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Sell Your KitchenAid Mixer or Ship It to Australia

This post is straight from my inbox.

Well…kind of.

I get a lot of questions from readers moving to Australia from the United States about shipping electronics, mostly small kitchen appliances.

We didn't ship any of our small electronics and we regretted it, but I'll get to that in the post.

Is it cheaper to ship a KitchenAid Mixer or replace it in Australia?

Here's a recent email I got from an SMG reader.

My husband and I are moving to Sydney from the United States.

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 voltage 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.

A cheaper option than replacing your small kitchen appliances in Australia.

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

This, of course, applies to your Cuisinart Food Processor or the 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, are way more expensive here in Australia than in the States.

For example, Good Guys Appliances has KitchenAid Stand Mixers for $699.99 and that's marked down from $899. Crazy!

The same goes for food processors, Instapot, 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 for purchasing a converter 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. Grab a few of those are you will always need extra.

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 – food processor, blender, 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 hadn't and instead had the foresight to get a converter.

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

 
Hope that helps.

Oh BTW, cake flour is hard to find in Australia.

Yeah, I know. Weird bit of info here, but it's relevant to those moving to Australia from the United States that like to bake.

You can find cake flour 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 try one of Donna Hay's recipes then adapt your's. Even though they don't have cake flour in Australia, they do still have cakes.

What Are You Shipping to Sydney When You Move? Do You Know Yet?

The truth is you don’t need to know right now, for sure, what’s going with you.

But you have to get your shipping quote ASAP, especially now.

Why? Because international shipping companies need to schedule your shipment to Australia far in advance, some ask for 6 months in advance. Yes, COVID has changed everything, including international shipping.

When filling out the form below…

  1. You don’t need a street address for where you’re moving to, only the city and country. What they really want to know is the major shipping port.
  2. You don’t need exact dates right now. Go with your best guess.
  3. Don’t bother with calculating your volume. Use one of the estimates below for your estimated volume.
    • Studio or 1 Bedroom —> 20 m3
    • 2 Bedroom —> 25 m3
    • 3 Bedroom —> 30 m3
    • 4 Bedroom or 3 Bedroom + Car —> 50 m3
  4. Use your “real” contact details for BOTH phone and email. Yes, the form is secure. If you don’t use your real contact details, then they can’t get in touch with you for your quote. Makes sense, right?