Even with 10 dining options across campus, there are still some days when a self-prepared meal can outperform every on-campus menu. However, as with all aspects of on-campus housing, some communal kitchens are far more spacious, clean and well-equipped than others.  

Our highly scientific methodology rates the cleanliness, space and amenities of each kitchen out of 10 to average an overall score. We then ranked the kitchens based on their overall scores to give you a clear sense of where cooking is enjoyable and where you might be better off eating at Commons. 

18. Tolman Hall

Cleanliness: 4/10  

Space: 2/10  

Amenities: 1/10 

Overall score: 2.33/10 

To put it nicely, we’re pretty sure kitchens don’t get any worse than Tolman Hall’s communal kitchen. For starters, it was locked even to the kind residents who tried to help swipe us in. But the kitchen’s inaccessibility likely prevented students from using it at all, explaining its (relatively) high cleanliness score. Another positive is the kitchen amenities. Other than the standard appliances like a fridge, the kitchen also comes equipped with a large blue industrial fan. While the fan will most likely not help you become Gordon Ramsay, it will be great for cooling you down after attempting to enter and navigate this kitchen’s small size and dizzying color scheme. 

17. Memorial House 

Cleanliness: 6/10  

Space: 4/10  

Amenities: 1/10 

Overall score: 3.67/10 

Yet again, another locked kitchen. How are residents supposed to experience the quintessential college ramen noodle diet without consistent kitchen access? From peering in via the door’s tiny window — shoutout to Christopher and his shadow — we spotted a table propped up against the fridge, making it appear as if this kitchen has not been in commission for quite some time. Sorry, first-years! Memorial takes second-to-last place with a score of 3.67/10. 

16. West House 

Cleanliness: 3/10  

Space: 5/10  

Amenities: 5/10 

Overall score: 4.33/10

The first accessible kitchen on this list, the West House kitchen is fairly spacious with enough area to move around without bumping elbows with your fellow ’Dore. But be careful! The floors are slippery: enough so that you might accidentally enjoy a sudden slip-and-slide. Hence, it felt mandatory to knock off a few points on cleanliness, especially when combined with the questionable state of the fridge. Other amenities included a rusted microwave and a stove that thankfully worked, leaving the West kitchen at No. 17.

15. Cole Hall 

Cleanliness: 7/10  

Space: 5/10  

Amenities: 2/10 

Overall score: 4.67/10

Oddly enough, the Cole kitchen is serene. Even with a color scheme that gives Tolman’s kitchen a run for its money, the space is midsized, calm and relatively clean. But the amenities leave much to be desired with no seating and a dishwasher that is more thoroughly beat up than we were during finals week. But overall, Cole’s kitchen scores at a 4.67/10; while not the epitome of luxury, it is a decent and reliable spot to whip together a quick meal! 

14. McGill Hall

Cleanliness: 4.5/10  

Space: 4/10  

Amenities: 6/10 

Overall score: 4.83/10

McGill’s kitchen wastes absolutely no time making an impression. But unfortunately, it’s not a great one. You are hit with an off-putting smell almost immediately upon entering this small kitchen. But it is not exactly the area of this kitchen itself that makes it so tiny. Rather, it is the overwhelming lack of counter space that makes one feel a tad claustrophobic, with various pots, pans and appliances piled onto any available space. It should be noted, however, that most of these items are actually clean. This and the various amenities of the McGill kitchen — like a free spice rack, an abundance of oil and even an easily accessible fire extinguisher — thus allow us to rank McGill just slightly above Cole at 4.83/10. 

13. North House (tie)

Cleanliness: 8/10  

Space: 8/10  

Amenities: 5/10 

Overall score: 5/10

If we had to use one word to describe the North kitchen, it would be small. Or tiny. Or compact. Or really any synonym that accurately describes the incredibly limited area that the kitchen offers. In all truthfulness, it is a quite nice kitchen and one of the cleaner ones on this list. Its appliances all work well, and the kitchen itself seems to be fairly well maintained. The only drawback it really has is its size — it is hard to picture multiple people attempting to cook here at once. Further, there is no seating because of this issue, leaving us to rank the space and amenities quite low at 2/10 and 5/10 respectively. Overall, North is ranked solidly at 5/10. 

13. East House (tie) 

Cleanliness: 4/10  

Space: 5/10  

Amenities: 6/10 

Overall score: 5/10

As sophomore Raya Poredi put it, the East kitchen is “very small and pretty dirty all the time.” Poredi also noted that she only used it a couple of times while living there because “a lot of things used to rot in the fridge for months.” 

But in its defense, the kitchen is well-equipped: it is armed with a Ninja grill oven, a juice maker and a stove that looks relatively new. It also is not terribly small, offering just enough space for multiple people to move around at once. Unfortunately, its cleanliness offset these aspects. The sink in particular left much to be desired, with plenty of dirty dishes and burnt rice, and the trash can seems far too small to keep up with the kitchen’s usage. Hence, we can only tie East with North at 5/10. 

12. Sutherland House 

Cleanliness: 5/10  

Space: 6/10  

Amenities: 5/10 

Overall score: 5.33/10

Sutherland’s kitchen lands squarely in the middle of our rankings. The kitchen comes equipped with a Keurig perfect for late-night caffeine, a seating area fit for two and appliances that seem to get the job done. Like its ranking, the space itself is average. It is midsized, enough to cook comfortably but not enough to sit down and savor a meal freshly made by a first-year college student. Hence, we rated this kitchen a solid 5.33/10. 

11. Blakemore House

Cleanliness: 3/10  

Space: 6/10  

Amenities: 8/10 

Overall score: 5.6/10

If we were residents of Blakemore, we wouldn’t be too sure if we would be ecstatic for having possibly the best amenities on campus (their ice machine) or terrified from the dangers of the potential consequences that might be in our future. Even as visitors, the ominous note warning that this was the “one last time” residents were forgiven left us hesitant to look around. But in our quick and careful inspection of the kitchen, we noticed a lively floor pattern, a decent-sized table and a waffle machine on top of the refrigerator. Unfortunately, we saw a few dirty dishes in the sink, despite the note’s kind request to keep the kitchen tidy. Blakemore residents, our only takeaway that we can give is to be better before you get another Fizz post with over 2,000 upvotes. 

10. Murray House 

Cleanliness: 4/10  

Space: 8/10  

Amenities: 6/10 

Overall score: 6/10

Murray’s kitchen might not have been able to make our top ten, but we’ll admit that it has the most diverse rankings on this list! We rated cleanliness at 4/10, space at 8/10 and amenities at 6/10, making its overall score a 6/10. Its standard kitchen appliances start the rating off as average and boring, but the stark contrast between its space and cleanliness gave us similar reactions to admiring a piece of visual art. It’s almost as if every extra square foot of space equated to one extra dirty utensil or misplaced item. Murray might not have the most optimal kitchen, but maybe residents can use that space to host a floor-wide networking event? 

9. Carmichael College (tie) 

Cleanliness: 6/10  

Space: 6/10  

Amenities: 7/10 

Overall score: 6.33/10

Welcome to the top ten. Carmichael’s kitchen features an elegant marble-like countertop paired with a modern wooden floor that made for a visually appealing room. Its additional perks, such as a toaster and two whole recycling bins, push Carmichael into an above-average category. As for cleanliness, the abundance of dirty dishes leaves room for improvement, but we had to give credit to the resident who correctly sorted a food-stained paper towel into the trash bin. We rated this kitchen 6.33/10. 

9. Gillette House (tie) 

Cleanliness: 8/10  

Space: 6/10  

Amenities: 5/10 

Overall score: 6.33/10

While Gillette often gets a bad reputation for smaller dorm rooms, its kitchen is a high point. Even though this kitchen is by no means flashy or extravagant, it seemed like it was by far the most populated kitchen on the entire list. The fridge was full of all types of consumables but was also impressively organized and tidy for what seems to be a significant number of students using it. Even beyond the fridge, the lack of any trash or litter made it clear that Gillette’s residents had an orderly system in place. The demonstrated abundance of usage shows that Gillette’s kitchen is battle-tested and reliable, and we must appreciate a kitchen that simply gets the job done with no distractions. We rated this kitchen a 6.33/10. 

8. Crawford House 

Cleanliness: 6/10  

Space: 7/10  

Amenities: 7/10 

Overall score: 6.67/10

We’re starting to see a pattern of cleanliness being a slight struggle for the average kitchen. Crawford’s kitchen appliances are definitely on the newer end compared to most of its neighbors’ appliances on Commons. Along with sufficient space and modern furniture, Crawford gave us feelings of what an “upper-end” kitchen felt like. Unfortunately, some of our warm feelings faded when we discovered lettuce that was so rotten that a note about it was left on the fridge from “Andy (Dr. G’s spouse).” We also found onions that were sitting for so long that they grew several sprouts about the size of a pencil. Unfortunately, this combination left Crawford sitting at 6.67/10.  

7. Hank Ingram House 

Cleanliness: 5/10  

Space: 8/10  

Amenities: 8/10 

Overall score: 7/10 

Hank has an unbelievable amount of potential to be one of the top three kitchens on campus. Having six seats and two tables already puts it miles ahead of most other kitchens, not even mentioning its grand size. Additionally, the small whiteboard and poster of Hank himself on the wall mirrors the feeling of cooking a meal in the comfort of your home. However, this stunning kitchen was cluttered with empty containers, dirty dishes and miscellaneous trash. If residents followed the advice that Hank generously provided on his poster, this kitchen would undoubtedly be on our podium and above its current overall score of 7/10. 

6. Rothschild College 

Cleanliness: 8/10  

Space: 7/10  

Amenities: 6/10 

Overall score: 7/10

Right when we walked into Rothchild’s kitchen, its fresh floral scent and bright pink Scrub Daddy on the sink left no doubt that cleanliness was synonymous with normality here. Its sleek cupboards and well-kept appliances ensure a smooth and enjoyable cooking experience while you admire the beautiful view of West End Street from the windows. Although we’re forced to penalize Roth’s kitchen for the lack of seating, residents don’t have to walk far with plenty of lounge space right outside the room. As such, Rothschild deserves a solid 7/10.  

5. Nicholas S. Zeppos College 

Cleanliness: 8/10  

Space: 6/10  

Amenities: 8/10 

Overall score: 7.3/10

Zeppos’ kitchen is a perfect example of maximizing what you’re given to work with. Sure, the kitchen slightly lacks space, but it’s also one of the cleanest and most visually appealing spaces Vanderbilt has to offer. With beautiful wooden floors, linear lighting and even a window, we’d be thrilled to microwave our frozen meals here. And with an impressive two whole tables fitting in the kitchen’s compact area, we had no other choice but to put Zeppos in our top five. 

4. Stambaugh House 

Cleanliness: 7/10  

Space: 8/10  

Amenities: 8/10 

Overall score: 7.67/10 

We’re not sure what’s more impressive. The fact that a dorm in Commons is in our top five, or that Stam is ranked higher than Zeppos and Roth at an overall score of 7.67/10. This was, by far, the most spacious kitchen in all of Commons and still manages to be well-kept. Its two tables and five seats solidify the reliability that Stam’s kitchen provides for all of its residents. First-year Claire Frederickson, a resident of Stam, echoed our opinion of Stam’s kitchen based on her own experiences. 

“People keep it clean. It’s very nice to have a spacious kitchen where I can cook my microwaveable mac and cheese,” Frederickson said. “I love having the seats to eat them at.” 

3. Moore College 

Cleanliness: 8/10  

Space: 8/10  

Amenities: 7/10 

Overall score: 7.67/10

Don’t be fooled by Moore being third on this list; there are zero problems with its kitchen. This was one of the most well-rounded rooms we visited, with ample and clean space that features its own table and a uniform wooden theme. It may not be the best kitchen by our standards, but if someone were to argue that Moore was their top kitchen, we wouldn’t blame them. But for us, Moore sits respectfully at 7.67/10.  

2. E. Bronson Ingram College 

Cleanliness: 9.5/10  

Space: 7/10  

Amenities: 7/10 

Overall score: 7.83/10

EBI residents really know how to keep their communal kitchen tidy. If that wasn’t apparent by the aura of cleanliness in the picture, it’s probably because its four-seated table is blocking the trash and recycling bins. And we appreciate a clean and organized kitchen, especially after visiting so many. To top everything off, this kitchen was unique with a fully glass door and wall that makes for a friendly and welcoming environment. The only aspect holding this kitchen back was its failure to excel in size, but it’s still elite by our standards. Hence, we can’t help but rate this kitchen higher than Moore, making it a 7.83/10. 

1. Warren College 

Cleanliness: 8/10  

Space: 9/10  

Amenities: 9/10 

Overall score: 8.67/10

As if Warren residents weren’t already spoiled by the only dining hall that serves fresh poke, their communal kitchens earned the coveted honor of besting our extremely subjective ranking system. The two high tables, each with three seats, mean you could hypothetically fit an entire basketball team’s starting roster with space to spare. With a space as organized, well-equipped and as big as Warren’s kitchen, the possibilities are endless when it comes to cooking. We really hope Warren’s lucky residents seize the chance to whip up something delicious with a kitchen rated so highly at 8.67/10.  

Exemption: Highland Quadrangle and Mayfield Residence Halls 

It felt slightly unfair to rank Highland Quad and Mayfield Residence Hall kitchens when each room has its own personal kitchen. In all fairness, we could’ve knocked on every door and asked to take a picture of every resident’s room, but that seemed a bit intrusive and unnecessary. Our bad.