What’s Inside a Typical Hostel Kitchen?
Walking into a typical hostel kitchen can feel like entering a place that’s all messed up and always changing. It’s this space where you’ll probably spot a few half-eaten leftovers and a fridge that would have every possible thing inside it but all messed up. If you’re a student and about to start your hostel life, here’s everything you need to know about what’s inside a typical hostel kitchen
Communal Fridge
The first thing that grabs your attention is the single, sometimes double-door fridge that’s always on the verge of overflowing. From plastic boxes filled with leftover biryani to half-finished daal in stainless steel bowls.
But here’s the catch, it’s an unspoken rule that no matter how and what’s inside the fridge, you don’t touch anything if it’s not yours because whoever left that half-eaten biryani there is going to come back for that biryani in breakfast for sure.
Basic Utensils and A Stove
Most hostel kitchens aren’t ideal kitchens where you expect yourself to cook and have a nice time. You will most probably find a single gas stove or maybe two and everyone would want to get a spot so they cook their meals.
There’s usually one main cooking pot everyone fights over, a well-used frying pan for eggs and parathas, and a kettle that’s seen more chai in a week than most cafes do in a month.
Here’s what you can do to make your life easier if you and your boys prefer cooking your meals instead of eating out. Try to make meals together rather than cooking one by one.
Every hostel has cutlery as well that includes, forks, spoons, and knives with mismatched handles of course, and all of that tossed into a drawer or a plastic bin that never seems to stay clean.
But despite the mismatched chaos, you’ll learn to appreciate it because sooner than you realize, you will be a part of all that chaos and it will stop making any difference with time.
The Sink Area
Move a few steps from the cooking station, and you’ll reach the sink that’s often the biggest battlefield in the kitchen. Early morning can feel a little intense at the sink area because half-sleepy students rush to wash cups from last night’s chai so they can reuse them for today’s quick doodh patti or coffee.
By noon, you’ll see pots and pans gathered up there, waiting for their turn under the tap. While some hostels do have cleaning staff for major tasks, personal utensils usually remain each student’s responsibility.
Some days, everyone’s in a rush, and dishes stack up until someone can’t handle the mess anymore and decides to wash a whole mountain of plates.
On other days, you’ll find a rare moment of calm with the sink clear and a subtle smell of lemon dish soap signaling that the last person left it in good shape but that’s rare in a hostel.
The Spice Shelf
No Pakistani kitchen whether it’s your hostel kitchen or your home’s, is completely without a shelf that has every possible masala there that exists in this world.
You’ll typically find a small shelf or cabinet stuffed with nameless jars containing red chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala, cumin seeds, etc.
There are chances your hostel has just basic salt and pepper there and not the rest of the spices because students prefer to buy their own spices and they bring it with them while cooking, and take it back to their room once they’re done.
If that’s the case with your hostel, try pooling up with your friends and buy yourself some basic spices so the cooking goes smoothly.
Microwave Oven
The one corner of the kitchen shelf is always dedicated to a microwave in any hostel’s kitchen. You’d see people ordering food online and using that oven to heat the food or reheating their chai which they haven’t finished yet.
You would rarely see any moment when there’s no one using the microwave because mostly, most of the time, someone’s there to use it.
Sitting Arrangement
The kitchen area also known as the common area usually has a dedicated dining space just like Professional Lahore Hostels. You will find a couple of chairs and a table there where anybody could come and have their food but honestly, you’d barely see anyone having food there because everyone prefers to eat in their rooms in hostels.
that doubles as a study desk. More often, students just set their plates on any flat surface they can find—sometimes even the kitchen counter or a windowsill. On busy nights, it’s not unusual to see a few people squatting on the floor, balancing plates on their knees, while cracking jokes and talking about campus gossip.
Here Are a Few Hostel Kitchen Etiquettes Everybody Should Consider
- Clean Up Quickly: Don’t leave dirty dishes for hours. If everyone does their part, the place stays clean always.
- Label Your Stuff: I know it sounds an overkill but if you do not want to label your stuff then don’t blame anyone when they use your stuff without asking.
- Share Wisely: If you’re using someone else’s spices or oil, return the favor, or let them know so you don’t cause any grudges.
- Keep It Quiet During Off Hours: Late night chai is common, but banging pots at 2 a.m. or laughing out loud with your mates isn’t the right thing to do.
- Communicate: If you’re planning a big meal and need the stove for a while, let others know so they can plan around you.
Conclusion: What’s Inside a Typical Hostel Kitchen?
This blog has everything you need to know to understand what’s inside a typical hostel kitchen, what’s the overall vibe, and how to make the most out of it.
A typical hostel kitchen might not have fancy appliances or stylish decor, but it’s got heart. It’s a place where friendships happen, where you find a stranger over a chai and then you later find out in life, that you made a life-long friend in that kitchen.
