Instant Pot Vs Shared Kitchen
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Which is better in barracks?
Unless you are lucky enough to have a kitchenette in your barracks room, you will likely be sharing a kitchen with your floor or barracks at large.
But it doesn’t mean you have to use it! Stoves can be greasy, dirty, and have little bits of food in hidden places. Well… that’s gross.
You still may be required to clean your kitchen even if you don’t use it, but you can control the quality of your own food.
Here’s a quick comparison to help you choose: Instant Pot Vs Shared Kitchen
| Feature | Instant Pot | Kitchen Appliances |
| Cleaning | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ |
| Space | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Safety | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Multi-use | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ |
| Cost | $ 50-200 | $ 20-50 Per item |
Bottom line: If Instant Pots are allowed by your unit, then I would consider getting one.
Helpful Products
Goo Gone
Keurig Mini
Simple Green
Representative image. Actual product may vary.
Compare Products
Highly mobile and can double as a space to store kitchen items when not in use. And easy to clean
Multi-purpose. When space and funds are tight, having a product that can fill many roles is key.
Can be used as a crockpot, pressure cooker, steamer, and fry pan.
Timers and app-controlled. Soups, chilis, and stews you can throw on in the am and have a meal waiting for you after a long day of PT, training, and getting yelled at by an NCO.
The pressure cooker function is great on frozen meats and thicker foods like potatoes that would normally take a while to cook.
Personal reasonability. You don’t need to wait for anything to free up or risk other people messing with your food. Set up a meal in your room, go work out, and come back to dinner if you want (if allowed in your rooms)
Shared Kitchen Appliances
Dependent on other schedules and other people within the barracks.
In the shared kitchen, you have a higher chance that someone may eat or interact with your food.
Your cooking space may require you to clean up others’ messes before your meal, which is aggravating cleaning up after other people.
Not good for when you’re in a hurry. You can leave a stove on if you get pulled away.
So much more to clean. Self-reliance is the way to go.
You can explore the Barracks Kitchen Guide below for a deeper look at kitchen cleaning.