5 Things You Shouldn’t Do If You Share a Kitchen with Someone Else

There’s a first time for everything, and college is full of firsts. For many students, it’s the first time cooking every meal for yourself, whether you’re supplementing your meal plan or making all your food from scratch. From a late-night craving for brownies to a need for a nostalgic meal from home, all students eventually face the dreaded shared kitchen. These communal spaces can be weirdly intimidating. What are you actually allowed to make? What will stink up the whole floor? And how do you avoid annoying your fellow dorm dwellers?

Whether you share a full kitchen with all the residents of your dorm building or just a few roommates, there are a few things you should know to become a communal kitchen connoisseur. I gathered advice from the experts — kitchen-loving students and RAs — to help you avoid the most common mistakes. Here’s how to make the most of your shared kitchen without stepping on anyone’s toes.

“Just because you can heat up fish sticks at 11 p.m. doesn’t mean you should,” says Sophia, a junior and Resident Advisor at University of Rhode Island. Many shared kitchens don’t have great ventilation, which means that strong smells (think: broccoli or bacon) tend to linger. 

Sophia also warns that smoky kitchens can set off fire alarms and earn you an unplanned visit from campus safety. Read: That late-night popcorn might not be worth it if a few burnt kernels could trigger a building-wide evacuation (and a lot of angry neighbors). If you’re cooking with heat, be sure to stay close by the source and keep an active eye on it the whole time. 

If you’re making something steamy, spicy, or particularly pungent, try to do it during the day, open a window if you can, and always use the vent or fan if your kitchen has one.

Now that you’re living on your own, your family isn’t around to help do the dishes. In a shared kitchen, it’s just basic respect to wipe down the counters, toss your garbage into the trash, and clean up after yourself.

“In a shared space, dishes shouldn’t sit in the sink overnight,” Sophia explains. “In a suite, maybe a few hours is fine — we all get tired after class, cooking, and eating. But especially in a dorm, lingering dirty dishes are a no.” Try your best to clean as you go — future you (and your roommates) will thank you. A good rule of thumb: Leave the kitchen looking exactly how you found it, or better.

Shared kitchens can be tricky enough … but shared fridges? That’s a whole new battlefield. There’s nothing worse than coming back to your leftovers only to find them half-eaten with an unsolicited thank-you note from a roommate.

“Labeling your food isn’t rude. It’s smart!” says Sophia. A piece of masking tape or a sticky note is all it takes to mark what’s yours. But, if you are open to sharing, write “help yourself”; it might even earn you some new besties.

One golden rule: If someone does take your food, don’t leave a passive-aggressive note. Continuing to label your food is just the easiest way to set boundaries without drama. If your food keeps going missing, you might want to talk to your RA to see how to best approach the issue.

Kayla, a junior at the University of Vermont, loves using the communal kitchen, and nothing stops her from baking sweet treats or cooking her favorite meals. But she didn’t feel confident doing all of that on day one. Since then, lots of experience has made her a communal kitchen pro. Her best advice? Always go in with a plan.

According to Kayla, a shared kitchen is not the place to wing it. Googling recipes mid-bake, forgetting key ingredients, or scrambling to find the right utensils are all guaranteed to stress you out (and slow down everyone else waiting to use the kitchen). “Prep in your room, cook in the kitchen, and clean fast,” Kayla says. (Of course, when it comes to prepping, save any kitchen-specific work for the actual kitchen.) Heading in with a clear plan helps you work efficiently, respect other people’s time, and cut out all the chaos.

Cooking in a shared space doesn’t mean you’re stuck eating microwave meals. Kayla, a seasoned dorm chef, says the communal kitchen can actually be a fun place to whip up some delicious treats. “Baking is my favorite because no one minds the smells, and everyone wants to come and chat since they’re hoping for a taste!” she says. Kayla loves making everything from banana bread to oatmeal cookies in her dorm kitchen, since they are easy to clean up after, and are fan-favorite bakes that fill the space with cozy, inviting smells.

You can get creative with savory meals, too. Think one-pot pastas or sheet tray recipes like quesadillas and baked potatoes. They use minimal dishes and keep your cooking time short and sweet.

Being respectful doesn’t mean that your meals have to be boring. Kayla also loves how a communal kitchen gives you the opportunity to cook with friends — something she highly encourages! It’s a great way to bond and share the cleanup.

Shared kitchens may feel intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of them, they can become one of your favorite spots on campus. Plus, it’ll prepare you to navigate communal kitchens in house-shares or apartments once you move out of the dorms. With a little planning, basic etiquette, and some creativity, your dorm kitchen can turn into the go-to place for comfort meals, late-night snacks, and memories with friends. Just remember these pro tips, and bon appétit!

This post originally appeared on Dorm Therapy. See it there: 5 Dorm Kitchen Mistakes People Always Make — And How to Easily Avoid Them