Electrical wiring in British households are set to a different standard than US household electrical wiring. It all has something to do with early electric companies trying to save money by passing the burden of interoperability on to the next generation. And wattage and voltage and hertz and insulating cables and very important technical stuff that require ambulances if you screw up. If you tried to use your American appliances in the UK, first, they would not work and second, if they did work, they would explode. Don’t argue with me, this is science.
Practically speaking, this means our coffee maker, our beloved Keurig K-cup brewer, the firm foundation of our morning (and mid-day and evening), the only kitchen appliance aside from the refrigerator we hooked up to the house’s backup generator as we weathered regular blizzards, hurricanes, and earthquakes, that coffee maker, had to stay in the US.
Fortunately for us, all British households, hotels, apartments, garages and telephone boxes are fitted with non-exploding British teakettles. It’s the law. Our civilized ability to boil water has meant that we’ve been drinking instant coffee for a few weeks. I don’t want to say that life is not worth living when all you have to drink is instant coffee, but you know it’s true.
Meet my new best friend:
That glow? It’s from the reflection of the angels’ wings as they brew each cup. Science.
“That glow? It’s from the reflection of the angels’ wings as they brew each cup.” That almost made me spit out my tea I am drinking (funny I’m here in the USA drinking tea and you’re there in cheery old England drinking coffee LOL). But I totally agree with you! I love my Keurig and the velvety amber liquid it produces
Ha, still drinking the caramel buttercream? Sounds so delish.
Oh my…I should have sent you my french press!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Best coffee we make is with some grounds and some almost boiling water. You’ve been living in a wasteland of coffeelessness for no reason.
Darling, I have two french presses. They are all packed away with our households goods — which are still not here — and I am too cheap to buy a third french press while we wait for the ones we already have. But a replacement for the departed coffee maker … oh, yes.
Oh happy day! Refrain: oh happy dayeee!!
Ah, voltages wattages, why can’t they be the same worldwide. We left so many little appliances behind in New Zealand for the same reason. I’m sorely missing my stick blender at the moment to make smoothies. We’ve got an espresso maker here in our temporary digs and I’m thinking we need to buy one, they are grand!
I know there are adapters/converters and transformers but it is so nice to just plug-and-play. And sometimes you just need that *one thing* to feel at home. Hope you’re settling well in your temporary home with the new baby!
Oh it’s beautiful!!! I’m still heartbroken over the loss of my Kitchenaid mixer that I sold off to a friend in the states four years ago when we were preparing to move. I can’t get myself to buy one over here though, they are just too darn expensive.
I am kicking myself for not shipping my huge kitchenaid slow cooker. Now that we’re here I would cheerfully devote an entire transformer just to it. The cost VAT adds to everything is very nearly shocking.