Bring US appliances to Germany?
 

Hello all!

We will be moving to Germany from the US and wondered if all of our small appliances (lamps, blender, toaster oven, teakettle etc.) would work with a converter or if we can just change out the plugs we get there???

Thank you!

Don't bother, for those kinds of things you would need voltage converters, not worth the cost and hassle and, eventually, fire risk.

Electronics like cell phones etc are dual voltage these days, but not the kinds of things you mention, so give them to Goodwill and buy some used at fleamarkets or new at Ikea or Aldi or Lidld when you get there.

Don't do it --

Unless the items are dual voltage, you will need converters and not just plug adapters.

If you are moving with the military, they will give you a few voltage converters, but I would only bring those items to which you are very seriously attached, because those converters are annoying as hell and don't work very well for lamps and toasters.

If you have to buy converters yourself, don't bother, just buy what you need in Germany and leave the American stuff behind.

I agree with the poster above. We moved from the U.S. to Austria four years ago; the only small electric I brought with was my Kitchen Aid, which I use infrequently with a transformer. I purchased a Euro-plug slow cooker, food processor, waffle maker and toaster once we arrived and were settled. Our U.S. lamps of sentimental importance are in storage, and the rest we gave to our University-age son and his friends. We have American friends who leave their U.S.-plug slow cooker connected to a transformer all day, but we think they are nutty.

Germany has IKEA, KARE, and other American-like home decor stores where you can find what you'll need.

Ditto the do not bring them. Dual voltage items,yes, otherwise, no.

Not worth it. Toss them or, if you're planning to go back to the USA, store them. You don't want "special connectors" lying all over the place cluttering things up.

Well, they're not special connectors, they're like breadbox-size metal boxes that are really quite heavy. You plug your appliance into the box, the box into the wall. Clunky.

fourfortravel, funny, the one thing a few people I knew used a converter with is their KitchenAid mixer :-) That's why I said, if it's a special item to you, it might be worth the effort. Cheap small electrics, nah.

Even with voltage converters (transformers), the frequency is the problem. US wall sockets are 60HZ and European are 50HZ. The appliances will work with converted voltage, but motors turn 1/6 slower than designed and will burn out sooner because of the extra stress. Blenders, food processors, hand mixers suffer the most.

Lamps work fine on converters, but European bulbs are slightly longer and putting a 220V Euro bulb in a 120V lamp produces approximately half the light.

Sell the small stuff. Geez, why burden yourself with trivialities when moving across the pond? Get what you need after you arrive.

<i> Bring US appliances to Germany?
Posted by: JMR65 on Mar 1, 17 at 11:14am</i>

Some will work and some will not. Items which are rated for 110-220v and 50/60Hz need only a plug adapter. Use a 220-110 volt step down transformer for items which are rated for only 110 volts but for both frequencies 50/60Hz. For some insight on bringing electrical appliances to Germany see http://www.enjoy-europe.com/moving-t...e.htm#electric.

We bought some items at a second hand store on base that were like new but the kitchen stores are great in Germany and love the items they sell.

Thanks all! Looks like I'm going to have a yard sale ;)