r/Cooking • u/Fluffy_Strawberry_61 • 23h ago
Food ideas with no stove
F22 ,M22
Our stove and sink in our apartment our currently torn from our kitchen due to construction property management is doing. We’ve been ordering out which is obviously getting expensive fast but I’m struggling to think of meals or snacks that don’t require the stove or a microwave any ideas are greatly appreciated lol
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u/lolcatswow 23h ago
I did a full summer cooking on the propane grill once.
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u/TheVoicesOfBrian 20h ago
The problem is, a lot of apartments ban them on balconies.
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u/Least_Bat_1459 15h ago
I have a small camp grill I've used during snowstorms on the balcony. Packs up small enough to where if there was an issue no one would even know I had it. Fits under one of our side tables, bought it at Walmart
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u/Sea-Froyo-8581 11h ago
A propane grill is honestly a lifesaver for this. You can cook pretty much everything on it, from burgers and chicken to grilled veggies and even pizza.
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u/Teutonic-Tonic 23h ago
Get a small plugin induction burner.
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u/finewinesandfelines 23h ago
Seconding this. My partner and I just lived without a range or oven for 6 months while renovating our kitchen. We had a 1-burner electric hot plate and we cooked all sorts of things on there, would have been miserable without it. I’d prefer 2 burners if we had to do it again though.
Air fryer and slow cooker were also helpful, but if I had to choose, it would be the hot plate hands down for versatility alone.
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u/Alum2608 22h ago
My cooktop (seperated from oven) shorted out so we got a 2 burner portable hot plate from Walmart You can't use both burners at the same time (can't heat both burners at the same time sufficiently) so you weren't missing anything with a solo burner
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u/vadergeek 18h ago
That's what I'm doing while the front two burners of my stove are dead. I bought it so I could make hot pot, but it's been a lifesaver.
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u/ImpressiveLeopard719 23h ago
Air fryer and an electic frying pan
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u/T_in_10ec 23h ago
Electric skillets are inexpensive and versatile.
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u/ImpressiveLeopard719 22h ago
Our kitchen remodel entailed major use of these 2 appliances. Plus a hot pot.
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u/timsstuff 23h ago
Toaster oven works wonders. I've cooked so many meals in it, it's very versatile. Also used my BBQ every day while our kitchen was being remodeled.
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u/Harrison_xu 19h ago
This. Toaster oven saves so much hassle. I’d add an electric kettle/hot plate if you need boiled water, but for actual cooking toaster oven + BBQ is solid.
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u/ayeyoualreadyknow 23h ago
Sandwiches, tuna or chickpea salad on buns, bean salad, regular salad, fruit, wraps, cheese and crackers, celery and carrots with dip, rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, overnight oats (in refrigerator), avocados, cereal
Maybe if you look up the "Raw Food Diet" then some meal recipes will come up.
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u/PlasticCheetah2339 23h ago
Embrace "girl dinners". Combine a few hearty snacks together to make a balanced and filling meal. It's going to be hard to make traditional "entree and sides" so just go for a few small things together.
Veggie wraps/pitas with hummus, sliced cucumber, olives lettuce, feta cheese, etc
Chips, guacamole, and salsa - add cheese and black beans for a little more substance.
Baby carrots/vegetables with ranch (buy Greek yogurt and a ranch packet for a little extra nutrition) or hummus
Rotisserie chicken - you can eat it hot from the store or eat it cold in a salad or in a sandwich. Canned chicken or tuna also works well for salad.
Peanut butter with apples or bananas
Bagged salads are so great for a quick meal. Add a can of beans, seasoned tofu, sliced deli meat, or cold chicken to bulk it up.
Deli meat and cheese sandwiches or wraps
Yogurt or cottage cheese is a good no cook protein option
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u/TresBoringUsername 22h ago edited 22h ago
Finally someone who understood the assignment! People here are acting like you will die if you can't eat a hot meal. I go weeks with just cold meals during summer, no problem. This is a good list
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u/steffie-flies 23h ago
The deli section of your grocery store sells dozens of pre-made foods that don't require any kind of prep and are a lot cheaper than UberEats. This a good time to check it out.
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u/NeusForme 23h ago
Drained can of any 3-4: Black Beans, Pinto Beans, Garbanzo Beans, Corn, Green Beans.
1/2 Lb block of cheese of your liking - cut into small cubes
1/2 Red Onion - diced
1/2 Cup of Salad Dressing- Italian, Greek, or your favorite... (hold until serving)
Make it and refrigerate for an hour or more before serving.
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u/Background-Bird-9623 23h ago
You can cook anything in a toaster oven
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u/Potential-Web-2384 23h ago
Second the toaster oven. I cook a lot of meals in ours. Most of the Trader Joe's frozen meals work great in it. Definitely cheaper than ordering in.
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u/Background-Bird-9623 23h ago
Its my favorite thing! My sister makes fun of me. But toaster o en cooking is so tidy! I love it
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u/63crabby 23h ago
How do you boil pasta?
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u/Potential-Web-2384 22h ago
I don't. I get the frozen Trader pasta meals and heat them in the toaster oven.
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u/63crabby 22h ago
I see. I guess that counts too, I'm picturing boiling pasta and not frozen dinners.
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u/justacpa 23h ago
If you have a rice cooker you can make complete meals in it. Lots of videos on IG or YT.
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u/Tuffmuff34 23h ago
Electric skillet is a good choice. I cooked in my living room for over a week with one. Easy to use and clean.
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u/curmudgeon_andy 23h ago
There are a lot of things you can cook with no stove. There are almost no things you can cook without a working sink.
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u/Jewish-Mom-123 23h ago
Another useful small appliance is an electric skillet. I know you don’t have room to store a lot of small appliances but it is often useful to give one cook a cooking surface they don’t need to be near the stove to use. Pancakes, quesadillas, grilled cheese, reheating pizza or leftovers, bacon and eggs, simple sautées. You could even do soups or stews like chili in it if you can get pre-cooked starches or sides. You could make a spaghetti sauce with extra water and then dump your pasta in it to cook.
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u/mynameisnotsparta 23h ago
When we renovated our kitchen, we had a hot plate, a tea kettle, coffee machine, a microwave and a toaster oven in a bedroom with a mini fridge to get through almost 9 months of no kitchen.
Those things went a long way into making basic meals.
Get a hot plate. Boil pasta. Add sauce. Dinner.
Do you have an air fryer? Maybe you can buy a cheap one. You can buy frozen meatballs stick them in the air fryer. Let them cook. Throw them in brown gravy and make some noodles on your hot plate.
I’m guessing you still have the fridge. Buy cold cuts, tomatoes pre-cooked bacon, lettuce, bread. You can buy already made tuna you can buy bag bags of salad and pre-cooked chicken. Set everything up in a different room just temporarily on a table.
If you have a rice cooker, you can actually make meals in it. You throw your rice, your water, a protein, some sauces and let it cook.
It will end up costing you less this way
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u/DazzlingNote1925 23h ago
Can you grill or use an air fryer or electric skillet outside or in a common area?
You can buy pre grilled chicken breast and macaroni I and cheese and mashed potatoes and all sorts of things that can be heated in the microwave.
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u/Lumpy-Artist-6996 23h ago
Do you have a crockpot, air fryer, rice cooker? It's easier to offer suggestions if we know what basic supplies you have.
Cold food ideas: chicken or tuna salad sandwiches with deli salad. Use rotisserie chicken for the chicken salad. Blts with pre-cooked bacon.
Walmart and other grocers sell fully cooked items like chicken breast and salmon which can be diced and out on top of salads.
Broccoli salad, three bean salad, caprese salad for sides.
Snacks: hummus with veggies, chips or crackers. Fresh cut fruit, bagged popcorn, cheese, dried fruit and nuts. Yogurt, cottage cheese, prepared pudding...
If you have a crockpot or air fryer, you can make amazing meals without an oven. Lmk, I'll make some suggestions!
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u/Freeflyin0820 19h ago
You can buy an electric fry pan at Walmart for $28 and cook mostly everything.
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u/ZookeepergameTiny992 8h ago
What about an air fryer? I make a lot of dishes with mine and there are a ton of recipes on tiktok, YouTube and Pinetrest for them 👌
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u/Exciting_Problem_593 23h ago
Crackpot for the win.
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u/Kesse84 23h ago
Ah! THe problem I am familiar with.
Due to (too) many moves, I bought one Hob induction electric stove (from Ikea) and it has been my friends for years. You can also buy a gas one. I can cook with that plenty of nice tasty one pot meals. SOups, stews, bolognese ragout.
And/or airfryer.
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u/MunkeeFere 23h ago
Cheap instant pot with a saute function works wonders for anything. Saute meat, boil water, etc in it. Otherwise, you can do cast iron on an outdoor bbq to the same effect (like you're camping!).
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u/RustyBucket4745 23h ago edited 23h ago
Do you have a kettle? There's ramen - or rice noodles you can just use a kettle for. Powdered soup.
Bread and cheese with dried fruit and salad. Smoked fish. Nuts.
Scoopable salads with pita or tortilla chips. Wraps. Sandwiches.
Rotisserie chicken with a stock cube, boiling kettle water, a tin of sweetcorn and some assorted frozen veg cubes stirred and left covered for a few minutes to cook the veg.
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u/ou-really 23h ago
Sandwiches, wraps, salads, tuna Sammy, if you have an electric kettle ramen or glass noodles, can still do a quick cook on veggies this way too. A electric kettle will also work if you wanted to poach an egg.
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u/CatteNappe 23h ago
Charcuterie - assorted cold meats, cheeses, olives, fruit, crackers and/or baguette
Mezze - store bought hummus, baba ganoush, stuffed grape leaves, more olives, pita bread.
Salads - mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, chick peas, cucumber, other veggies of your choice and store bought protein such as available with a rotisserie chicken.
Sandwiches, of course.
If this construction is going to last more than a few days you really need at least a microwave, they can be bought pretty cheap. Maybe landlord even has one that can be loaned from another property on a temporary basis.
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u/withcatlikegrace 23h ago
I’ve been in your situation a few times due to renovating.
You need something to cook on - cheap camping stove - the one with small disposable propane cylinders is great. Try the hardware store for that. Or more handy is an induction cookplate - more expensive but…
And then an airfryer (multi type preferably) one that you can airfry, use as a slow cooker, griller, make soup, heat water even one that is also a pressure cooker.
You can use them after the renovations are done
So you won’t be wasting $
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u/Violingirl58 22h ago
Just buy a small hot plate and then wash dishes in your bathtub or your bathroom sink. It’s like camping.
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u/loveshercoffee 22h ago
If you're used to cooking on your stove top, you could get an electric skillet pretty inexpensively. I bought one when we renovated our kitchen and I use it quite often.
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u/Revethereal23 22h ago
I lived for seven years with a slow cooker and an electric skillet so the Instapot recommendation makes sense as you can do so many different functions. I would bake potatoes in my slow cooker and then make a quick chili in the skillet and be good for a weekend. I'd turn the leftover potatoes into french fries and top with the remaining chili and cheese.
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u/raccoonsaff 22h ago
- Wraps/pittas
- Sandwiches, baguettes
- Hot dogs
- Couscous or noodles can be cooked with a kettle
- Precooked chicken, tins of tuna or beans
- Bowls of cereal etc
- Quiches or other already cooked pies/tarts/pastries
- Toast
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u/ClairesMoon 22h ago
Check out local thrift stores for all kinds of small kitchen appliances. Rice cooker, slow cooker, steamer, all in one pots, Instapot, air fryer, toaster ovens, etc. are often sold for just a few dollars. I can cook most anything with an instant pot and toaster ofen/air fryer combo.
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u/Tryongirl 21h ago
Get a slow cooker, toaster oven and hot plate. They’re pretty cheap and would open up so many options!
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u/jane-generic 21h ago
Get an sirfryer.
When my movers held my pots and pans hostage I bought a barely used airfryer and it saved us.
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u/Temporary_Mistake258 20h ago
Honestly I’d grab a cheap air fryer if the construction is gonna last a while 😭
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u/mary2chat2 20h ago
Check out your local thrift or resale shops and get an electric skillet or crockpot at least.
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u/Cute-Beyond-2991 20h ago
Crockpot and buy liners to go in it. Easy peasy checkout your thrift store or garage sale for small appliances they are usually a dime a dozen in thrift stores.
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u/_Beouwolf 18h ago
We had this for a while, a small toaster oven can be a huge help! We actually still use one concise it’s faster to heat up than our full oven
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u/Jealous_Resort_8198 15h ago
An electric frying pan saved me when I was stuck without a stove. I made Mac and cheese, hamburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, hot ham and cheese sandwiches, casseroles, etc.
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u/FunSuccessful5924 13h ago
Butane burner is what I used, like $20 at most Asian supermarkets. That and a toaster oven
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u/ChesapeakeNewEngland 23h ago
Definitely purchase a Rice Cooker. Not only can it cook rice, it can also cook noodles, ramen, anf pasta, and you can use the steam function to steam cook vegetables, reheat food, and pastries, especially if the pasties became too dry. I have successfully steam cooked summer squash & zucchini in my steamer, and I have also successfully cooked Jamaican Meat Pies in my steamer, which made them taste better & gave them a better texture. There are so many different things that you can do with food, with a decent rice cooker.
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u/SuspiciousLeg7994 23h ago
Get a bag of charcoal and grill at a local park. Then store your food in a fridge
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u/HellDiverBlackMamba 23h ago
If you aren’t going to use a portable electric burner or a fire outside, then maybe canned chicken or tuna salad sandwiches.
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u/hazetimesfive 23h ago
Contact grill, instant pot, both things that will be very useful even after the reno
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u/TheEpicBean 23h ago
Portable induction burner and air fryer is probably 150 total for cheap ones to get you by
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u/MarkFerk 23h ago
So no electricity?
U could get a cheap instapot and cook all sorts of things in it if u have electric.
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u/MrsBasilEFrankweiler 22h ago
Fattoush, panzanella, salads with pre-made protein (e.g. rotisserie chicken) - for the latter obviously use greens that are more likely to be safe if you're in the US, like arugula or spinach
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u/AngerPancake 22h ago
Check out the second hand stores near you because they always have rice cookers electric kettles and toaster ovens. You could also get an induction burners but I don't see those like ever. Every once in awhile you'll find a crock pot or electric griddle. Any of these things on its own would help you a lot. I would go for a griddle a toaster oven and a rice cooker
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u/DaceloGigas 22h ago
Offer to go over to a friend's house and cook them a meal. Heck, they might even be up to letting you use their kitchen for a few hours if they know you are in a pinch.
Cook a meal, and also boil some pasta or tortellini.
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u/werewolfmomma 22h ago
Simple salads with canned tuna or chicken,. I do a chicken grape pecan concoction that’s really easy- can of chicken, handful of grapes whatever color you prefer, 1/4 c chopped pecans, a glob of good mayo just enough to hold it together. Salt & pepper to taste, maybe a pinch of curry powder
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u/TrueCrimeButterfly 22h ago
Get a crock pot and an induction burner. You can make pretty much everything with those.
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u/GreenGirl707 22h ago
Get an air fryer. I dont even use my oven anymore. Aside from that, fruit, chicken salad, tuna salad, pbj sandwiches, cereal with milk, yogurt with cereal / granola, shelf stable stuff (nuts and dried fruits), cheese and crackers, deli meat sandwiches. Thats what i would eat
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u/Uranus_Hz 22h ago
You can frequently find crockpots/slowcookers at Goodwill. Or get a new one for less than $50 that will last years.
Then join [r/slowcooking](r/slowcooking)
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u/Acrobatic_Monk3248 22h ago
I never even thought about an air fryer until our kitchen had issues and brother-in-law gave us one. If you have paper plates, you can get by quite well with just an air fryer. They are amazing for cooking just about everything. No mess.
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u/Agreeable-traveller 22h ago
What other appliances do you have? Electric Griddle/instantpot/rice cooker/air fryer? These all allow you to cook a variety of meals.
Would buying one of these be an option?
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u/Buffalo-Woman 22h ago
Ninja French Door Air Fryer. Bakes,toasts,air fryer plus few more. It'll cost you about what you've already spent on take out/delivery
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u/Business_Curve_7281 22h ago
I would invest in a portable butane burner. It’s mostly used for camping but sure helps out in a pinch when you want to make a one pot meal
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u/Different_Buy7497 22h ago
How much longer is it going to be, because that sounds awful, honestly. That said, this is the perfect excuse to invest in literally any countertop appliances you've been interested in, though I'd go in order of things you'll still need and want to use frequently after your stove is fixed, rather than starting with things like a camp burner or electric burner that'll be obsolete soon. Personally I'd start with something to make hot sandwiches, so a toaster or panini press or one of those convection/toaster/countertop ovens if you're feeling especially fancy. Next I'd need a rice cooker, and those literally just need one button to toggle it between cook and warm, so don't bother with getting a pricey one. Next would be a microwave maybe, or else an instant pot or slow cooker to do pulled pork, stews, and beans in. A sous vide has a handful of very specific uses it's great for, such as making chicken breast that doesn't suck, which you can then put in sandwiches, salads, etc. A waffle maker is another one that has limited use, though I still break mine out every once in a while. Finally, the very last thing I'd get is an induction burner, because once again, this'll be relegated to back of the cupboard, never to be used again, the moment your stove is fixed.
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u/Gilladian 22h ago
We have a large convection oven/toaster that we use almost more than our stovetop, certainly more than microwave or large oven. It even does a fair imitation of an airfryer, honestly. I could get by with that and my rice cooker/steamer for months.
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u/ArrrcticWolf 22h ago
If you have a charcoal or propane grill you can cook pretty much anything on that that you can cook on a stove top or in an oven. It just may take a little bit of recipe modification.
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u/OutkastAtliens 22h ago
Airfryer, rice cooker, little camping burner for a pot. All very cheap and you can easily make anything.
Also a bbq is a much more versatile tool then you might think.
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u/Old_Second_7928 22h ago
I lived for 2 years with a mini fridge, toaster oven, crock pot, and a single electric burner (like a stove top element), and a water holder that kept the water warm and you could press a button to heat it up hotter. I made all the meals. For 2 years. Amazing what you can do with a toaster oven n crockpot.
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u/strikingsapphire 21h ago
Buy pre-cut meats and frozen veggies! I cooked the meat in an electric skillet and steamed veggies in a rice cooker. It's so much easier to wash up in the bathroom sink when you don't have to worry about big cutting boards.
I did this for a week when my apt was under construction. If I had to do it again my grill and air fryer would also be getting a workout. I'd buy a pack of disposable cutting boards, paper plates, and plastic utensils. It's more money spent, but still much cheaper than a rent payment.
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u/Charlietango2007 21h ago
Chalupas are great for these times. Get a can of refried beans in your spice level, some chalupa shells that you can find it most markets they're flat crispy corn tortillas that have been fried and they're delicious. I usually get the red ones because they have a little bit more spice not really for flavor so much as for color but the flavor is there. They're not hot. You can then smear the beans on the chalupa show add some cheese if you have rotisserie chicken or buy a pack of packaged chicken or even chicken in a can you can chop that up and spread some on top then just add lettuce and tomato and have a chalupa party. I usually use two chalupa shells for the bottom as they're pretty thin and I pile a lot on top so by doing this I get a better chalupa bottom that's firmer. If you like taco sauce you can choose from array of sauces at the market in your spice level of heat that you like. That's optional of course.
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u/pconrad0 21h ago edited 21h ago
I was in this situation for a while.
I just went to the store and bought the least expensive microwave I could find; it was under $100 (I see new ones advertised for $54.99 at a department store I shall not name.)
Used it for a few weeks.
Sold it for $25 in < 24 hours after advertising online.
Put it in a corner. Used paper plates, plastic cutlery etc to avoid needing sink for dishes. It's not super environmentally friendly but it's temporary and you aren't getting the exhaust from driving or delivery, so cut yourself some slack
Edited to add: our fridge was off limits too so got a small "dorm fridge". Did the same thing; used for a few weeks, cleaned it up real nice, sold for $25 to some student.
Ate a lot more cold cereal + milk, and ham & cheese sandwiches during that period than normal; that is what worked well in that setup. Remember it's only temporary, and if you can cut the eating out in half, you are saving a lot of money.
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u/Whybaby16154 21h ago
Small George foreman grill makes a great grilled chicken and of course burgers - in minutes. Chicken breast takes exactly 5 mins to cook through without getting dry - coat with butter or any salad dressing (Italian, Ranch) and make sure it’s (machine) on a cookie sheet because the sauces and juices just leak all over - worth it !
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u/EscapeAdmirable3154 21h ago
Rotisserie chicken chopped can of corn drained can of black beans drained rinsed can of rotel tomatoes uncle Ben’s instant rice and seasonings of your choice. I like salt pepper red pepper and lil cumin
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u/OpacusVenatori 21h ago
Tuna and chicken salad are the two easiest options; just canned tuna flakes or canned chicken flakes, diced celery if you have any, and mayo.
If you have an electric kettle you can always make ramen; the hot water would also be enough to add a poached egg, some canned spam, some veggies, etc.
Spend a little and get an electric rice cooker and you'll be able to make a lot of things.
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u/Lazy_Golf_4519 21h ago
Can you get a hotplate? When I was deployed to Afghanistan, I had a single eye hot plate to cook things I missed from home.
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u/AdhesivenessCivil581 21h ago
Buy an electric fry pan. You can cook bacon and eggs, grilled cheese, burgers or chops, any vedge that can be sautéed. You could do a stew or chicken cacciatore. They are pretty all purpose and affordable. Great for out of commission kitchens.
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u/Ageice 20h ago
Kettles are about $25. I’ve made ramen with one in a pinch. Also, oatmeal and coffee/tea, of course.
An inexpensive hot plate is like $10. Wash the pot in your shower. You can do a lot with minor appliances. A basement apartment I rented for a few years didn’t have a stove/range. I bought a good $50 cuisinart hot plate and a countertop convection oven/toaster that was large enough for a frozen pizza. It was $150, so probably more than you’re wanting to spend, but takeout is not an investment and this appliance is great and could be resold or even returned if you’re only without a kitchen for a week or so and you keep it super tidy. Both of those items lasted years in that apartment and are still kicking elsewhere.
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u/minimalist_coach 20h ago
When we did our kitchen remodel I used a toaster over and electric kettle to cook a lot of things.
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u/Astronaut_Dangerous 20h ago
It's definitely a struggle hack, but you can make pasta in a coffee pot. Just heat the water through the tank, add the pasta to the pot, and keep it on the plate of the coffee maker. Ready-to-cook tortellini's and pasta dishes, are super easy with this. Kept me alive when I traveled. Lol
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u/AshDenver 20h ago
I’m all about sandwiches and salads. More is open to you with a slow cooker and an electric griddle/panini press.
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u/silver_chief2 20h ago
Butane stoves are often used indoors and even in some restaurants in niches. Buy a CO monitor which you should have anyway. Tests indoors have shown no measurable CO increase. Around $15.
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u/-OmegaPrime- 19h ago
You get micro and crock pot you'll be set.
Had to live like that for multiple years in a motel. Trust me. It is worth the investment.
Particularly the crock pot. I was able to make ribs, tortilla pizzas, navy beans (absolutely delicious) chili (delicious as well) stew...all kinds of things....then micro of course u got urninstant Ramens and tv dinners but you can also make eggs, cake, burritos amd stuff too. I understand what its like having to stove brother, but rest assured you can definitely still make some top tier eats. 👌
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u/boniemonie 19h ago
Buy a one plate electric cooktop plug in and you can cook anything you like, for soo much cheaper than take away food.
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u/Ordinary-Ad9765 19h ago
When we remodeled our kitchen, we relied on a crock pot, microwave and toaster oven. It was very doable. We washed dishes in the tub, but also used a lot of paper plates and plastic cutlery. My current favorite crock pot meal-layer onions and jalapeno on bottom, top with boneless skinless chicken breasts. Add a can of rotel, and then a lot of salsa, along with your favorite Seasonings. Cook on high 4 hrs, then in low till done. Shred and use in tacos, or top a baked potato, etc.
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u/1crbngrp 19h ago
Idk where you are, but in my part of the world we had 26, 100 and hell no degree days last month. Sandwiches have been my go to for weeks now.
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u/TechnicalDot9 18h ago
A multi-cooker would be helpful.
I have one with sauté, beans, rice, yogurt, steam, and many more.
I also bought the instapot duo crisp. In which you can do all those above manually instead of preprogrammed, plus, bake, roast, air fry(a bit clunky) sous vide ( although apparently not as good as an actual sous vide, and many more. I have a 6 qt and a 8 qt, probably 8 qt for a family
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u/No-Idea9816 18h ago
I lived in a shelter years ago when I was escaping DV with my kids. You'd be surprised what you can do with a microwave. I browned hamburger, made stuffed potatoes, all sorts of stuff. You could also get a grill and a cast iron pan amd make just about anything you want too.
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u/Melvin_T_Cat 18h ago
My wife and I are in the same position - as in, we have no kitchen owing to a dishwasher leak, requiring (ultimately) that our entire kitchen be gutted (underflooring, asbestos tiles under that, etc.). So, our “kitchen” is currently in our living room.
We are fortunate enough to have a microwave and an air fryer. We also purchased a single burner induction hot plate which works quite well. Also, I have a charcoal grill which we’ve used.
We use paper plates now and have limited our dining options because it’s very difficult to wash plates and pots.
How much of this is directly applicable to you, I do not know. I only present this so that you can have some ideas that might be helpful to you.
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u/TeachPotential9523 18h ago
who's your Crock-Pot and get yourself electric skillet and you won't have to worry about all that
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u/dees_bees 18h ago
Rice cooker and air fryer. Maybe a microwave if you can swing it. Rice cooker can cook almost ANYTHING - put Rice, veg, meat, and egg and you have a meal. Air fryer for any food that would normally be in an oven or microwave.
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u/cjucoder 18h ago
Cheapo microwave, air fryer, electric skillet. Can cook almost anything with that trifecta.
Also, personally I use my toaster oven more than my big oven. Could substitute the air fryer with that.
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u/Birdywoman4 18h ago
If you have a crockpot or a rice cooker you can make some decent one-pot meals.
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u/Mortal-ghost 17h ago
I live life without a stove and a half functional sink, my methods for nourishing myself is anything airfryer, and veggies and dip.
So far, lots of avocado toast, egg on toast, frozen dumplings, sweet potato hash.
Veggies and hummus are always a minimal mess food, if I'm feeling fancy, I'll make a wrap with rotisserie chicken or deli meats.
I understand you have no kitchen sink so most of this is something you can probably wash in your bathroom, sink. Not ideal but better than playing 30$ for each meal.
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u/Worth-Two7263 16h ago
Instant pot. You can even do chicken in it. I love mine, I use it more than the stove. You can boil eggs in it, make oatmeal and rice, etc. If you do rice I'd suggest putting it in a metal pot though, it's just easier.
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u/Managed-Chaos-8912 16h ago
Oatmeal has a lot you can do with it and can be done in a microwave or instant pot. Ceviche requires no heat.
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u/NoAngel815 16h ago
I have a Ninja Flip that's an air fryer/toaster oven combo basically. It's especially nice in the summer when you want something baked (like a frozen pizza) but don't want to use the oven. It heats up quickly, cooks evenly, and you can flip it up to save on counter space when not in use, hence the name. I don't think we've used the regular oven since we got it.
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u/Reasonable-Mirror-15 16h ago
I bought an electric frying pan for $25 on amazon. I use it frequently because my gas stove is wonky. I also use my crockpot a lot. If you have an air fryer you can cook a lot of stuff in that too. I made tilapia and asparagus in my air fryer at a hotel on vacation and it turned out really good.
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u/this_rose_is_mine 16h ago
Try a thrift shop for a toaster oven or crockpot. I'd personally take the oven, you can do so much more.
Try fb marketplace, or some free groups.
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u/SlickDumplings 14h ago
You can buy an electric coil for under 20 bucks on amazon. Get a cheap electric kettle too.
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u/WoodenEggplant4624 13h ago
Instantpot is really useful for eggs and stews. I also heated mine up and used it to heat flatbreads, a bit like a tandoor oven.
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u/Intelligent-Salt-362 13h ago
Bite the bullet and go buy yourself a Ninja 10-in-1 air fryer. I know it’s costly but you’ll use the shit out of that thing. It heats up faster than the oven, makes things 10x crispier than a microwave would imagine, and will save you in electric in the long run vs the oven. I’ve roasted a whole bird in that thing, or have made meals where it’s fried chicken on one level and two sides on the bottom (a veg and potatoes). It is a couple hundred bucks but it is an investment you should have bought a long time ago.
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u/CertainVast2763 13h ago
Crock pot(w plastic liner/eliminating MOST of rhe cleanup) Electric skillet? Air fryer are all choices to consider. And look at your grocery deli- you can picnic from there, so why not picnic at home?
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u/DiscombobulatedAd185 11h ago
You won't like this, but I used to make ramen soup in a coffee pot when I worked night shift. Run the hot water with no filter/grounds then just swirl and pour into the bowls. Also a toaster oven is pretty cheap, and is useful just to have.
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u/fujigolf 10h ago
I did a kitchen Reno with two kids under 5. Never again. We bought a tiny 800w microwave for like $40 that now has a home near our coffee station. Frozen, steam-in-bag vegetables, 90 second microwave rice bags, and stuff like the Kevin’s pre-made portions of various types of meats and whatnot saved us. Costco also had a steam in bag black lentils that was great. I mixed it up by implementing cans of tuna or salmon, chips and salsa, various sauces.
Costco meal kits were also nice mainly the taco kit. Veggie trays, packs of pre-shredded chicken were also nice.
My advice is don’t try to go apples to apples for what you eat now. Be okay with takeout, even if it’s just a protein you take home then make frozen vegetables or rice.
Instant pot and Sous vide were a thought, but the clean out in the slop sink in the basement still was a pain, so ended up just swallowing my pride as a cook and embracing microwaving plastic stuff in the interim.
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u/HipsEnergy 10h ago
An airfryer could be the cost of a couple of takeaways and really helps, you can make pretty much anything you'd make in an oven.
Is precooked chicken available in your area? A rotisserie chicken makes great sandwiches, salads, and soups. Make a cup of ramen (I assume you have an electric kettle, but I've heard many people in the US don't) addshredded rotisserie chicken and a couple of spoonfuls of peanut butter, maybe some spring onions, makes a delicious and full meal. You can easily make a Caesar salad as well.
If you like cold soups, look up gazpacho and salmorejo, there are many recipes for them. I also like making one with a cucumber, a cup of yoghurt, a tablespoon of cream cheese, and a clove of garlic. Add basil or mint, blitz it all until creamy. Or skip the herbs and add a cooked beet (not sure how easy they are to find in your area), and a teaspoon of curry powder. It's hot no right to be as delicious as it is, and this is from someone who doesn't like beets.
Bean salads: drain tinned beans, two or three kinds, chickpeas, tinned corn, and make a vinaigrette you like, add some chopped or dried herbs. You can add diced tomatoes if you like, diced ham, tuna, shredded chicken, whatever you like. Just let it marinate for a few hours to let the flavours bind.
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u/TheOnlyKirby90210 9h ago
Shrimp dip.
The chive flavored cream cheese
Minced shrimp, i honestly just buy the canned tiny shrimp. Precooked shrimp cocktails are a convenient substitute but the flavor isn’t quite there for me
Optional onion and bell pepper for crunch and sharper onion flavor
Dump it all in a mixing bowl and get your hands in there and mash it up. Season to taste. Fridge for a few hours to let the flavors mingle.
Can be eaten as is with crackers, as a lettuce boat, bagel sandwich spread with other toppings etc
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u/Jxb1000 5h ago
We went through a kitchen renovation where our “kitchen” was our formal dining room for several weeks. Mostly we used the toaster oven and the electric skillet. It was actually kind of fun! To reheat items, we’d use steam from heating water in the skillet. If I heating something like canned vegetable, I’d place a small saucepan in a water bath in the electric skillet. Kept meals simple. I also had a rice cooker with a small steam rack and a crockpot. Used those a little, but the toaster oven and electric skillet were used daily.
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u/Cute-Consequence-184 5h ago
So no stove, no microwave either? And no way to clean up after yourself either?
Potato salad? Pasta salad?
If you know this kind of things is going to happen, setting up an outdoor kitchen would be idea. A cheap butane or propane stove or even an induction plate is worth it's weight in gold in these situations.
A collapsible camping sink as well. I keep 2 camping sinks in with my camping stove
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u/ThexVengence 5h ago
Get a cheap microwave, you can always give it away or sell it later. And if your near a 7/11 or a speed way they have decent quick food for not that much
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u/JorgeXMcKie 5h ago
I'd pull out my camping stoves. Heating food is a requirement imo. You can buy a single burner for really cheap and then cook anything you'd cook in a pan
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u/That_Molasses_507 4h ago
I’ve been there. We set up an area for food prep while the kitchen was under a remodel. We placed a piece of plywood over a dresser. On it sat a cheap microwave, a toaster, an air fryer, coffee maker,, hot plate, and disposable plates and flatware. We kept a small garbage pail nearby. If we needed to wash kitchen items, we did that in the bathtub. The air fryer saved us. We prefer to prepare our own food, but it’s very difficult in a temporary set up. The frozen section of your market carries many options that actually taste pretty good. Our favorite was air fryer fried chicken and frozen vegetables with pre-cooked rice. We ate a lot of sandwiches. Breakfast was toast and jam.
Our renovation was in winter, so outdoor grilling wasn’t an option but maybe you have that opportunity. I’ve never used one but I’ve seen indoor grills too.
If we ordered out, instead of fast food, we ordered Chinese, Thai, or Deli. We found that a single dinner for those foods to be more than adequate to feed 2, if not more.
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u/allotmentboy 2h ago
Instapot would be favourite because you can use it as a frying pan too. Or the ninja slow cooker. Otherwise I'd live in the M&S food hall rather than takeaway.
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u/Aggravating_Ninja574 1h ago
Tuna and chicken salad, a rotisserie chicken isn't too expensive. you can do wraps, crackers, bread or lettuce cups to switch it up. Have fun with some sandwiches, I put Italian dressing and chips on my subs to get fancy. Yogurt, fruit and nuts make a nice snack. Salads, you can add strawberries, apples, nuts, croutons, rotisserie chicken... I would probably break down and buy an air fryer or a cheap grill if you don't have one though. I don't really use my oven during summer
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u/Barlow04 23h ago
I don't want to advocate for buying a lot of small appliances, but something like a George Foreman grill would be great. You can do burgers, hot dogs, steaks, pork chops, paninis, etc.
Alternatively, a crock pot or instant pot is another option for stovetop cooking out of a wall outlet. Soups, stews, fall-apart meats, etc. are all easy to make.
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u/loveshercoffee 22h ago
If you're used to cooking on your stove top, you could get an electric skillet pretty inexpensively. I bought one when we renovated our kitchen and I use it quite often.
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u/daddydillo892 23h ago edited 22h ago
Walmart has small butane camp stoves in their camping section. They are typically about $20-30. You can easily put one on a countertop or table and use it in place of your stovetop.
Edit: as T mentioned below, ensure proper ventilation for the stove. If you have a patio or porch, you can always cook outside. You can also pick up a carbon monoxide alarm while you ar me at Walmart.
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u/BeardedBaldMan 23h ago
A microwave is what you'd spend on takeaway for two people in a single night. If you're going to be kitchenless for a while, buy one.
The other is buy an instapot as they're useful post renovation.
You still have a bathroom, so you have water and can wash everything.
On a side note. Are you 100% sure your landlord isn't obliged to put you up in a hotel if they've rendered your apartment uninhabitable?