Many travelers are forced to be trapped in hotel rooms for weeks or even months. The excitement of tasting every dish at a restaurant or room service wanes over time, and tourists are engulfed in a craving for home-cooked food. Use the following innovative ways to get around the absence of a kitchen. Note that most hotels only allow the use of microwaves and you could be fined or kicked out of the hotel if caught using other utensils to cook food.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Cooking with a Coffee Maker
Step 1. Wash the teapot and strainer thoroughly
Use warm water and soap to wash it so that the remaining coffee flavor can be removed as best as possible. If the bathroom sink is too small, ask reception for information about public sinks, or have the coffee pot cleaned.
- For most of the recipes featured here, you don't need to use a strainer basket at all, and just let the water run straight through.
- Do not use a coffee pot that has dark reddish-orange stains, or has a chemical smell. It is likely that the teapot has been used to brew methamphetamine, and the resulting coffee can be hazardous to health.
Step 2. Make an oat dish
Put two packets of instant oats in the pitcher. Add a small bag of honey, a small pack of fruit jam, and a pinch of salt. Pour 230 to 300 ml of water into a coffee pot, start the machine, and the oats will be ready in five minutes.
- To enrich the taste, place the tea bags with fruit flavors in the strainer basket.
- Even old (non-instant) oats can be cooked this way, but they will take longer to cook.
- No honey? Try adding pieces of fresh fruit or dried fruit.
Step 3. Make a half-boiled egg
Carefully place the eggs in the pitcher and allow the hot water to drip over the eggs. Let the eggs sit in the water for a few minutes. Repeat this process if necessary.
- There are several tests that can be done to find out if the eggs are cooked. Turn the egg, then stop the rotation with a quick touch of the finger. If the egg wobbles after the touch is released, it means the egg is still raw.
- The yolk may still be a bit runny. It's very difficult to make perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs this way.
- Do not eat eggs if the whites are not completely cooked.
Step 4. Cook instant noodles in the coffee maker
Put the noodles in the teapot. Add enough water to cover the noodles and turn on the coffee maker. Once the water has run through the coffee maker, let the noodles soak in the hot water for three minutes or as long as it takes to soften the noodles. Then drain the noodles carefully and add the spices.
Step 5. Use the coffee maker as a vegetable steamer
Place carrots, broccoli, and other vegetables in the filter basket of the coffee maker. Run the water through the coffee maker several times to get the desired softness.
- Do not use strong-smelling vegetables such as onions or peppers. Generations of tourists after you will curse your name while drinking hot coffee.
- You can cook more vegetables at once in the pot, but the water will make them less crunchy. Urinate frequently if you choose this method.
Step 6. Make instant rice
Put the rice in the pot. Add water according to the instructions on the rice package into the coffee maker. Leave the heater on until the rice is fully cooked and has absorbed most of the water.
Step 7. Mix hot water with wrap sauce or instant mashed potatoes
Run the water through the coffee maker and add the hot water to the sauce mixture or instant potato flakes. You should not add anything other than water to the coffee maker. This machine is made only to heat water, and the water will directly come into contact with the heating element. The sauce will burn over the heating element, causing the engine to fail.
Step 8. Boil the meat carefully
The old “coffee-machine meat” recipe isn't even on the food safety organization's list yet, but it's not hard to guess they will. A good coffee maker heats water to 93°C. This temperature is almost boiling, and hot enough to boil thin slices of boneless chicken breast in about 15 minutes, flipping only once when it's halfway through cooking time. However, many coffee makers, especially the cheap, old models found in hotel rooms, only heat water well below the above temperature, which cannot be used to cook meat to a safe temperature. If you try this recipe, do so at your own risk.
- When boiling, the water level should reach about half the thickness of the meat. Remove excess water if necessary.
- Once the meat is fully cooked, add a little milk, butter and pepper. Leave it for a minute, then remove it.
Step 9. Use the heating element as a hot plate
Lift the coffee pot to reveal the dish with a weak heat underneath. You can grill food on this heating element using a heat-safe small plate or tray made of heavy-duty aluminum foil (for heavy duty). Check out the recipe for using an iron below for some ideas.
Baking food on this heating element takes more time than cooking on the stove. You may not reach the temperature required to cook chicken or thick cuts of meat
Method 2 of 3: Recipe Using an Iron
Step 1. Prepare the iron
Most hotels keep irons in cupboards, or are provided upon request. Turn off the steam setting and place the iron on a cloth or linen surface before starting to cook.
Make sure the water reservoir is empty, or you'll have a hard time reaching high temperatures
Step 2. Remove the iron from the food if it starts to smoke
Most hotel rooms are equipped with smoke detectors that cannot be turned off. If you see smoke, remove the iron from the food and turn it off for a few minutes before continuing the cooking process.
Step 3. Make a grilled cheese sandwich or quesadilla
Place a sandwich or quesadilla between two layers of aluminum foil. Bend the edges of the foil to lock it so that it looks like a package. Press the iron over the surface of the package for about 30 seconds. Turn the package over carefully, without tearing the foil, and do the same on the other side for 30 seconds. Repeat if necessary.
You can make a variety of toasted sandwiches this way, as long as all the ingredients are cooked through or can be eaten raw. Try the sweet sandwich with peanut butter and chocolate chips
Step 4. Cook the bacon with an iron
Cut the bacon in half and place it between two sheets of foil, bending the edges together. Press the iron firmly over the entire surface of the foil. Carefully open the package with a fork every few minutes to check that the bacon is cooked through and to let off steam. It took about 15 minutes to get the bacon crispy.
- You may have to remove the oil every now and then to prevent the bacon from getting soggy. Pour the oil into the trash or on top of other food (such as cooked rice), never throw it into the drains.
- Cooking raw meat using an iron takes courage. To minimize bacterial contamination, wait until the bacon is completely crisp.
Step 5. Prop the iron upside down to use it as a frying pan
Support the iron using a pair of towel rolls or other small objects. Make sure the iron is firmly supported for a stable flat surface.
Place the iron on an ironing board to minimize the risk of burning
Step 6. Make a tray out of aluminum foil
Never forget to place heavy-duty aluminum foil between the iron and food. Bend the edges of the foil upwards to collect the liquid. This will protect the food from contamination, and prevent damage to the iron.
Use two sheets of foil if it is not labeled "heavy duty"
Step 7. Cook the food on a foil tray
The best strategy is to choose foods that are safe to eat raw, or foods that can be seen clearly when fully cooked. Here are some options:
- Grease the tray with butter and crack 1-2 eggs in it. Cook for about 7-10 minutes or until the eggs are solid, then flip and cook the other side.
- Wrap the vegetables in buttered foil and cook until they reach the desired temperature.
- Wrap the scallops in a foil tray and cook until they are solid and milky white or opaque.
- Cook the prawns until they turn red and opaque.
Step 8. Lift the tray using clothespins
Use two wooden clothespins to lift the foil after the food is cooked, while transferring it to a plate. The foil will get quite hot, so don't handle it with your bare hands.
Never use plastic clothespins as they will melt
Method 3 of 3: Microwave Serving
Step 1. Microwave the eggs
If you are good at using the microwave, you can make high-quality egg dishes in the microwave. This method has the lowest risk of causing an explosion, which in case will damage the microwave and mess up your hotel bill:
Separate the egg whites and yolks. Place in two separate cups. Pierce the yolks, and cover each cup with plastic wrap or paper towels. Microwave the egg whites for 30-60 seconds, then the yolks for 20-30 seconds. Allow them to fully cook for 2 minutes before eating
Step 2. Microwave the pasta
Pour the water into a bowl containing a handful of pasta. Put it in the microwave and cook it 3-4 minutes longer than the recommended cooking time on the package. Check every few minutes, stirring and rotating the bowl.
Step 3. Make the baked potato
Wash the potatoes in the bathroom sink, then prick the skin with a fork on all four sides. Cook for 5 minutes, then flip the potatoes over and cook another 3-5 minutes. Check the potatoes for doneness every now and then with a fork; The potatoes are cooked when the center is soft. Let sit for five minutes to fully cook, then slice the potatoes and eat with butter and salt.
Step 4. Try other recipes
The microwave is a versatile cookware. Look for other recipes for making food using the microwave on the internet.
Some of these recipes may call for frozen ingredients. Ask the receptionist for a mini fridge if there is no fridge in your room
Tips
- When you're done using the coffee maker, wash it thoroughly.
- Next time you travel, look for hostels with shared kitchen facilities, or apartments with kitchenettes for short-term rent. If your options are limited to hotels, call them in advance to see if they provide cooking facilities, or at least a microwave.
- Wash all equipment after use until completely clean.
- Ask the receptionist for supplies like plates, cups, cooking utensils, and condiments, or get some from the breakfast room. Don't say you're going to cook because it's usually not allowed.
- Foods that don't need to be cooked are often easier to make, especially if you have a mini fridge to store ingredients. You can make salads or sandwiches easily and quickly.
- Many hotels provide this equipment facility to guests who request it, even though the equipment is not provided in the room.
Warning
- If you damage hotel property, the hotel will charge a very high fee to replace the damaged item. So be careful!
- Cooking in hotel rooms violates most health and hotel regulations. If caught red-handed, you may be fined, charged equipment fees, and/or kicked out of the hotel.
- Never leave electrical equipment switched on and unattended, even for short periods of time. The iron can easily start a fire if it falls off the ironing board.
- Wash ice buckets and other containers with hot water and soap before using them as containers for serving food.
