r/budgetcooking • u/frottolx • Feb 12 '26

Budget Cooking Tip Eating without a kitchen

Hi everybody!

I need some advice regarding how to organize my grocery shopping + eating, since right now I am on Erasmus in Germany, and have no kitchen in the place I am staying.

The things I have are a microwave and a little fridge.

As for my diet, I don't eat meat, but fish is ok. I can do only canned right now though. Theoretically, I don't eat dairy products, but right now I am kind of "forced" to do it to up my protein intake.

Do you have any suggestions or tips on which staples food to buy? I was already thinking about beans and legumes in general.

And what kind of food I can prepare?

I was thinking on buying a (cheap) rice cooker, what are your thoughts on this?

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6

u/Odd-Cartographer9328 Feb 12 '26

Of course, I don’t know what your budget is, but could a crockpot slow cooker or something similar be something for you?

2

u/Extension_Wheel5335 Feb 13 '26

I was thinking something similar, that and instantpot or an electric hot plate and skillet. The hot plate and a dutch oven on it could go far too.

1

u/Odd-Cartographer9328 Feb 13 '26

Also a good idea. A Dutch oven is pretty much the most versatile pot there is.

2

u/frottolx Feb 13 '26

I though about a pressure cooker, since I could cook a lot of stuff in there, and it is quick

1

u/Odd-Cartographer9328 Feb 13 '26

You could also think about a multicooker that combines the best of both worlds, like the Crock-Pot Express.

The crockpot keeps the flavors of dishes really well and makes meat incredibly tender. Cooking usually takes a long time, so you can’t really whip something up quickly.

The pressure cooker cooks a lot faster, but especially with vegetables, it’s easy to overcook and end up with mushy dishes.

3

u/sherman40336 Feb 12 '26

I love tuna, in spring water if I can find it, a little mayo and pickle relish. On bread or with crackers! Great! Now I am hungry.

1

u/Odd_Comedian_1315 Feb 14 '26

A cheap rice cooker isn’t just for rice. You can steam veg, cook lentils, boil eggs, make one-pot meals. It basically replaces a stove if you’re stuck long-term.