September comes with a series of stressors for new students. For students living independently, cooking is either a headache or a pleasant break from studying routines. Whichever you find it to be, you can benefit from an array of tools to save preparation time so that you can focus on more important things, such as studying.
Spiralizer
Preparing healthy meals for students usually sounds like immense effort, especially after a long day of classes and juggling work or other demands. Since making an investment on a good spiralizer, I was able to enjoy hearty zucchini noodles without feeling guilty about over-consuming carbs. Spiralizers are a must for health-conscious students. Creating fruit or veggie salads are effortless and even fun with this nifty tool. Even for the less health-conscious students, spiralizers allows you to create your own spiral-y fries with russet potatoes or sweet potatoes.
Price: $12.38 CAD on amazon.ca for manual spiralizers
Heatable blender
While shopping at Costco, I stumbled upon this wondrous device that not only blends but cooks (up to 300 degrees Celsius) all in one. My favorite item to cook using this pricey but highly useful tool is soup. Imagine creating any vegetable soup without having to scoop out the mashed contents before heating it over the stovetop. Besides blending soups, you can create everything a normal blender can and thus maximize its usage. Despite the high price tag, it’s a worthwhile investment that saves both time and money. You will no longer settle for mediocre, salt-infused soup at Subway or Tim Hortons.
Price: $100-200 CAD on ebay.ca or amazon.ca
Sushi bazookas
As a student, sushi was never considered the go-to for items to pack for lunch. The numerous steps, ingredients and time required to create a Japanese masterpiece didn’t seem suitable for a busy student. However, finding the sushi bazooka was a miracle for a sushi-loving glutton such as myself. This bazooka lets you make an aesthetically pleasing yet delicious sushi roll in less than five minutes. It comes in a plastic shell shaped like a sushi roll and a manual piece that pumps out your beautiful maki roll creation. Moreover, the price is highly appealing for students who crave gourmet but simply don’t have the time to prepare.
Price: $6.57 CAD on amazon.ca
Veggie chopper
Are your knife skills up to par with master chef Gordon Ramsay? If the answer is no, you have something to gain with this veggie chopper gadget. Having had terrible experiences chopping vegetables in a hurry, I picked up this device to save me time and injury. This nifty chopper works for everything whether vegetables, fruits, or even herbs.
Price: $16.99 CAD on amazon.ca
Xin Xu is a post-graduate health-science AU student, aspiring clinician, globe-trotter, parrot-breeder and tea-connoisseur.
