Candysita

Hi. I was wondering if anyone knows how much duty I would have to pay on a single burner, $35, electric hot platte?

It would be for my own personal use, not for resale

GengenCuba

Depending on the type (induction or not), between 60 and 100$us. But it's likely you won't be charged, especially if you play the "dum Yuma" card and say that it's to make your stay easier. I imported so many things over the years, had my suitcases searched only twice and never had to pay. It could be that I was lucky...

CubanWaters

I can't recall ever been questioned about things that I brought to Cuba including tools, telephones and kitchen stuff. A friend of mine took a hot plate to Cuba and had it confiscated. This was quite a few years ago though, when the "forbidden list of articles to import" was more vast than it is now, I am presuming. Heck, back then even DVD players were forbidden. Anyways they were nice enough to tell him that he could pick it up on his way out of Cuba but he didn't bother considering he only paid a few bucks for it at the Sally Ann. If they give you a hard time, like the previous poster says, just play stupido and tell then you thought it was a telephone.

Candysita

OK, thanks.

Wessislander

You can not buy a hotplate in Cuba?
I think that it was my first time to Cuba when they took my small ghetto blaster for inspection. I had a bunch of cassette tapes as well. Long ago! They gave me back my radio but someone crooked it at the beach. Probably the same guy as at the airport.

YaHez

Yes, it is possible to buy a hotplate. They may not be available everywhere and at times may take a bit of searching, but they are around. I've seen single ones more than doubles and some induction.
Also sometimes available from online shops like envioscuba, supermarket23.
About 18 months ago, the government announced an initiative in Eastern provinces to replace damaged resistance hotplates with induction hotplates (not for free). Then it was going to be rolled out to the most vulnerable nucleos. Not sure how far they've got.

Candysita

There has not been an electric hot plate in any store in Gibara for the past 2 years. The manager of all the MLC stores is a friend of mine who gives me the heads up.
Induction hot plates take FOREVER to heat up. Boiling a big pot of water takes 40 minutes.
Plus you need the correct pot/pan to use on them.
There is a limit on how much I'll let TreeW, for example, gouge me. Food yes. But paying $100 for something I would pay $35 here.....cook on carbon.

YaHez

Candy - If you had some way of getting it from Santiago without incurring too much expense, there is one on envioscuba Santiago Almacen-on for €22.52.
Not allowed to post links yet...

You could keep checking on envioscuba shops for Holguín - the Electroenvios or Almacen-on.