Struggling in the kitchen after moving overseas? Me, too! After working out one too many math problems trying to convert cups to grams for butter, I finally decided it was time to find kitchen gadget answers for American expats living in the UK. No one in their right mind should have to do all this math! With these 5 kitchen essentials for living overseas, say goodbye to math and let the cooking finally begin.
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Expat Life Kitchen 101
Getting to know your new kitchen is always an adventure, but throw in the fact it’s a British one and the learning curve is steep.
Aside from the size of the oven being about 1/10th of an American GE one (kinda joking but not really), throw in a fan vs. conventional one and it’s already a hot mess. By the time you’re ready to start whipping up a batch of cookies, you’re 30 minutes in just converting the heat and measurements.
Online resources, like the allrecipes.com Cup To Gram Conversions chart, are super helpful as a guide but try to reverse engineer a 250g butter block for 13 tbsp of butter and you might never want to bake again. And I have a math degree!
I’ve tried to get my kids involved to convert cups to grams for butter. After all, converting recipes is nearly as good as a session on Mathletics.co.uk. But after several fractions and several pieces of paper later, they both told me I was on my own.
I assumed Jamie Oliver or Nigella would have invented the perfect product for global chefs and bakers, but I found nothing on the market. So, I turned to other American expats in the UK, Tesco, and Steamer Trading Cookshop for help.
If you’re still converting your US recipes to UK ones after moving overseas, then this kitchen essential list is for you. Take back your time in the kitchen and enjoy baking (or cooking if that’s your thing!) again.
Here are 5 must-have kitchen gadgets for expats.
Some of these kitchen essentials might have made the packing list from the USA to the UK. But if your existing kitchen supplies don’t quite make the cut for living overseas, then definitely consider these that can move with you anywhere.
1 – Alexa
Hands-down the best kitchen assistant you’ll ever have. She moved with us from Texas to England and has gotten more use than she ever did in the States. I definitely had my doubts whether or not she’d even work in the UK, but a simple adaptor and an accent switch turned her into an instant Brit!
I ask her everything and although she’s not entirely reliable when Virgin Media goes down in the neighborhood, she has answered a ton of conversion questions and always keeps track of the time. Did you know that you can set an infinite number of timers and even name them differently!?!
Alexa is by far the #1 tool to keep in an expat kitchen – for all sorts of translation needs. If you haven’t moved overseas yet, pack your Alexa. She’s a kitchen essential that should make the moving overseas packing list. The new generation Amazon Echo Dot sells for £50.
2 – Flying Tiger Measuring Cup
All of my measuring cups made the international move to the UK. Although my Pyrex from the USA includes ml, this £4 measuring cup from Flying Tiger covers it all: cups US, cups UK, flour g, sugar g, rice portions, ml, and dl. The biggest aha discovery after using this Flying Tiger measuring cup the first time:
For Americans living overseas in the UK, cups US and cups UK are not the same.
However, as long as you use the same cup for measuring out each of your ingredients, the proportions should work out the same. I assumed that the US cup and UK cup were the same, but because I was using the same cup I didn’t notice a problem or difference and likely why you haven’t either.
By the way, did you know that 1 gram of water is the same as 1 ml? I had no idea until I consulted with Steamer Trading Cookshop to get answers to my kitchen gadget expat problems. Huge aha moment!
1 gram of water = 1 ml of water
For converting other substances it gets a bit trickier. Can you perform multiplication or grab that Flying Tiger measuring glass.
This kitchen gadget is awesome for expats because it takes the chart from allrecipes.com and even wikiHow and turns it into an all-in-one usable product vs just the chart with a lot of math left to do.
For £4 this measuring glass has a permanent place in my expat kitchen. The only downfall is there is no online shop! This is one kitchen essential you have to find a physical store to buy.
3 – KitchenCraft Mini-Measuring Cup
I love the mini-measuring cup because it’s perfect for small jobs. It includes the smaller measurements for cooking that the Flying Tiger measuring cup doesn’t: Tbsp, tsp, 1 shot (because why not include a shot on a measuring cup 🤣), ml, and fl oz.
I find myself using the mini-measuring cup more for cooking with spices or light baking. Even though I use my measuring spoons that made our overseas packing list, this mini-measuring cup allows me to try out a new recipe in UK measurements without all the math.
The kids love it! It’s cute. You can buy KitchenCraft on Amazon.
4 – Lurpak Butter
Less of a gadget and more of a helpful design, Lurpak butter blocks include the measurement on the wrapper. Just like butter in the USA!
If you are working on a UK recipe, then just cut and go. If you are working with a USA recipe, then refer to the measuring glass cup from Flying Tiger. Instant answers without the mess or the math!!
This is the only butter that you’ll find in England that includes the measurements on the wrapper. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve screwed up trying to convert cups to grams for butter. And although it’s slightly more expensive, it’s totally worth it for expats.
5 – Scales
Admittedly, I didn’t own scales in the USA so it was never an item I considered essential before moving overseas. But if you’re baking and tend to double or triple your recipe, then a scale is the way to go while living in another country.
Experts at Steaming Trading Cookshop suggest that Americans living overseas should rely on scalesfor all their baking needs. It’s easy to use and precise, which is particularly important for baking.
Kitchen gadgets 1-4 meet my current needs living overseas. If baking ever becomes a full-time hobby or if I start tripling whoopie pies, then I’ll invest in the British designed Salter scale for £20. The scale is lightweight and small, making it easy to tuck away and keep the kitchen counter clutter-free.
Final Thoughts On Kitchen Essentials For Living Overseas
If you haven’t made your way abroad just yet, make sure to add any of these items you already have to your moving overseas packing list.
For expats already in the UK, if you’ve adjusted to the size of your British oven but still double and triple-checking your math, stop! You can still love to bake, cook, or make whatever your specialty is in the kitchen.
Invest in these kitchen gadgets while living overseas and never convert cups to grams for butter or toss out your cookies again! 🍪
Looking for more resources to settle into British life? Try these.
- Home Decorating Tips After A Move
- How to Grocery Shop in England
- Moving abroad? Use my complete moving abroad checklist.
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