daschles Senior Member Joined: 21 Apr 2002 Posts: 10 Location: London uk Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: La Pavoni Pro Grinder: Mazzer Mini
Posted Sat Feb 28, 2004, 6:23am Subject: advice needed from electricity geeks (or UK geeks or both...)
I'm a New Yorker with a US-voltage Isomac Millennium and Mazzer Mini who is likely to be transferred to the UK midyear. What's best: buy a heavy-duty transformer (how big? I know the boiler on the Milennium is 1400 watts so should I go with a 2000 watt transformer? or more? or am I dreaming?) or store the setup here for my eventual return and buy new 240V equipment there? Advice welcome/thanks
daschles Senior Member Joined: 21 Apr 2002 Posts: 10 Location: London uk Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: La Pavoni Pro Grinder: Mazzer Mini
Posted Sat Feb 28, 2004, 6:39am Subject: Re: advice needed from electricity geeks (or UK geeks or both...)
good point! Probably three to five years. The Millennium is just a year old and the Mazzer Mini is about 18 months. So there's life left in them both. regards das
You'll need a very large transformer with a comfortable margin. A 2000W transformer sounds about right and can be had at a reasonable price. I lived in France for several years and went with a 1500W transformer (around $60 back in 1996). The downsides, apart from cost, are that they are very heavy, large, buzz a little, and get hot... real hot. You've made a significant investment and the Mazzer won't draw anything by comparison, so it's really all about the Millennium. Repurchasing that baby overseas would be your first painful exposure to the VAT. I don't recommend the experience. :-o
-- Dan
PS: The Mazzer will run a little slower overseas (60Hz versus 50Hz).
Ian Moderator Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 1,401 Location: England
Espresso: Euro2000,Rancilio Grinder: Mazzer,La Cimbali Vac Pot: Cona-->CraigA Drip: Belgique for emergencies Roaster: Primas with variac
Posted Sat Feb 28, 2004, 3:55pm Subject: Re: advice needed from electricity geeks (or UK geeks or both...)
For a short term period I would be tempted to go the transformer route. Voltage in the EU has now been harmonized at 230V +/- 10%. Outlets in the UK are rated at 13A which allows for a maximum of approximately 3000W (3kW). You could get something like this which is the type used over here on building sites and the like for safety reasons, it's rated at 3kW (no buzz) and available used for probably around 20-30 quid. You would still have the Hz difference though.
In your case, for that length of time, I would be inclined to do the buy and sell thing. It would be more expensive than getting a transformer but I think you would have better satisfaction.
Cheers
Ian
PS Let us know when you get here - I'm sure we can provide you with some useful links.
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