One advantage of short-let apartments is that they usually come with utilities such as a kitchen. This makes it easy for you to whip up your own meals, thus saving costs. However, since it isn’t your personal kitchen, then you may find it difficult to adjust and make do with the selection of utensils that is available. How can you do that and still make nice meals you can enjoy? Let’s take a look at six tips that would help you when cooking in short let apartments.

6 Tips for Cooking in a Short Let Apartment Kitchen

1. First, Take an Inventory of the Kitchen Utensils

Usually, short let apartments have an inventory of what utensils are available in the kitchen and how many they are. This may be pasted on the wall or cabinet. The first thing to do when you arrive at your apartment is to crosscheck the inventory and ensure that it is correct. 

If you observe any discrepancies, immediately inform your host or the receptionist. This protects you from taking liability for items that were already missing before you arrived. It also lets you know the utensils that are available for you to work with.

2. Go Shopping instead of Ordering Food

Shopping would help you get a variety of ingredients that you could use to make multiple meals. This would help you save cost on ordering food and allow you to use the kitchen, thus maximizing the cost of the apartment. 

When you shop, ensure that you buy only what you need, especially if you are staying short term. Also, aim for ingredients that can be used for multiple recipes such as eggs or rice. Another shopping hack is to buy items that are already pre-cut or pre-seasoned which would reduce cooking time and energy.

3. Make Use of the Apartment Pantry, if Available

If the apartment has a pantry, go for it. The pantry may be a small part of the kitchen or a general-use pantry outside your apartment. If there is no pantry inside your apartment, you can ask your host if there is one available to you, just to be sure. 

From the apartment pantry, you may get access to more utensils or essential ingredients such as spices, flour, or oil. Note that if the pantry is for general use, using its items may come with a cost.

4. Choose Easy Recipes

Especially if you are working with a very basic kitchen with few utensils, you need to choose recipes that are easy to cook and do not require too much. One-pot recipes are always great to try. 

You can also try recipes like sandwiches, stir-fries, and salads that do not need many utensils. And if there is a microwave or toaster available, you can make use of them creatively such as in easy bake recipes.

5. Maximize Leftovers

To avoid cooking every time, you can cook extra portions at a go. This way, you can refrigerate your leftovers and microwave or heat them up for your next meal, thus saving time and energy.

You can also reuse your leftovers to cook up new meals. For example, if you have some leftover chicken, you could prepare some salad, sandwich, or wrap. If you have some leftover plain rice, you can make some fried rice or turn it into a sweet treat. Do not hesitate to search for recipes you can try your hands on with what you have. 

6. Have Fun

Just because you are cooking doesn’t mean you cannot have fun while at it. As you cook, look for ways to have fun. You can listen and even dance to music, invite a friend to try a new recipe together, enjoy a glass of wine or juice as you cook, or film the process, and so on. 

Even if something goes wrong, such as a spill or a meal starts to burn, don’t take it too seriously. Rather than stressing over getting everything right, focus on enjoying the process.

Bonus Tip for Cooking in Short Let Apartments

In this article, we’ve seen six tips that can help you when cooking in a short stay apartment. Other things to bear in mind are to go with your must-haves, if possible. This can be any “secret ingredient” or portable utensil you cannot do without. Feel free to ask for help from the staff of the apartment.

At Marchforte Home, our short stay apartment in Ikeja comes with a kitchen where you can try new recipes and have fun while making your favorite meals during your stay.