliances is my HotShot - heats up a cup of water in less than a minute. Perfect on the counter for that cup of tea or instant coffee, hot chocolate, etc.
[Amazon.com:</a> Sunbeam 6131 Hot Shot Hot Water Dispenser, Black: Home & Garden](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-6131-Water-Dispenser-Black/dp/B000C3QSPQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1243436509&sr=8-1]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-6131-Water-Dispenser-Black/dp/B000C3QSPQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1243436509&sr=8-1)</p>
<p>I always find it better to heat the water up in a micro safe measuring cup, and have your mug with tea bag or instant coffee ready to pour the micro-ed water into. No exploding. :)</p>
<p>Is the Fasta Pasta cooker useful for noodles or is there another way to use the microwave to cook dry pasta?</p>
<p>If you can afford a small splurge, there are single burner induction cookers available for $200-$250. Since there’s no hot element, as on a traditional coil cooktop, I’ve read that some dorms permit them. The units themselves stay cool and are safe to use. You’ll need to make certain that your cookware is the right type (you can test with a magnet.)</p>
<p>I received permission to cook in my dorm back before microwave ovens were common, because of a medical problem. The only small appliances I had were an electric kettle and a covered electric skillet (about 3" - 4" deep) but some pretty good meals were managed despite the limitations.</p>
<p>Is there a reason you want to cook all this food in your dorm? Are you avoiding the meal plan or have special dietary issues? </p>
<p>We bought this all-around micro thingy that my daughter used for various micro duties…you can also purchase a 6 piece micro set from Target…</p>
<p>Does no one here use electric kettles? That is what I use for boiling water for making tea or instant coffee (or the cafe press type). Maybe I think they would be ok in a dorm as there is no exposed element. an example
[Amazon.com:</a> Proctor Silex K2070H 1-Quart Automatic Electric Kettle, White: Kitchen & Dining](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Proctor-Silex-K2070H-Automatic-Electric/dp/B00023XCWS/ref=pd_sim_hg_3/177-2089521-3044952]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Proctor-Silex-K2070H-Automatic-Electric/dp/B00023XCWS/ref=pd_sim_hg_3/177-2089521-3044952)</p>
<p>kolleg, most schools have dining halls with MULTIPLE choices of food. Both of my kids survived eating quite well in the dining hall, and they saved a ton of money by NOT cooking in their rooms. The other thing to consider is your roommate. Even cooking in a microwave leaves a “aroma” in the room which you may find fine, but your roommate might find distasteful. Some folks like the smell of pasta sauce, oriental cuisine, oatmeal, even coffee. Others gag on these smells and don’t really want them in close proximity to their sleeping space, clothing, and study space. Dorm rooms are SMALL…not a separate room like your kitchen at home. Truthfully, I would not plan on cooking, but would use the micro for things like heating.</p>
<p>Re: other small appliances as described above…Some schools do not allow them because of the electrical DRAW they require. DS’s school did not allow separate microwaves or any other small appliance for that reason. The microfridge was allowed (you had to rent it from the school) because when the micro was ON the fridge did not cycle on. They didn’t have to worry about overloaded circuits. </p>
<p>Swimcats…electric kettles are not allowed at many schools.</p>
<p>And another thought…where do you plan to keep all of this food, and the cooking and eating utensils? Dorm rooms are barely big enough for your clothing, books, and personal belongings…not a lot of “extra space”.</p>