Can You Have an Air Fryer in a Dorm Room? (Your Questions Answered)

Are you wondering “can I have an air fryer in a dorm room?”

Well, the answer is probably no, but it could depend on your specific school.

If you’re looking for a deeper answer, you’re in the right place.

I’ve got the all the things you need to consider before buying an air fryer for your dorm room!

This post will give you all the information you need to learn if you can have an air fryer in a dorm room.

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If you’re moving into a dorm for the first time, I know you’ve got A LOT of questions, including:

• Where do I buy stuff for my dorm? 
• What do I pack for my dorm?
• What kinds of cooking appliances are allowed in a dorm?
• Are air fryers allowed in dorms?

Related: 29 Best Dorm Shopping Websites Every College Student Should Know

I’ve got you covered!

Air fryers are awesome small appliances for college students. They reheat food better than microwaves and make cooking healthy delicious meals a breeze compared to using a traditional oven. 

So as a busy college student, it makes sense to want a convenient appliance like an air fryer in your dorm room to make quick meals. So of course you’re wondering, can I bring an air fryer to college?

Although having an air fryer in your room would be great, for most college dorms you cannot have an air fryer in your dorm room. 

Are air fryers allowed in a dorm room?

Do they allow air fryers in dorms?

The short answer is no, but it may depend on your specific college or even your individual dorm or residence hall. 

The main reason air fryers are not allowed in dorms is due to the fire safety risk. As air fryers use electricity and a heating element to cook food, there is always a risk of fire or electrical accidents.

This makes them a potential fire hazard that can be hard to manage if every student has an air fryer. This is the reason why things like hot plates, George Foreman grills, instant pots, and rice cookers are usually not allowed.

As a former RA myself, you would be surprised how often a burnt bag of popcorn at 4am, resulted in the fire alarm going off and the whole building being evacuated from one smoke detector. 

The other reasons air fryers may not be allowed

Electrical outlet restrictions

Dorms may have specific rules about the use of electrical outlets and extension cords, or they may not have enough outlets to accommodate all the appliances students want to bring.

Space constraints

Dorm rooms are often small spaces, so there may not be enough room for multiple appliances and any cooking appliance can get loud and smelly with the quickness too. 

Cooking space is provided

Most traditional dorms (we’ll talk about that in a second), have a communal kitchen space that students can use for cooking.

Usually, they’ll include a microwave, a larger fridge, and sometimes a full stove/oven. In this space, there may be a dorm air fryer you can use for small meals. 

How can I bring an air fryer?

As I mentioned, an air fryer is an excellent option to make quick meals for busy on-the-go students. So you may be asking, well how can I bring my own air fryer?

Even though air fryers are not allowed in most dorm rooms, there are still some considerations to explore. 

Check your college dorm guidelines

Once you find out what dorm room you’ll be living in, you’ll usually receive information about specific guidelines for that building, including bed size, room type, cleaning lists, etc.. 

Related: 23 Best Dorm Cleaning Supplies for College Students (Everything You Need)

Check to see if there are any guidelines about which appliances you can bring and what the sizing restrictions are. A mini fridge and coffee maker are common dorm essential items many students bring to their dorm rooms.

These could include appliances like:

• Personal blender
• Electric griddles
• Crock pots
• Pressure cookers
• Toaster ovens

Related: 57+ Guy Dorm Room Essentials Every College Man Needs

Contact the housing department

If you can’t find any information in your housing documents, you can also contact the college housing department and ask if they are allowed. This would give you the most accurate information.

Research your dorm building

All dorms are not created equal, so they don’t all have the same rules and regulations. If you are staying in on-campus apartment housing, you may be able to bring allowed cooking appliances. This is because the building is designed as “Apartment style” vs. traditional halls that may be “Suite style” or a “Double room.”

What considerations should you think about when buying an air fryer for your dorm room?

Space

Dorm rooms are small spaces and a large air fryer will take up significant space. Look for a model that is designed for small spaces. These may be labeled as “compact” or “mini” and they will be the perfect size for a small storage space. They should make enough food for one or two people like french fries, burgers, or chicken tenders. 

Sidenote: If you haven’t tried these chicken tenders from Trader Joes in an air fryer, you should run, not walk.  

You’ll want to look for models between 1.5- 4 quart size. A 1.5 quart will allow enough air fryer basket space to cook for one person, while a 4 quart size is slightly bigger to accommodate more food.

Outlets 

Another thing to consider is the electrical outlet situation in your dorm room. Air fryers typically require a standard 110-volt outlet, so you’ll need to make sure you have one available.

You may also want to check with your campus housing to see if there are any restrictions on the use of electrical outlets or power strips or if you’ll need to purchase any special adapters.

Noise 

Small appliances can be surprisingly loud considering their small size. A noisy air fryer may not be ideal if you’re sharing a dorm room with roommates or suitemates.

You’ll want to make sure that the noise level of the air fryer won’t disturb your roommates or other people living in the space. 

Functionality

A small air fryer may not have a lot of bells and whistles like the larger versions. If you plan on using your air fryer for other things like roasting, baking, etc., you may not have many options for versatility.

If you’re just using it for air frying, you have a lot more options to choose from. 

Dorm Rules 

Before buying an air fryer, you must check the specific rules and regulations for your dorm room. Knowing what you can and cannot bring before moving in will save you lots of time, energy, and conversations with campus housing.

Being found with an air fryer in your room could lead to disciplinary action.

If you can’t have an air fryer, that’s okay! Make use of all the campus dining services and your meal plan.

Most dining halls have a variety of healthy home-cooked meals to suit every appetite and the best part…you don’t have to cook!

Best Air Fryer for College Students

Ready to buy an air fryer? Don’t miss out on discounts you can get just for being a college student!

Best Air Fryer Dorm Room: DASH Tasti-Crisp Digital Air Fryer- 2.6 quart

This is the best air fryer for a dorm room!

This compact air fryer comes in a variety of colors so it can definitely match your dorm room aesthetic! It has a 2.6 quart basket which is plenty for one person.

This is perfect if you looking to make healthy, fried foods with less oil in a pinch. 

This was my first air fryer before upgraded to a larger size, so I highly recommend it for college students!

BELLA Touchscreen Air Fryer- 2.9 quart

The Bella Touchscreen 2.9 qt air fryer is convenient to use as there is no pre-heat necessary before dropping your food in.

It also has a non-stick cooking pan and crisping tray for quick cleaning. 

This is a great option for a starter air fryer!

GoWISE USA Electric Mini Air Fryer– 2 quart

The GoWise Mini air fryer is small but mighty!

This fryer comes with 5 functions (Air fry, Frozen Food, Toast, Reheat, and Keep Warm) to make for a versatile option. This is a great way to revitalize your leftovers! It also comes with a recipe book with plenty of recipes for one person.

I suggest going with this air fryer if you want more features and to make delicious recipes from the attached recipe book.

The Final Verdict

So can you bring an air fryer to college?

For most college campuses, the answer is no due to the potential fire hazard. As a general rule, you should still ask your campus housing for more guidelines on which appliances are allowed in the dorms.

Knowing the safety guidelines is a good idea before spending money on an air fryer. 

If you can bring an air fryer, look for one that’s small, quiet, and efficient. Your roommate will thank you!

Before You Go…

Now that you know all about air fryer in a dorm room, I’m sure you’ve got more college questions!

Did you know that some colleges have a dress code, including if you can wear hats?

Check out my next post to learn all about if you can wear hats in college.

Read it: Can You Wear Hats In College? (Your Questions Answered)