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Using an Irish coffee machine in the USA

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  • 12-02-2020 12:47pm
    #1
    faceman
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 16,642 CMod ✭✭✭✭


    Looking for some guidance please. If I was to bring a (Nespresso) coffee machine (1260W power) to the USA, what kind of power adapter would I need to use?


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    #2
    coylemj
    Registered Users Posts: 25,461 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    Before we get into the gorey details, it's generally not a good idea to bring that type of appliance to the US. Because you need a transformer to convert the voltage. You're as well off leaving it behind and buying the same appliance over there.

    By all means bring electronics like iPads and laptops because they typically can handle 100-240V so you can use them in the US with a simple travel adapter. That does not apply in the case of appliances that use electricity to generate heat.... toasters, hair dryers and basically anything with a heating element.

    What you'd need for your apppliance is not an adapter but a transformer. To step up the 110V US supply to 220V for the machine. You'd plug the transformer into the US mains and plug the coffee machine into a UK socket on the transformer. The transformer must be rated to support the load (watts) your device will consume. With a decent amount of headroom for safety. So for your 1.26 kW appliance, you'd need to look at a transformer that could handle minimum 1,500W but I'd aim for a 2,000W (2 kW) model.

    Given that it contains a heating element, your coffee machine will almost certainly have been manufactured to work only on European (220-240V) voltages. It's not the kind of gadget people bring on holidays to the US which is why they don't design it to handle a range of voltages like 100-240V. Which is what you'd need it to handle in order to bring it to the US and simply plug it in with a travel adapter. This applies to virtually all devices that involve heat generated by electricity.

    For your appliance, you'd need to look at something like this ...

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bronson-Transformers-Toroidal-Converter-Transformator/dp/B07BG9GDMT/ref=sr_1_19


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    #3
    Ubbquittious
    Registered Users Posts: 6,232 ✭✭✭Ubbquittious


    They do have 220 in the good old US of A. In the form of 2 110v phases. Washing machine will run off it. Uses a special socket (called an 'outlet' over there for some reason, strange folk, dont ask). Onlu difference would be that its gonma be running at 60hz. Your nespresso probably wont care but theres a chance it could


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