UK kitchen appliances

[Fourbarewalls1]

Currently looking for all kitchen appliances in the UK, being able to purchase them here (all 8) from one store enables us to negotiate a deal on the price.

Question is will these applainces work in the UK, can't see any reason why not, any experience with this?

All comments appreciated

Lee

[Nick Trollope]

What is your definition of an "appliance"?

If you mean (as I understand it) toasters, kettles, etc. Then some on the "power" devices (kettles, toasters.....) are much more powerful in the UK and whether they will work (all together) depends on the level of power available.

If you mean white goods, then yes they will work (although French washing machines and hence plumbing are cold-fill only and UK electric cookers are frequently too powerful for French supplies).

Buying in the UK is not recommended, however, mainly because a) most of this stuff is cheaper in France b) "European" warranties are useless unless you buy a real "International" brand and c) you should be negotiating with French suppliers - this isn't as backward a country as some would lead you to believe...

[Chancer]

The way I read the posting is that he wants to buy them here(?) and will they work in the UK?

If the OP had shown his location or even specified where "here" is then I could be more certain.

[maude]

Disagree Nick re prices>Much more choice in uk and negotiable prices.The guarantee I do agree with,and the power consumption of certain items versus most French houshold electrical supplies being possibly not compatable.Then there is the cost of transporting same.our Friends  were "advised" that their Anglais white goods would not work in France-Cost them a fortune!    Maude

n

[Fourbarewalls1]

Thanks for the replies, sorry if misundersttod but I refer to washing machines, tumble dryer, dish washer, single oven, microwave, hob, fridge and seperate freezer. So whats the best french brand to go for or are we looking at the miele, neff, smeg, bosch and alike, got a budget of £2000-2500 for all the appliances. As for negotiating a good price in the UK there is more competition, and the langauge is easier. Where have you purchased your appliances from? We are based 50km north of Limoges

Thanks again

Lee

[sid]

[quote user="Fourbarewalls1"]Currently looking for all kitchen appliances in the UK, being able to purchase them here (all 8) from one store enables us to negotiate a deal on the price. Question is will these applainces work in the UK, can't see any reason why not, any experience with this? All comments appreciated Lee[/quote]

Do you mean "in France" ?? If not, I'm a bit confused! I assume you intend to bulk buy in UK to bring here?

We've bought many items here since we arrived 4 years ago, and only the washing machine remains of our UK white goods. I don't think there is much difference in prices. There is no problem with mains voltage.

One difference in washing machines is that the French ones generally only have cold-fill (unlike the UK ones which have hot and cold). The idea here is that the washing machine will be set to run at night on the cheap tariff (assuming that you have that option). If you buy in the UK it would be worth checking that the washing machine and dishwasher have the "deferred start" option.

Personally, I'd buy the stuff here in France rather than ship them all over from UK, and you'd know that the warranty would be easier to claim on.

Sid 

[maude]

there are a million different makes here in France-Faur,Brandt,Ariston,Indesit,Arthur Martin et al.Ya pays ya money and takes ya choice.dont forget the cost of home delivery here in France which is normal.All are rated for 230 volts.

Electric ovens/and certainly halogen hobs, other than the mini ovens(which we prefer) will normally require a cooker supply which can be difficult or expensive to instal in the average maison ancienne!maude

[Fourbarewalls1]

Ariston and Indesit are both brands that at least I can cost up here and then purchase over there, we are trying to budget for every element of the renovation so that our plan of christmas 2008 come true, any comments on best place to purchase would be grateful, I could go local to La souterraine and buy from a local agent bulk buy price deal or try the bugger store for more competative prices. Whats the most expensive brand, best looking, stylish? What appliances do you guys have, and how have they performed?

Lee

[clarksinfrance]

Firstly all modern washing machines are cold fill only, Comet in UK will honour their guarantees in France via Darty, but you will have to contact the head office.

All UK appliances will work in France, the question is do you have enough available power to your property in France? You may have to change some plugs, as most are molded, this MAY invalidate guarantees, you will need to check with manufacturer.

[Iceni]

Lee

My advice FWIW is "if you already have them, bring them but if not, buy them here". We have a motley collection of white goods mostly bought from a local shop that offers seconds and ex-display items. The only item that has needed repair was done by the man from the shop. We don't go for "most expensive brand, best looking, stylish" so are not the best people to ask about that sort of thing.

BTW I have a new e-mail address which I will send you.

John

[Will]

There are far fewer manufacturers than brands. For instance, Indesit, Hotpoint, Cannon and Creda are all the same company (Indesit), though the different names are probably aimed at different markets. Indesit also handles service for Ariston, though I don't know if it actually makes the appliances.

Similarly Electrolux and Arthur Martin are the same company - which also operates under the brand names AEG, Eureka, Frigidaire, Faure, Gibson, Husqvarna, Kelvinator, Tornado, Tricity, Bendix, Voss, Westinghouse, Zanussi and Zoppas (among others).

Even so, I doubt if a British warranty would carry a lot of weight in France, and vice versa. And a British specification machine may not be quite the same as one built for sale in mainland Europe. Though we've found British-bought laundry appliances and built-in ovens work perfectly in France, and cost substantially less than their French equivalents.

[Fourbarewalls1]

Will I think this answers my question, thanks again for your comments. Would ideally purchase all appliances from france have started looking on the Darty site and have noticed that indesit items are more expensive than compared to UK prices, we are on a budget so its either purchase from UK and keep fingers crossed that nothing goes wrong whilst saving money, or pruchase from France for a more expensive price and have the beauty of calling someone out if anything goes wrong. Don't need to purchase for 3-4 months so will check out the french stores on our next visit, will also ask out french neighbours where to go for the best deal

Lee

[Fourbarewalls1]

John

Lovely to hear from you, hope life in France is all you had dreamed of. We have found an English builder who starts on our barn April 7th, at present he has quoted us 4 months to get water tight, water and electric run, plasterboarded and ready for our second fit. So the plan is to spend christmas 2008 in the barn hopefully comfortable enough for us to eat sleep and enjoy some cosy time around the fireplace, may even have enough room for more then just me Leigh and the 2 girls, hopefully we can get some of the other bedrooms complete.

Love to hear from you, email me on what ever address you have.

Lee

[Gyn_Paul]

[quote user="Fourbarewalls1"]Will I think this answers my question, thanks again for your comments. Would ideally purchase all appliances from france have started looking on the Darty site and have noticed that indesit items are more expensive than compared to UK prices, we are on a budget so its either purchase from UK and keep fingers crossed that nothing goes wrong whilst saving money, or pruchase from France for a more expensive price and have the beauty of calling someone out if anything goes wrong. Don't need to purchase for 3-4 months so will check out the french stores on our next visit, will also ask out french neighbours where to go for the best deal

Lee[/quote]

With the current hidious exchange rate (and falling) I find it difficult to believe that it's still possible to obtain white goods on a like-for-like costing at anything approaching the same price here, let alone cheaper than in the UK.

We are not well served here in La Creuse for competitively-priced white goods - that's the downside of being one of the least populated departements:  no shop has the economy of scale  - from memory there's only a GITEM in La Souterraine, and that's quite small. I suspect you'd end up going to the ZC in either Limogues or Chateauroux to find any real choice, and then you will need to add 50 - 75 euros for delivery unless you have a van or a trailer. But if you are on a really tight budget (which is getting tighter by the day) you are probably better off buying in the UK, assuming including them in the house move is not an issue. Investigate which UK stores carry real reciprocal European guarantees, (don't just take the word of some snake-oil salesman in a shiny suit, get a phone number and go through the motions of claiming) talk to your electrician about you total power needs, then buy a box of decent French plugs and start snipping!

Incidentally, many of the small uk appliances of international brands (those with flat 2-core cables, typically) actually have Euro 2-pin plugs hidden inside the UK 13A plug. Look carefully before you cut the whole thing off. The giveaway is the molding where the cable goes into the plug.

p

p

[Ron Avery]

"We have found an English builder who starts on our barn April 7th, at present he has quoted us 4 months to get water tight, water and electric run, plasterboarded and ready for our second fit"

Cannot think why that paragraph bothers me.  Is it the availability or the jack of all trades that is worrying?  Maybe the OP has been waiting a long time for the start date and the builder is registered and insured and unlike many other builder in France short of work,  on the other hand........

[Fourbarewalls1]

The builder we have found is a true craftsman, very trustworthy, he will be over looking the electrics and other specialist jobs, his definately not a jack of all trades, unless someone knows otherwise

Lee

[andyh4]

[quote user="clarksinfrance"]All UK appliances will work in France, the question is do you have enough available power to your property in France? You may have to change some plugs, as most are molded, this MAY invalidate guarantees, you will need to check with manufacturer.
[/quote]

You  have to change all plugs, as all are molded, this will invalidate guarantees, you will need to check with manufacturer.

Unless the plug contains a low power transformer (Mobile phone charger for example) you really must change the plugs - adaptors are just not up to the currents needed for kitchen appliances. 

[trees]

We bought what we wanted to start with in France: fridge, washer and tumble drier, all "Blue Sky" which seems to be a supermarket own brand. All three have performed faultlessly since buying them in 2002, but so far the property is only a holiday home.

We imported ma in law's freezer when she died, and bought the dual fuel cooker, the dishwasher and an American-style fridge/freezer in the UK as French prices were crazy when we wanted them.

No problems yet.

[Gyn_Paul]

[quote user="andyh4"]

[quote user="clarksinfrance"]All UK appliances will work in France, the question is do you have enough available power to your property in France? You may have to change some plugs, as most are molded, this MAY invalidate guarantees, you will need to check with manufacturer.

[/quote]

You  have to change all plugs, as all are molded, this will invalidate guarantees, you will need to check with manufacturer.

Unless the plug contains a low power transformer (Mobile phone charger for example) you really must change the plugs - adaptors are just not up to the currents needed for kitchen appliances. 

[/quote]

Nonsense...  not all molded plugs need to be snipped (see below) and changing a plug wouldn't invalidate a guarantee. You wouldn't be tampering with the item itself, and no manufacturer would be daft enough to claim that altering the method of getting the electricity into the appliance would materially affect its working.

Time was when manufacturers insisted you send back items for repair under guarantee with bare wires !

p

[darnsarf]

I agree with the comment about exchange rates making the UK a better source for white goods, at the moment at least. Provided you plan to buy a number of such items and maybe throw some other stuff in a van and drive the load down, it works out cheaper. I've just done the same thing, even after checking some french sites that offered very cheap delivery. I've also discoved that the exchange rate is also making some plumbing and bathroom fittings cheaper in the UK too - taps, sinks, shower surrounds etc. Although the wonders of the internet make it easier to source stuff if you live in the sticks, it can be a lot simpler to select and buy in the UK for certain items.

[Fourbarewalls1]

Just had a call from an electrical applaince shop who have quoted for all 8 applainces, after chatting with the Bosch head office all guarantees are void if cables are cut and no guarantees extend outside of the UK, so in a word, purchase them from the UK and then keep your fingers crossed that nothing breaks, and if it does bring it back home and get it repaired at our UK address here.

So time to get out the check book hire a van and take a road trip down to limoges

Lee

[Grecian]

I was going to start a new thread, but after doing a search found this one already up and running.

My question relates to a UK washing machine, we had planned on dumping our existing machine when we move in 2 months time, and purchasing a new French model as soon as we land. But true to form, our existing washing machine, has decided not to spin anymore, it still puts itself out and washes, but point-blank refuses to spin. We now have to make the decision as to whether to have our existing machine repaired, or buy a new UK model and bring it with us. If we purchase a UK model, and this may sound like a very silly question: will the water hoses screw onto the French tap connections OK? Although having read this thread, it seems that all French machines are cold-fill only.

In a bit of a 'spin', any replies gratefully received.

 

[gosub]

will the water hoses screw

onto the French tap connections OK? Although having read this thread,

it seems that all French machines are cold-fill only.

Yes, you need to buy a "Y" connector to join the hot and cold hoses together and then use just a cold fill.

[Grecian]

Many thanks for the prompt reply Les. It seems that all UK washing machines now come with cold fill only as standard.

After looking around Comet and Currys this morning, 'she who must be obeyed' has her eye on a Hotpoint all singing and dancing machine. Can anybody tell me if Hotpoint actually sell washing machines in France, if not, then trying to obtain spares for the new machine, would not be possible, and 'she' will have to look at another brand.

 

 

[darnsarf]

Hotpoint and Ariston are now one and the same company. You may find them called Hotpoint-Ariston or either brand individually. For french website see here ....http://www.hotpoint-ariston.eu/ha/