Posted Thu Nov 5, 2009, 3:09am Subject: Espresso Machines in Korea
So I have returned to Korea and I am looking for a high-quality home espresso machine. For a while now I have been researching about the Silvia and the KitchenAid Proline but the biggest problem is finding them for a reasonable price in Korea. So, I started looking into places in Canada and the US that will ship them overseas, but now comes the heart of the question, will the change in power damage the unit? Korea run 220v versus US/Canada which is 110-120v. Any ideas or suggestions?
mybs Senior Member Joined: 26 Jan 2006 Posts: 475 Location: Northern CA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: QuickMill Anita Grinder: Macap M4, La Cimbali Jr. Drip: KitchenAid, Clever Coffee... Roaster: FreshRoast+8, SC/CO
Posted Fri Nov 6, 2009, 3:47pm Subject: Re: Espresso Machines in Korea
If you're planning on purchasing a unit overseas, why not try to import from Europe instead of North America. As far as I know, it's mostly 220V in Europe so you wouldn't need to deal with using a voltage transformer.
espressoaddict Senior Member Joined: 18 Mar 2009 Posts: 346 Location: Seattle Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Rancilio Silvia V3 (Primary)... Grinder: Baratza Vario 2009 and... Vac Pot: None Drip: Melitta Single Cup, Bodum...
Posted Sat Nov 7, 2009, 12:28am Subject: Re: Espresso Machines in Korea
Jason_teale Said:
So, I started looking into places in Canada and the US that will ship them overseas, but now comes the heart of the question, will the change in power damage the unit? Korea run 220v versus US/Canada which is 110-120v. Any ideas or suggestions?
If you decide to get the North America Rancilio Silvia version, you can get a step-down voltage converter. The voltage converter will convert 210/220 VOLTS to the Silvia's native voltage. The plus is you can easily connect an industry power surge protector between the voltage converter and your Espresso machine. If you decide to sell or bring it back to North America it will work and sell easier using native voltage. I recommend getting one with 1,500 watts or higher.
Just Google for voltage converter or check the link below Click here
kapeh25 Senior Member Joined: 17 Nov 2009 Posts: 27 Location: USA Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Mon Nov 23, 2009, 12:51am Subject: Re: Espresso Machines in Korea
Definitely power can damage the unit. If you select the 220V equipment and plug it to 110V there will be no damage but the machine will not work properly. The equipment will explode if the equipment is 110V and you plug it to 220V. So it is much safer to get the 220V.
Posted Mon Nov 23, 2009, 4:32am Subject: Re: Espresso Machines in Korea
So the saga continues. I started searching for a machine in Korea at various auction sites and internet shopping sites. In Korea, these sites usually offer very good deals, however on all things espresso, they are about double the price. A racillio silvia runs for about $1500 Canadian and a Kitchenaid Proline Espresso maker is about the same. By the looks of things I am going to go with some European shops because these prices are crazy. Any idea on what are some good shops. So far the only recommendations have been amazon UK.
mybs Senior Member Joined: 26 Jan 2006 Posts: 475 Location: Northern CA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: QuickMill Anita Grinder: Macap M4, La Cimbali Jr. Drip: KitchenAid, Clever Coffee... Roaster: FreshRoast+8, SC/CO
Posted Mon Nov 23, 2009, 9:34am Subject: Re: Espresso Machines in Korea
Well...Korea does charge heavy duties on "luxury" imports. Though I only heard this applying to imported cars, it can also apply to other items, so you may want to check how much the tax rate will be to get it through customs. In the end, you may end up paying a similar rate as buying it from a Korean store.
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