Are you moving to Australia from the US?

Are you considering getting rid of your small kitchen appliances instead of shipping them to Australia?

This week’s Mailbox Monday post is straight from my inbox.

Well…kind of.

It’s a series of questions I get a lot from North Americans moving to Australia.

Usually, it has to do with shipping a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer to Australia but the truth is this applies to all small kitchen appliances like your food processor or espresso machine.

It’s also something that I have regretted from my move.

Today’s Question:

My husband and I are moving to Sydney from the US.

We are frantically sorting through everything, trying to decide what to take. I hear two schools of thought on this.

Some say take what you are going to need because it costs more to replace it than to ship, and others say just replace it.

I’m sitting here, looking at my Kitchenaid Mixer and the cost to replace that will be double, if not more, than what I paid in the States. But will it work ok with a converter?

I don’t want to replace everything in the kitchen. Is there any alternative? Or a cheaper place for small kitchen appliances in Sydney?

Lamps and such I’m fine with leaving, but I’m a baker and know I will miss my Kitchenaid.

Any advice or suggestions, please.

Thanks.

Lauren’s Reply

Ah, yes, the old “what should I do with my Kitchenaid Mixer?” question.

This, of course, applies to your Cuisinart Food Processor or your fancy espresso machine that you probably also love and would miss dearly.

I know it’s heartbreaking because, the truth is, you have spent time building your “collection” of kitchen appliances up.

Acquiring just what you need and now, because you’re moving to Australia where the voltage is 220, you may have to give them up.

That’s exactly what I did and, to be honest, have regretted it ever since.

Things are expensive to replace. Kitchenaid mixers, or any stand mixer, is way more expensive here in Australia than in the States.

For example, House Kitchenware Discount Store has Kitchenaid Stand Mixers for $678 and that’s marked down from $829. Crazy!

Same goes for food processors, slow cookers and just about anything for the kitchen is more expensive in Australia.

The good news is you don’t have to give them up. That’s right, keep them and ship them along with your other kitchen appliances.

Then the answer is a Step Down Converter with an adapter.

I have a friend here who brought all her kitchen gear.

She uses a Step Up/Down Voltage Transformer Converter that she got on Amazon before the moved.

They have never had a problem and the cost of the converter has more than paid for itself.

I didn’t even think of getting a converter and have ended up replacing most of my appliances over the past couple of years. Let me tell you, it IS expensive to do so and feels like forever to living without a food processor, blender or stand mixer.

Another option is to get a converter here in Sydney. It is more expensive here, but you’ll still end up financially ahead depending on how many appliances you have of course.

Your two options are:

1. A Step Up/Down Voltage Transformer Converter. Buy one now and ship it along with your other things. Don’t forget to get an adaptor for the wall plug.

2. Get a converter here in Sydney. It will cost more but will save you from replacing everything.

I didn’t do my research before moving and got rid of all my appliances. I had the lot too: Two food processors, a Kitchenaid Mixer, an espresso machine, and a drip coffee machine (those are hard to find in Sydney, drip coffee is not very popular here).

I can say with all honesty that I wish I had not and instead had the foresight to get a converter.

Here is a video from a Sydney based company Tortech that sells Step Down Convertors. You can see that they work fine with stand up mixers and other electronics too.

Hope that covers everything.

Good luck.

Lauren

PS Oh BTW, cake flour is hard to find in Australia. You said you’re a baker so this might be a hiccup when you get here. You can find it online, but it’s kind of pricey. I’ve tried adding cornstarch to all-purpose flour and sifting but have never gotten good results. Instead, I would recommend getting an Australian baking book or picking up Donna Hay’s magazine when you get here. Even though they don’t have cake flour in Australia, they do still have cakes.

What Are Mailbox Mondays?

Every Monday I pick a question from an SMG newsletter subscriber along with my reply straight out of my inbox to share with everyone here on the site.

I don’t promise to have all the answers, but I will do my best to point you in the right direction or help you with your research as I know there is a lot of noise out there on the interwebs and good resources are hard to find.

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