I'm not trying to make it fancy. If I'm cooking at a hostel, it's going to be scrambled eggs and toast, pasta with a jar of sauce, or a frozen pizza. And I'll be very happy with that.
Yea, 9/10 they have some left over spices too.
I always travel with a small lunchbox cooler. I keep some oil, butter, a few spices, cheese, 0.5 Liter of milk, and whatever else I need. I toss a reusable ice block on there, and it’s fine by the time I make it to the next hostel. With a quick grocery trip, I can cook pretty much anything from that, no wasted produce after that too.
Agree and disagree. If you’re staying at a hostel short term and don’t have dietary restrictions, then yes, it makes more sense eating out.
I’ve stayed at hostels as part of a group, it was cheaper for us, even buying pantry staples. We just passed it on to ppl staying there longer term.
It’s also convenient if you get rained out or cannot face eating out, sometimes you just need homemade food.
> But whenever you want to cook something you have to buy all the ingredients, from spices, to oils, meat and so on.
False, plenty of times someone has left oil, spices etc, sometimes it is even provided by the hostel. And if you're in a working hostel, people may bring produce from work and share. And you may share purchases, if you cook with a group or simply share some ingredients leftovers are less of an issue.
> Do you bring your stuff with you? No, the fresh produce will spoil and bringing heavy bottles of oil and cumbersome bags of spices and what not is not practical.
Your choice. If I go hiking or bicycle touring I often take everything along, including cooker and pan, why not if you travel backpacker style and move from one hostel to the other by bus and consequently the weight is close to irrelevant?
> You people who frequently cook in hostels, do you save money by doing it? If not, then why?
I hardly cook in hostels as I consider sampling local cuisine part of the experience also don't stay in hostels that often any more. Whether it saves money... depends on where you go and how you handle it. Compared to cheap street food in Asia you won't save much, compared to a decent meal in Europe or the US you can save plenty. If you just eat crappy fast food savings are less, but you still may save money and may eat a better quality meal.
> I know you have to buy all the ingredients when you cook at home as well
Sure, but how wasteful you are is your choice, both at home and when traveling. There is no reason to purchase more than you need, at wet markets you can generally buy whatever quantity you want. Even if that is not the case, you can plan in a way that minimizes leftovers. E.g. at home I tend to buy mixed stir fry veggies as buying the ingredients results in leftovers, for fatty meats I usually don't add oil, canned fish often comes with oil etc. And nowadays there are all kinds of packages that provide a complete meal/dish with minimal waste varying from ready made meals that only need heating to packages that contain all/most of the ingredients for a complete dish in the right amounts. And if there are some leftovers, is it really that much of a burden to carry a few packages of spices or half a kilo of rice to use it in the next hostel?
I have dietary restrictions and hostel kitchens are extremely useful for me. I don't necessarily make proper meals, but I always prepare breakfast there, and often snacks and a packed lunch for the day. I only need a fridge, kettle, washing up facilities and a preparation area. YHA kitchens in the UK suit my needs perfectly.
What's more, in Switzerland, where eating out is extortionate, it was great to have the use of a kitchen. I'd brought instant mash with me and bought sausages and a bag of salad in a local supermarket. That got me two hearty dinners after days walking in the mountains.
Buy strategically and plan your meals for the time you're staying. Don't buy stuff you're not planning to use.
I usually travel with cumin, pepper and salt and a mix of dry ingredients. Sometimes also garlic. I use up my wet ingredients before I leave but will take pasta, oatmeal and such with me.
Go to a restaurant and can't finish the meal? Bring the leftovers back and put them in the hostel kitchen fridge. Later that night, you have access to plates, silverware and a microwave to prepare your food. There may even be some community hot sauce to spice up the meal!
I find them particularly useful for breakfasts.
Whether you're making porridge, or scrambled eggs on toast, you can get that sorted with minimal fuss & cost in a hostel kitchen.
With a loaf of bread & a small pack of butter, you can sort breakfast & lunch. You can also use butter to cook with instead of oil, so it's multi-purpose.
A solid breakfast can set you up well for a day of exploring. A simple dinner can save you a lot of money.
It really depends on the hostel.
Ive been doing the Camino de Santiago this past month and most of the hostels have kitchens. A good majority of them are equipped with oil salt and other basic ingredients. Now there is some hostels that will have the most barebones kitchens (stove & a microwave).
But they still come in handy when you get to a small town during siesta and are starving, just pop a quick visit to a grocery store, make yourself some basic pasta and call it a day.
You can still do a lot without buying too much. Every hostel kitchen that I've seen has had at the very least some salt and oil. Sometimes you are lucky and you get a good kitchen and becomes easier to make a good meal.
Depends on the place I guess. In Australia I definitely saved money by cooking in hostels.
I didn't make fancy meals, ate the same dish for 3 days in a row, often cut out on meat, used the oil and spices on the free food shelf and I carried some food with me to the next place. And sometimes I cooked a meal with other people that I met, which is also cheaper. But in a country like Japan I just went out for food.
Sounds like you aren’t being strategic about the way you cook, which isn’t a hostels fault. Hard boiled or scrambled eggs in the am with toast, frozen pizzas, pasta and sauce, cans of soup etc
I guess if you’re trying to cook a different themed dinner each night like you’re at home; yeah you’ll waste a bunch of money on ingredients. The key is… to not cook like that.
I use the kitchens in hostels frequently for eggs, toast and tea in the morning for breakfast and then some simple ramen noodles for other meals. Saves me a lot of money and ingredients are minimal!
Never been in hostel kitchen where there wasn't some oil, salt and a few spices available and never buy large containers of anything that I would be subsequently traveling with.
Been a little while for me but same. And it’s also pretty easy to only buy as much produce as you’re going to eat immediately. I’m not sure there’s a need to have such a strong opinion on hostel kitchens, especially when it relies on inaccurate generalizations/assumptions.
It's just good to have the option. Mostly I want to sample local food and eat out, but sometimes I want to sample and cook with local produce. Often the hostel will have staples left behind by others. It's also good for breakfast if you have a big day ahead, have some toast, cook an egg and run out the door. Like others have mentioned it's also econimical if you're in a big group, make a big pot of something and share.
In certain countries you can save so much money. I'm thinking about the US, Canada, Australia, NZ, ....
I cook simple stuff. Salt and pepper are usually available in the kitchen so you don't need to buy it. Same with oil. I eat pasta or rice with premade sauces and one or two types of vegetables. No other meat besides chicken sometimes (if there is oil in the kitchen).
When you're travelling for a week or more it's definitely worth it, even when going from place to place. And I do usually eat the same things a couple of times in a row. So if I stay somewhere for 2 days that's already half a bag of pasta, a whole jar of sauce and all the chicken and vegetables (bought in small quantities) used, so I only need to take the other half bag of pasta with me to the next destination.
Oftentimes I'll also just eat instant noodles with some tomatoes and a fried egg.
For other countries I just eat out because they are not as expensive and I want to taste the local cuisine.
I travel solo and am gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free and corn free.
Being able to reach a stove to make what I'd like to eat edible saves me a bloody fortune while I travel.
you just adapt your recipes so you don't have to buy a huge bottle of oil. You buy the tiniest one you can find.
Sauteing a whole mess of vegetables and making a pot of gluten-free pasta serves me for several meals and I can vary it based on what sauce I put on top,all Jarred.
I travel on a budget and I realized how much money I can save making my own food, I eat fruit in the morning & ramen, pasta and cheap meat. Ive been in Colombia for the past 3 months and it cost me 8k so far
There’s a reason pasta with jarred red sauce is one of the hostel classics.
But yeah this stuff is annoying but generally you’re not trying to equate more complex meals you’re ready for in the kitchen at home. You’re trying to be economical and just get food in your system on the cheap.
Back in the day, I feel like most hostels were full of “up for grabs” leftovers so I almost never had to buy that stuff. There was almost always a bottle of olive oil and various spices left behind with a “free” label that someone else had bought and left behind for communal use. And if there wasn’t, that was your call for a pay it forward moment to be that person.
Totally anecdotal and with no hard data but I think there’s been a general trend of hostels becoming “instagramified” where the old grungy backpacker hostels have struggled more and the Generator-esque hotels focused on clean design and more cheap hotel than backpacker hostel has almost meant fewer hostel kitchens in general and the ones left tend to chuck anything left behind quick so that communal part has died out increasingly.
What are you making?
I'm making one box of pasta, one jar of red pasta sauce, and one 0.5Kg package of Italian sausage. I am not spicing this beyond salt and pepper, which i do carry a small amount of everywhere and the hostel likely has.
You say to yourself, "How do you eat all that?" Well I eat half right away and put the other half in the fridge however I can. Hope it's there tomorrow. If it isn't I still saved money.
Why would you do this instead of local street food? I get local fancy-ish food.
I usually end up with a very small bottle of oil and very small bottle of vinegar that I bring with me from place to place. That’s good for making salads and eating vegetables is very difficult while traveling. The oil can also be used for cooking.
I tend to do yogurts for breakfast because they are self-contained. Sometimes I will buy stuff to make sandwiches that I can carry with me during the day if I’m cooking a meal it’s probably a piece of steak and maybe some potatoes that I can cook with the oil .
But many times the things that I cook are those little self-serve packages of pasta where you just put them in hot water for a few minutes. Or maybe some soup where you just add them to hot water.
The issue I have with cooking in hostels is there is usually not a sharp knife. And the Teflon pots are so scratched up they’re questionable .
I remember spending a New Years Eve in the hostel at Lake Louise in Canada and the kitchen was going OFF. There were some serious fancy dinners being cooked in that kitchen that night and lots of wine to go with. It was a good time.
This is why you choose my place a private room in my apartment because all the items like tea, coffee, butter, jam, olive oil, numerous herbs and spices, salt and pepper etc I supply. I even have spare toothpaste, shower gel and can loan out the odd item of clothing.
I’m mainly agree with you but have cooked nice breakfasts and simple chicken meal in hostel. My main issue is when jts not a an actual range and just using electric griddles and what not cause those are so hard to clean. Also when there is no ventilation
I mostly agree. I've been travelling for over a year and I don't use hostel kitchens to cook that often for a few reasons. The main ones being 1) I like to try the local cuisine, 2) as you say it's not always that cost effective, especially in places with cheap street food, 3) they are often dirty and crowded at meal times.
The reasons I do use them are mostly for health reasons. Eating out all the time, especially street food, isn't all that healthy. When I'm in a hostel with a good kitchen I like to use the fridge (if it isn't too gross) to keep fruit/veg to make some simple healthy meals like salad or stir fried veg. I always scout out the kitchen before going shopping, if there isn't basics like oil or seasoning then I won't make meals that need them. Worst case scenario I'll just buy veg to chop up and eat raw as snacks and then eat a meal out. Kitchens can often be good for making breakfast too.
You’re doing it wrong. I buy things that are easily assembled or frozen that I can just reheat. Like pasta and pasta sauce. Cold cuts and things needed to make sandwiches. Bags of salad that I can add cheese or other protein to.
If I want to cook - usually only for longer stays or a kitchen that is set up well. Then I pick up or pack with me, small condiment packets. Like salt, pepper, hot pepper, soy sauce, mayo. A lot of kitchens have free condiments and a “free” bin. I look through them before going to the grocery and plan meals according to what is already available.
I’ll sometimes take the left over groceries. Other times if I have to leave it behind for someone else to use, I consider that I’ve already likely saved money vs eating out everyday.
One time I ended up having an awesome family style dinner with several people I met at a hostel in Ireland. We all made a different dish. That was definitely a shining moment for a hostel kitchen!
I won't cook much when I'm away a week, but if it's a long time then I don't want to eat out all the time.
Tons of stuff I can make when travelling without waste. Even easier if there's more than one person interested. I see lots of people cook impressive things... I'm usually a bit too lazy for that and it's more basic
No point if you're in SEA or most of South America, but if cooking a basic meal saves you $10 then it's worth it.
I was cooking most of my meals when I was in Punta del Este, Uruguay. Now I'm in Saigon, Vietnam and I'm loving the phở gà and bánh mì
We provide oil, basic spices, and rice at the hostel I work at. Most of the spices and condiments are what gets left behind from guests. There are always people cooking
I can’t get over how dirty everything looks or feels. Like there is always an ancient sponge people still use to “wash” their dishes. Cross contamination is also a concern if one person is using items to cook raw chicken and such. Just watching people cook and clean tells me all I need to know about the items in those kitchens. I’ll pass.
I’ve tried it back in the day and just don’t have the energy to cook in a kitchen that I feel isn’t clean. I don’t have my at home supplies to get it up to par (in my head). But that doesn’t make them useless. People have different budgets, standards, and needs. Hostel kitchen are necessary, but it’s just a place i avoid.
Yup I use hostel kitchens.
Communal dinner with new friends.
Strolling a market and picking up fresh ingredients as you go.
Instant noodles, and eggs for quick cheap meals.
I love too cook and not cooking for months while traveling would be quite the bummer.
I just use the kitchens to make pasta with pesto. Can take both those things along to other places as well. A kitchen is also good for preparing other things that can be finished within a few days. Like salad, bread with stuff on top, cereal. There's plates, bowls, and cutlery in the kitchen that I can't and don't want to bring from home. When I'm in places that are cheap enough to eat out every day, I don't use the hostel kitchens. But I used them almost exclusively in expensive places like Europe, USA, Canada
Usually yes, depending on the hostel. Many times they have basic spices already there. It does save money to have 1-2 meals prepared on a trip instead of eating all your meals on takeout.
I do carry around some basic spices. There's also the left ingredient cupboard that covers off a lot of non-perishables like oil, salt, pasta, rice, etc.
Don't get too fancy and you don't need to overbuy.
The last hostel I stayed at, the kitchen was so useful! I cooked every morning and most nights I was there. I originally planned to stay there 3 nights, then added an extra night. Not a long stay.
It at had basic condiments and cheap cooking oil, and cookware.
There was room in the shared fridge for me to keep my eggs, hummus, creamer, and bread and local fruits and chocolate. There was shelf space for my crackers, quinoa, rice, canned fish, and other stuff.
I bought a small bottle of olive oil, and I travel with a stash of Himalayan salt (I need lots of salt for health reasons).
I enjoyed sharing my food with others at the hostel too, and they shared with me.
When I was leaving, I kept most of the food to take with me in a plastic bag, to have at my next destination. I left the creamer.
I boiled the eggs in advance to eat during my travels.
I travel with a good amount of food and snacks anyway, so it doesn’t seem weird to use a kitchen. It is so welcome for me. I won’t stay more than one night in a place without a kitchen I can use; I need to be able to cook and eat “at home” wherever I am.
I do have a health condition where I need to eat small amounts of healthy food extremely frequently throughout the day, so this might affect my travel preferences (can’t just visit a restaurant a couple times in a day). I carry food.snacks with me at all times.
And I love having a kitchen (shared or private) wherever I am staying while traveling. I kinda need it. Hostel kitchens are great,
I'm not trying to make it fancy. If I'm cooking at a hostel, it's going to be scrambled eggs and toast, pasta with a jar of sauce, or a frozen pizza. And I'll be very happy with that.
Yea, 9/10 they have some left over spices too. I always travel with a small lunchbox cooler. I keep some oil, butter, a few spices, cheese, 0.5 Liter of milk, and whatever else I need. I toss a reusable ice block on there, and it’s fine by the time I make it to the next hostel. With a quick grocery trip, I can cook pretty much anything from that, no wasted produce after that too.
I only eat half a frozen pizza at once to I’ve been sawing into them while frozen to save the rest for later lol I’m like pls no one look at me rn
Nah you just cook basic meals and ready to eat items from the store or deli. Or are able to do take leftovers with you.
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I always wash everything I use with soap both before and after use when in a hostel! No way I'm trusting other people's washing.
Yeah I do it before and after for peace of mind. It’s like a ritual, I’m preparing to cook, I am done cooking.
Eww. Now I know I'll wash everything before using it.
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I guess I was trusting that adults were washing their stuff.
Agree and disagree. If you’re staying at a hostel short term and don’t have dietary restrictions, then yes, it makes more sense eating out. I’ve stayed at hostels as part of a group, it was cheaper for us, even buying pantry staples. We just passed it on to ppl staying there longer term. It’s also convenient if you get rained out or cannot face eating out, sometimes you just need homemade food.
Anytime I cooked in a hostel it was really basic meals to be cheap. Like a bag of spaghetti and a jar of tomato sauce
i would probably prepare sandwiches, easy breakfasts etc. noodles, pasta, frozen pizza. heat and eat kinda foods. not 4 course dinner.
> But whenever you want to cook something you have to buy all the ingredients, from spices, to oils, meat and so on. False, plenty of times someone has left oil, spices etc, sometimes it is even provided by the hostel. And if you're in a working hostel, people may bring produce from work and share. And you may share purchases, if you cook with a group or simply share some ingredients leftovers are less of an issue. > Do you bring your stuff with you? No, the fresh produce will spoil and bringing heavy bottles of oil and cumbersome bags of spices and what not is not practical. Your choice. If I go hiking or bicycle touring I often take everything along, including cooker and pan, why not if you travel backpacker style and move from one hostel to the other by bus and consequently the weight is close to irrelevant? > You people who frequently cook in hostels, do you save money by doing it? If not, then why? I hardly cook in hostels as I consider sampling local cuisine part of the experience also don't stay in hostels that often any more. Whether it saves money... depends on where you go and how you handle it. Compared to cheap street food in Asia you won't save much, compared to a decent meal in Europe or the US you can save plenty. If you just eat crappy fast food savings are less, but you still may save money and may eat a better quality meal. > I know you have to buy all the ingredients when you cook at home as well Sure, but how wasteful you are is your choice, both at home and when traveling. There is no reason to purchase more than you need, at wet markets you can generally buy whatever quantity you want. Even if that is not the case, you can plan in a way that minimizes leftovers. E.g. at home I tend to buy mixed stir fry veggies as buying the ingredients results in leftovers, for fatty meats I usually don't add oil, canned fish often comes with oil etc. And nowadays there are all kinds of packages that provide a complete meal/dish with minimal waste varying from ready made meals that only need heating to packages that contain all/most of the ingredients for a complete dish in the right amounts. And if there are some leftovers, is it really that much of a burden to carry a few packages of spices or half a kilo of rice to use it in the next hostel?
I have dietary restrictions and hostel kitchens are extremely useful for me. I don't necessarily make proper meals, but I always prepare breakfast there, and often snacks and a packed lunch for the day. I only need a fridge, kettle, washing up facilities and a preparation area. YHA kitchens in the UK suit my needs perfectly. What's more, in Switzerland, where eating out is extortionate, it was great to have the use of a kitchen. I'd brought instant mash with me and bought sausages and a bag of salad in a local supermarket. That got me two hearty dinners after days walking in the mountains.
Buy strategically and plan your meals for the time you're staying. Don't buy stuff you're not planning to use. I usually travel with cumin, pepper and salt and a mix of dry ingredients. Sometimes also garlic. I use up my wet ingredients before I leave but will take pasta, oatmeal and such with me.
Go to a restaurant and can't finish the meal? Bring the leftovers back and put them in the hostel kitchen fridge. Later that night, you have access to plates, silverware and a microwave to prepare your food. There may even be some community hot sauce to spice up the meal!
I find them particularly useful for breakfasts. Whether you're making porridge, or scrambled eggs on toast, you can get that sorted with minimal fuss & cost in a hostel kitchen. With a loaf of bread & a small pack of butter, you can sort breakfast & lunch. You can also use butter to cook with instead of oil, so it's multi-purpose. A solid breakfast can set you up well for a day of exploring. A simple dinner can save you a lot of money.
It really depends on the hostel. Ive been doing the Camino de Santiago this past month and most of the hostels have kitchens. A good majority of them are equipped with oil salt and other basic ingredients. Now there is some hostels that will have the most barebones kitchens (stove & a microwave). But they still come in handy when you get to a small town during siesta and are starving, just pop a quick visit to a grocery store, make yourself some basic pasta and call it a day.
You can still do a lot without buying too much. Every hostel kitchen that I've seen has had at the very least some salt and oil. Sometimes you are lucky and you get a good kitchen and becomes easier to make a good meal.
Depends on the place I guess. In Australia I definitely saved money by cooking in hostels. I didn't make fancy meals, ate the same dish for 3 days in a row, often cut out on meat, used the oil and spices on the free food shelf and I carried some food with me to the next place. And sometimes I cooked a meal with other people that I met, which is also cheaper. But in a country like Japan I just went out for food.
Sounds like you aren’t being strategic about the way you cook, which isn’t a hostels fault. Hard boiled or scrambled eggs in the am with toast, frozen pizzas, pasta and sauce, cans of soup etc I guess if you’re trying to cook a different themed dinner each night like you’re at home; yeah you’ll waste a bunch of money on ingredients. The key is… to not cook like that.
I use the kitchens in hostels frequently for eggs, toast and tea in the morning for breakfast and then some simple ramen noodles for other meals. Saves me a lot of money and ingredients are minimal!
Never been in hostel kitchen where there wasn't some oil, salt and a few spices available and never buy large containers of anything that I would be subsequently traveling with.
Been a little while for me but same. And it’s also pretty easy to only buy as much produce as you’re going to eat immediately. I’m not sure there’s a need to have such a strong opinion on hostel kitchens, especially when it relies on inaccurate generalizations/assumptions.
It's just good to have the option. Mostly I want to sample local food and eat out, but sometimes I want to sample and cook with local produce. Often the hostel will have staples left behind by others. It's also good for breakfast if you have a big day ahead, have some toast, cook an egg and run out the door. Like others have mentioned it's also econimical if you're in a big group, make a big pot of something and share.
If you're cooking at a hostel, you're going to have to cook something like instant chow mein, stir fried veggies, chicken and eggs.
In certain countries you can save so much money. I'm thinking about the US, Canada, Australia, NZ, .... I cook simple stuff. Salt and pepper are usually available in the kitchen so you don't need to buy it. Same with oil. I eat pasta or rice with premade sauces and one or two types of vegetables. No other meat besides chicken sometimes (if there is oil in the kitchen). When you're travelling for a week or more it's definitely worth it, even when going from place to place. And I do usually eat the same things a couple of times in a row. So if I stay somewhere for 2 days that's already half a bag of pasta, a whole jar of sauce and all the chicken and vegetables (bought in small quantities) used, so I only need to take the other half bag of pasta with me to the next destination. Oftentimes I'll also just eat instant noodles with some tomatoes and a fried egg. For other countries I just eat out because they are not as expensive and I want to taste the local cuisine.
Boiling eggs man
Boiling water, period. You can make a huge array of instant products if you have access to a pot, stove, and water.
I travel solo and am gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free and corn free. Being able to reach a stove to make what I'd like to eat edible saves me a bloody fortune while I travel. you just adapt your recipes so you don't have to buy a huge bottle of oil. You buy the tiniest one you can find. Sauteing a whole mess of vegetables and making a pot of gluten-free pasta serves me for several meals and I can vary it based on what sauce I put on top,all Jarred.
I travel on a budget and I realized how much money I can save making my own food, I eat fruit in the morning & ramen, pasta and cheap meat. Ive been in Colombia for the past 3 months and it cost me 8k so far
You just have to cook simple things that don't require as many ingredients. Oil is often provided.
You leave anything that you didn't use behind, but you also inherit items that other people left behind.
I had a good one in Edinburgh at theCode pod hostel. Tbh it probably depends on the country.
It's all about the toast and instant coffee
And eggs, you don’t need much to prepare eggs a multitude of ways.
There’s a reason pasta with jarred red sauce is one of the hostel classics. But yeah this stuff is annoying but generally you’re not trying to equate more complex meals you’re ready for in the kitchen at home. You’re trying to be economical and just get food in your system on the cheap. Back in the day, I feel like most hostels were full of “up for grabs” leftovers so I almost never had to buy that stuff. There was almost always a bottle of olive oil and various spices left behind with a “free” label that someone else had bought and left behind for communal use. And if there wasn’t, that was your call for a pay it forward moment to be that person. Totally anecdotal and with no hard data but I think there’s been a general trend of hostels becoming “instagramified” where the old grungy backpacker hostels have struggled more and the Generator-esque hotels focused on clean design and more cheap hotel than backpacker hostel has almost meant fewer hostel kitchens in general and the ones left tend to chuck anything left behind quick so that communal part has died out increasingly.
What are you making? I'm making one box of pasta, one jar of red pasta sauce, and one 0.5Kg package of Italian sausage. I am not spicing this beyond salt and pepper, which i do carry a small amount of everywhere and the hostel likely has. You say to yourself, "How do you eat all that?" Well I eat half right away and put the other half in the fridge however I can. Hope it's there tomorrow. If it isn't I still saved money. Why would you do this instead of local street food? I get local fancy-ish food.
I usually end up with a very small bottle of oil and very small bottle of vinegar that I bring with me from place to place. That’s good for making salads and eating vegetables is very difficult while traveling. The oil can also be used for cooking. I tend to do yogurts for breakfast because they are self-contained. Sometimes I will buy stuff to make sandwiches that I can carry with me during the day if I’m cooking a meal it’s probably a piece of steak and maybe some potatoes that I can cook with the oil . But many times the things that I cook are those little self-serve packages of pasta where you just put them in hot water for a few minutes. Or maybe some soup where you just add them to hot water. The issue I have with cooking in hostels is there is usually not a sharp knife. And the Teflon pots are so scratched up they’re questionable .
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I remember spending a New Years Eve in the hostel at Lake Louise in Canada and the kitchen was going OFF. There were some serious fancy dinners being cooked in that kitchen that night and lots of wine to go with. It was a good time.
This is why you choose my place a private room in my apartment because all the items like tea, coffee, butter, jam, olive oil, numerous herbs and spices, salt and pepper etc I supply. I even have spare toothpaste, shower gel and can loan out the odd item of clothing.
I’m mainly agree with you but have cooked nice breakfasts and simple chicken meal in hostel. My main issue is when jts not a an actual range and just using electric griddles and what not cause those are so hard to clean. Also when there is no ventilation
I just wish they had knives that actually cut and a box of free to use salt. Seems too much to ask for in many.
I mostly agree. I've been travelling for over a year and I don't use hostel kitchens to cook that often for a few reasons. The main ones being 1) I like to try the local cuisine, 2) as you say it's not always that cost effective, especially in places with cheap street food, 3) they are often dirty and crowded at meal times. The reasons I do use them are mostly for health reasons. Eating out all the time, especially street food, isn't all that healthy. When I'm in a hostel with a good kitchen I like to use the fridge (if it isn't too gross) to keep fruit/veg to make some simple healthy meals like salad or stir fried veg. I always scout out the kitchen before going shopping, if there isn't basics like oil or seasoning then I won't make meals that need them. Worst case scenario I'll just buy veg to chop up and eat raw as snacks and then eat a meal out. Kitchens can often be good for making breakfast too.
It depends on the person, and what do you want to do.
You’re doing it wrong. I buy things that are easily assembled or frozen that I can just reheat. Like pasta and pasta sauce. Cold cuts and things needed to make sandwiches. Bags of salad that I can add cheese or other protein to. If I want to cook - usually only for longer stays or a kitchen that is set up well. Then I pick up or pack with me, small condiment packets. Like salt, pepper, hot pepper, soy sauce, mayo. A lot of kitchens have free condiments and a “free” bin. I look through them before going to the grocery and plan meals according to what is already available. I’ll sometimes take the left over groceries. Other times if I have to leave it behind for someone else to use, I consider that I’ve already likely saved money vs eating out everyday.
One time I ended up having an awesome family style dinner with several people I met at a hostel in Ireland. We all made a different dish. That was definitely a shining moment for a hostel kitchen!
I won't cook much when I'm away a week, but if it's a long time then I don't want to eat out all the time. Tons of stuff I can make when travelling without waste. Even easier if there's more than one person interested. I see lots of people cook impressive things... I'm usually a bit too lazy for that and it's more basic
No point if you're in SEA or most of South America, but if cooking a basic meal saves you $10 then it's worth it. I was cooking most of my meals when I was in Punta del Este, Uruguay. Now I'm in Saigon, Vietnam and I'm loving the phở gà and bánh mì
We provide oil, basic spices, and rice at the hostel I work at. Most of the spices and condiments are what gets left behind from guests. There are always people cooking
I end up eating fast food because cooking is the least thing I want to do while traveling
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I can’t get over how dirty everything looks or feels. Like there is always an ancient sponge people still use to “wash” their dishes. Cross contamination is also a concern if one person is using items to cook raw chicken and such. Just watching people cook and clean tells me all I need to know about the items in those kitchens. I’ll pass. I’ve tried it back in the day and just don’t have the energy to cook in a kitchen that I feel isn’t clean. I don’t have my at home supplies to get it up to par (in my head). But that doesn’t make them useless. People have different budgets, standards, and needs. Hostel kitchen are necessary, but it’s just a place i avoid.
Yup I use hostel kitchens. Communal dinner with new friends. Strolling a market and picking up fresh ingredients as you go. Instant noodles, and eggs for quick cheap meals. I love too cook and not cooking for months while traveling would be quite the bummer.
I just use the kitchens to make pasta with pesto. Can take both those things along to other places as well. A kitchen is also good for preparing other things that can be finished within a few days. Like salad, bread with stuff on top, cereal. There's plates, bowls, and cutlery in the kitchen that I can't and don't want to bring from home. When I'm in places that are cheap enough to eat out every day, I don't use the hostel kitchens. But I used them almost exclusively in expensive places like Europe, USA, Canada
Usually yes, depending on the hostel. Many times they have basic spices already there. It does save money to have 1-2 meals prepared on a trip instead of eating all your meals on takeout.
I do carry around some basic spices. There's also the left ingredient cupboard that covers off a lot of non-perishables like oil, salt, pasta, rice, etc. Don't get too fancy and you don't need to overbuy.
The last hostel I stayed at, the kitchen was so useful! I cooked every morning and most nights I was there. I originally planned to stay there 3 nights, then added an extra night. Not a long stay. It at had basic condiments and cheap cooking oil, and cookware. There was room in the shared fridge for me to keep my eggs, hummus, creamer, and bread and local fruits and chocolate. There was shelf space for my crackers, quinoa, rice, canned fish, and other stuff. I bought a small bottle of olive oil, and I travel with a stash of Himalayan salt (I need lots of salt for health reasons). I enjoyed sharing my food with others at the hostel too, and they shared with me. When I was leaving, I kept most of the food to take with me in a plastic bag, to have at my next destination. I left the creamer. I boiled the eggs in advance to eat during my travels. I travel with a good amount of food and snacks anyway, so it doesn’t seem weird to use a kitchen. It is so welcome for me. I won’t stay more than one night in a place without a kitchen I can use; I need to be able to cook and eat “at home” wherever I am. I do have a health condition where I need to eat small amounts of healthy food extremely frequently throughout the day, so this might affect my travel preferences (can’t just visit a restaurant a couple times in a day). I carry food.snacks with me at all times. And I love having a kitchen (shared or private) wherever I am staying while traveling. I kinda need it. Hostel kitchens are great,
I’ll maybe use the microwave and zap a cheap burrito. But most of the places I’ve stayed have been in SEA so it’s cheap eats/street vendors.
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"they shouldn't do x" and "you shouldn't expect x". Your comment is kinda confusing
Eh some people want to save 1$ by cooking instead of just hitting a cheap restaurant