USA to UK electricity help

[Fraggle35]

Hi all, my daughter has just had her 21st birthday in lockdown and was given a Mickey waffle maker to help with the Disney blues. We have a USA to UK adapter but after plugging it in it started to overhear almost immediately. Guess it's something to do with our voltage in the UK... Is there anything we can do, do we need a converter? and where do you get one? Many thanks x

[captain-codeye]

Sorry but I think your going to struggle if you want to do it safely.

As you said it’s all to do with the difference in voltage, you need a step down converter but a huge one!

I’m guessing the waffle iron is 2kw but could well be more? A 2000va converter that is only 1400w is £250 on line so what you need is going to be more than a flight!

There will be other ways but I’m not sure, hopefully someone will be along.

I was thinking something like this

toolstation/110v-too...iABEgKUQPD_BwE

But you will then need to make the cables, all too much for a waffle iron!

[Guest]

We lived overseas once where voltage is the same as US. When we came back we had some products that we got a voltage converter for, it was massive though, something like this.

amazon/MSKJ-Conver...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

I am always looking for a UK mickey waffle maker but only ever see US ones but don’t want to get another converter (got rid of the one we had).

[BevS97]

We do have a uk Mickey waffle maker but we’ve had it for years. I’m quite shocked looking on amazon as there are a couple of US waffle makers and it’s not clear on the listings that you can’t use them in the UK.


We also moved here from the US a few years ago and used a massive transformer like Claudette has linked too but it’s not practical for a single item.

[BevS97]

Argos do a square waffle maker that looks good. Obviously not mickey but maybe a compromise

argos/product/9404...:waffle:1:19:1

[munmun]

You need a step down transformer from 220 to 110. Probably available from Amazon or ebay.

[wanye]

you say you are using a us>uk plug converter. this may change the plug format, but you have to remember that our electric is twice the voltage, so just plugging it in could potentially fry the device.

you need a stepdown converter. but these are sold based on how powerful the device youre using it with is. and unfortunately, because its something with a heating element, it will probably be quite powerful (like 2000 watts or something)

for example, this 45W stepdown box is only £9 - amazon/Skytronic-2...nguag e=en_GB

but this 1000w unit is £65 - amazon/LVYUAN-1000...nguag e=en_GB

going up to £105 for a 2kW unit - amazon/Bronson-Tra...nguag e=en_GB

remember if youre buying stuff in the US that is "high power" - you need to check if it is dual voltage or not, or things can get pricy (and bulky) - is that $15 kettle really worth the hassle of bringing it home and having a breezeblock sized power supply on the kitchen counter alongside it?

[captain-codeye]

I’ve done some more digging and there not as powerful as I thought, most are around 700-1000w so the transformer Claudette found would work.

I only have a special label printer from the us and it’s only 200w but the transformer gets very warm with just that running!

[snowbelle]

Our step down is from screwfix and it’s ok for our waffle maker , kitchen aid hand mixer and Christmas lights I think it was about £75 but DH also uses it for some of his less powerful tools bought in the USA it’s worth it if you intend to get the use out of it , ours is not huge it fits in a kitchen cupboard space

[Fraggle35]

Thanks for all the messages, think I will just store it for now. My elder daughter bought for her sister and had included waffle mix,maple syrup and bacon so she could have a Mickey waffle on her birthday, oh well, back to the drawing board.