Foliage-strewn, grassy campuses are just around the bend, as it’s already August. (Sorry!) Gracie Hammond, one of our wonderful Summer 2021 interns, took it upon herself to ask her fellow interns what their go-to, can’t-live-without appliances are for dorm living and tiny-apartment lifestyles. (Sure, blenders are in there, but did you know kids today can’t live without their milk frothers?) So if you need the ideal gift for your niece, nephew, grandkid, kid or sibling about to take the big leap, read on.
1. Portable Gas Grill
Emma Treasure of University of California Berkeley, a merchandising intern here at Williams Sonoma, won’t be caught without her Portable Gas Grill this fall. “As a senior in college, I’m making a lot of my own food, which calls for new recipes and approaches to cooking,” she told us. “Getting an outdoor grill was an awesome addition as I can now cook various meats and different types of fish.” Emma’s a big fan of her grill for getting friends out at a summer night BBQ. (We’d suggest reasonably-priced flanken-cut ribs, grilled salmon with zucchini, and portobellos with salsa verde, Emma!)
2. Nespresso Aeroccino 3 Milk Frother
Don’t come between Georgetown’s Kate Barrett and her Nespresso Aeroccino 3 Milk Frother. The loyalty marketing intern at West Elm says “it’s a must-have.” She uses it “every morning, without fail, for everything from iced matcha lattes to oat milk cappuccinos.”
3. Panini Press
Gracie herself uses her Panini Press like it’s going out of style. The USC student says, “This panini press has been an essential appliance for me. It makes cooking grilled sandwiches so easy, and I have even made calzones and waffles in it.” (Consider pizza panini and Cubanos, too, Gracie!)
4. Nonstick Skillet
Ryan Home, also of Cal Berkeley, and a customer experience intern in our technology department, digs a classic favorite among seasoned cooks: a nonstick skillet. “I cook eggs, chicken and fry up rice in it. It’s easy to clean, and no hassle.”
5. Blender
Blenders forever! Daniel Levarte of Santa Clara U, a digital and ecommerce intern, says his has helped him “incorporate more fruits and veggies into my diets by making it easy to blend simple smoothies and creamy soups.” Ivy Richter of University of Miami, Ohio, an eCommerce Intern at Pottery Barn Kids, is right there with him. “Because I’m a smoothie addict and it’s just super easy to use and clean, I can take my meal on the go to class or work.” (Try this spring pea soup, kids! And Ivy, consider a smoothie bowl!)
6. Air Fryer
Penn student Annie Zimmer, a West Elm digital marketing intern, says, “My by-far favorite appliance at school is our Air Fryer. It makes cooking anything so easy and quick. I love making veggies and even salmon in it.” Rav Wijesuriya, USC student and outward business development intern at Outward, is right there with her. “I got it at the beginning of the pandemic and I love that I can literally cook anything in it basically.” (Consider wings, Annie and Rav! And fried chicken! Or apple chips or zucchini fries, for health.)
7. Instant Pot
Ava Mar, of the University of California at Santa Barbara is Pottery Barn’s content/social media intern and a big Instant Pot person. “I mostly use it to make rice but I’ve also made soup, queso, slow-cooked lamb, and other sauces, too. It’s so easy and fast and multifunctional.” (Nice. Ava, have you tried our carnitas recipe? Our steel-cut oats? Super-fast pasta?)
8. KitchenAid Mixing Bowl Attachment
College kids are full of surprises, and Zarah Umerani, marketing/creative services intern at Pottery Barn, is no exception. She must have more counter space than your average college student, because she’s really into her KitchenAid Stand Mixer! “I love the mixing bowl because it’s super handy when it comes to baking, which is something I love to do over the weekends or to blow off some stress!” Good for you, Zarah. Consider perfect chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter sea salt cookies, and our beloved lemon-blueberry drizzle cake.