pondhopper2014

Okay. There's this product I want. A Vitamix blender. In the UK Amazon it is listed at 465 pounds, in Canadian that's almost double... so coming onto 900 dollars! In the US, and Canada it runs roughly 500$. BUT, of course there is the compatibility issue. SO, my question is this... can it be replugged? I mean, can I get a new plug attached the to cord and would that work, OR do I absolutely have to buy an expensive adapter to make it work safely? I really really want one, but I don't want to spend almost one thousand of our precious pounds to get it...

thoughts? Can I electrician or appliance specialist replug it? Or are the wires completely a different sort?

TIA!

old.sparkles

Looking at the specs for the US / Canada version, it wouldn't switch directly to a UK supply - wrong voltage and wrong frequency. An electrician may be able to swap the motor out for something more suitable though.

This is the info I found just to make sure I've looked at the correct one - http://www.costco.ca/Vitamix-Total-N...100019807.html

Pulaski

A new motor and service tech's time would likely cost most, if not all, of the price differential.

ElizabethK

Transformers aren't too expensive, I bought a couple of them for my christmas lights and they work fine in UK

Pulaski

Your Christmas lights don't have a motor, I presume?

A transformer will correct the voltage, but won't change the frequency. Running a motor on the wrong frequency can be a real problem (a 60Hz motor will likely run slow on a 50Hz supply), and may be a fire hazard.

ElizabethK

I'm obviously not familiar with a Vitamix blender And no my fairy lights don't have a motor !

mikelincs

Lakeland have the Vitamix 300 at a price of £399.99, if this is the one you are meaning.

Vitamix® 300 in blenders at Lakeland

pondhopper2014

OOOOOOOOOO! Yes, mikelincs! Thank you! I will wait and buy it there then, I suppose. Works out to near the same at that price. I was basing it on Amazon, but maybe that's not the best idea. We're three months till the move, and the house is sold and I'm getting rid of stuff and well, ya... there are things to be replaced, right?

Thanks everyone for the counsel!
I love BE.
Blessings!

Englishmum

I've been lusting after a Vitamix blender ever since watching a demonstration in a Costco store in New Jersey

However, I don't know where our next move is going to be (we are in Switzerland until next Summer) and it could be the UK or maybe back to the the US or anywhere my spouse can (hopefully) find a job when his current expat posting ends... Therefore I'm procrastinating about buying a Vitamix purely because of the voltage differences.

If you have a current Costco card you can use them at any of the Costco stores worldwide; I use my US issued card when on trips to the UK...at the British Costco stores they just have to delete the first digit on your membership number at the till (or you could go to Membership services and they will look you up and get a day pass - I've done that when I've forgotten my card on a trip to the UK).

They do sell the Vitamix blenders at UK Costco stores....but they do come with all the 'bells & whistles' accessories, so the cost is higher than in Lakeland:

Costco UK - Vitamix TNC White Blender + Extra Mini Dry Container + Flip-Top Beverage Bottle + Instruction DVD + Recipe Book + Tamper

OTOH - Lakeland does a cheaper version of the Vitamix - the 'Aspire' at 320 pounds (with no accessories):

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/16900/Vitamix-Aspire-Black

JRuss87

Vitamix is overrated, I had one for about a month or so and then my local Costco started carrying the Blendtec, its a bit cheaper and I've found it to be just as powerful. They carry it in the UK as well for 349

Costco UK - Blendtec Total Blender with WildSide Container + FourSide Container + Cookbook + Quick Start Guide and Recipe DVD - Black

Englishmum

I hadn't heard of the Blendtec. The controls are a little like my Kitchen Aid blender (back in our house in NJ) with the added electronic screen.

I've just looked online to see a comparison of the two brands (the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow is a bit underwhelming so far so I'm multi-tasking....!)

Blendtec vs Vitamix Review - BlendHappyBlendHappy

Who makes the better blender? | Vitamix vs Blendtec

Blendtec vs Vitamix - Simple Green Smoothies

(Nice website: http://simplegreensmoothies.com )

cityboys1911

ok can anybody tell me if some of my electricals will work in the UK when we leave the US we have an Actifry , Keurig coffee machine,slow cooker can we get them to work in the UK advice please

colchar

If you buy it here $500 CDN works out to be 273GBP and $500US works out to be 294GBP - a significant savings over what the unit costs in the UK so it might be worth doing. But adapters can be bought quite cheaply as well.

Pulaski

Except, as I said above, the US/Can ones need 60Hz mains, and a transformer won't fix that. It will run slow in the UK and may be a fire hazard.