The Best Ways to Organize Food in a Dorm Room

Out of everything you learn in college, one of the most long-lasting lessons might be how to cook for yourself, even— especially?—when you’re exhausted and low on resources. If you can make something even mildly good and filling with a barebones dorm kitchenette, you can do it anywhere, so take some comfort in knowing you’re training for bigger and better things. In the meantime, grab these tools to organize your foodstuffs, even in the smallest spaces.

Small kitchen organization guidelines

Just like with organizing your dorm overall, there are a few guidelines you'll want to stick to. First of all, familiarize yourself with the Organizational Triangle and its principles (storing similar items together and designating a space for everything). Getting into the habit of making sure every single thing you own has a designated spot (and, hopefully, container) will prepare you for living in any size home—but will also have immediate benefits no matter where you are.

In a small kitchen, what you really need is space, so everything within it needs to be intentionally chosen and should serve the overall purpose of maximizing what space you do have. Consider, for instance, a cutting board with storage containers built in to the bottom, which gives you somewhere to prepare food, but also somewhere to store spices, utensils, or other kitchen necessities without giving up space.

I use a similar cutting board with storage built in and it's helpful for keeping my countertops more organized and giving me more space to cook. That's just one option, but it puts you in the right mindset.

How to organize a small kitchen

If you’re lucky enough to get a small kitchen space in your residence, it’ll probably be just that: small. Roommates will also likely need access to it, which decreases your space even more. Try these for space-saving:

• mDesign stackable organizers for drawers ($19.99) help you turn a single drawer into a layered storage heaven. The organizers have room for tools of all sizes, but stack on top of each other, so those tools stay separate and easy to access.

• Simple Houseware stackable baskets ($29.97) fit nicely on limited countertop space, with a footprint of 16.75” by 11”. There are other, cheaper, and smaller options for on-counter storage baskets, but this one is more functional, as it has a flat top on which you can stack other stuff.

• Simple Houseware also makes rolling shelves, which come with hooks and a handle for maximum storage and mobility. They’re three-tiered and come in a regular version ($18.87) or a slim version ($16.89). If space is at a real premium, get the slim version, which is just 5.5” wide, but has a depth of 16.25”, so you’ll still get plenty on there.

• Pick up a Depaotlux under-cabinet utensil storage spinner (two for $6.99) so you don’t have to shove your spatulas and big tools in an already-cramped drawer. I use one of these and it makes perfect use of wasted vertical space under countertops, but also keeps utensils visible and easy to access.

Storage in a dorm fridge

Whether you get a normal-sized fridge or a mini one, you need to get creative with how you store food to maximize space and keep it separate from your roommates’ food. Try these:

• The Utopia Kitchen can organizer ($15.99 for four) keeps cans stacked on top of each other and lying flat.

• Pomeat stackable organizers ($22.99 for 10) are ideal for small fridges, as they keep food separate, but also allow you to easily stack it, taking up vertical space without compromising on the limited horizontal space.

• A Zip n Store ($27.95) organizer is a fun gadget that attaches to your fridge door and allows you to hang plastic sandwich bags vertically, so you can pre-pack snacks or store smaller items in the bags. They hang in the space at the top of your in-door storage shelves, which you weren’t using anyway, making the most of every inch of the fridge.

• A Lafulling fridge dust cover top ($29.99) is great for using all the parts of your mini fridge to store something. It has 15 pockets of different sizes that offer storage down both sides of your fridge, so you can house condiments, utensils, spices, or whatever else without using up space elsewhere.