bringing electric mixer etc...

I am thinking of bringing my kitchen aid mixer, a breadmaker and a few other things over this time.  How costly is the transformer I would need to purchase?  Anyone had any problems with their appliances working over here?

Here's a thread on my experiences:  http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=28874.0

I bought a converter/transformer/do-hicky thing, whatever it's called...for heating appliances up to 1600W.  I checked the watts of my appliance and it was 1100W so I thought I was golden. 

Instead of roasting a chicken using my George Foreman Roaster I roasted the roaster.  The top of it started to melt.  I'm not even kidding...right through the thick plastic.  The smell was certainly not of yummy chicken but of nasty fried plastic.  ICK! 

I say, leave them all behind, and buy new ones here.  It's simply not worth the effort or the heartache of losing a favorite appliance.  I'm not even going to attempt my Roomba....I'd have to go into mourning if anything happened to him.    [yes, we've named him]

I have heard people rave about those converter/transformer things, but I didn't risk it. I used one on a piddly little hair dryer once while on holiday in the UK and it started smoking! So I left everything electrical behind. My friends were thrilled with their 'new' KitchenAid mixer, Cuisinart, etc. 

I've made this point before, but it bears repeating.

The cheap, switch-mode power supplies which are available are not suitable for many appliances.  They'll work for something which just has a basic heating element, but many modern appliances contain complex electronic controls which will not be at all happy on the type of power which comes from these cheap converters.  The same goes for anything with a motor.     My advice is to forget about these converters altogether, however tempting the price-per-watt might appear.

Go with a good quality transformer, such as the ones on the Newmarket Transformers site, and make sure it is amply sized for the appliance(s).   These units are much heavier and costlier than the chopper-type converters, but the waveform on the output is exactly the same as that from a normal wall outlet. 

The only difference you'll have running an American appliance via one of these trasnformers compared to actually using it Stateside is that the frequency of the power will be 50Hz (cycles per second) rather than 60, but for most smaller kitchen appliances that is not a problem.

but for most smaller kitchen appliances that is not a problem.

'Most' being the operative word. Be very careful, sheri!

The 50Hz vx 60Hz will be an issue with a mixer or any other appliance that works with a motor.  They will run slower even if you bypass the 110v vs 220v thing.  Same for clocks, they will "lose" time.  I found that out the hard way.

June

Perhaps I should have been more a little more detailed about the motor issue.  The problem is that there are many different types of motor, and some are affected by the frequency difference more than others.

First, motors can be divided into synchronous and asynchronous types.   The former have their rotation synchronized to the frequency of the supply while the latter do not. 

The little shaded-pole motors found in many simple mechanical clocks are of the synchronous type, and thus will run slow if connected to 50Hz when designed for 60Hz.   This can also apply to the timers found in toaster ovens and other similar appliances.   As a side note, electronic clocks and timers (analog or digital) also fall into two categories, as some are synchronized to the supply for their timing while others use the same sort of quartz-crystal timing that you'll find in your wristwatch.   So for an appliance which incorporates a clock/timer -- either fully electronic or mechanical -- it can be a gamble.

The motors which are normally fitted to mixers, blenders, and similar devices are asynchronous types, and thus do not automatically run more slowly on the lower frequency, although the speed can be affected a little and they do tend to run a little less efficiently.    Trouble experienced with these devices is more often caused by those which incorporate various electronic controls for speed etc. 

So yes, although most devices of this type should run adequately on 50Hz, it can't be guaranteed for every case. 

I just thought I would let people know that Maplin has a very nice 300VA Transformer available for a cheap £19.99 until 24 December right now.  I picked one up the other day... http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=13358&TabID=1&source=23&doy=18m11

As Paul has mentioned it is important to realize that the small ones are not going to do you anything.  It takes up space and heat to properly transform power.  I am using it with electronics, but I don't intend to be using the clock on it.  I didn't even realize that it was still at 50Hz output until I realized how difficult that is really to transform when reading this article.

Also, just on the Hair Dryer... they draw SOOOO much power, the size of transformer needed would easily outweigh buying a new one.  My sister thought she was all set with here transformer for her hair dryer and then KABOOM/SMOKE when she tried to use it...

Thanks for the information.  I am still trying to decide. 

I didn't even realize that it was still at 50Hz output until I realized how difficult that is really to transform when reading this article.

The problem of different supply frequencies is one which has been around almost as long as electric power.   The only solution available in earlier times was to use rotary converters -- basically a motor and a generator coupled together, although obviously there was a little more to it than that!

Many areas of upstate New York had 25Hz power in the past, and parts of southern California used 50Hz.  The Los Angeles area, for example, converted from 50 to 60Hz power during the 1930s, a process which involved all the electric clock motors in the city being changed so as to keep time properly!    Some parts of the state were still on 50Hz until the 1950s.     

Many early generating plants put out power at 25Hz or 40Hz, and rotary converters were in use at some until well into the 1980s in order to connect them to the 60Hz grid.  There was a similar mixture of frequencies in use across even the relatively small U.K. before we standardized on 50Hz.

These days, for small amounts of power one can change frequency electronically, but it's still much more complex and expensive than just changing voltage with a transformer.

If you're interested in some more history on this, you might like to read this article:

http://services3.ieee.org/organizations/pes/public/2003/sep/peshistory.html