140 CultureShock! Egypt
power strips. If you do this, then you will only need to buy a
voltage transformer. You can buy one in Cairo.
Some people prefer to purchase everything in Egypt;
use your judgement based on your budget and length of
stay. Remember, if you import appliances under temporary
admission in your air freight, you are supposed to take them
out of Egypt at the end of your stay even if they no longer
work. So don’t throw away those broken appliances if you
import them this way.
Bring lots and lots of plastic storage bags, ties and
sandwich bags. Ziplock bags are not available in many places.
Measuring spoons and cups are not in cups or ounces, so
if you cannot make the transition to metric, you should
definitely bring these. The only things you really must bring
are just your special kitchen things. Paper napkins, paper
towels, waxed paper, aluminum foil, linens, utensils and
tableware are available at local markets. Pesticides and
cleaning supplies are also widely available.and Equipment Electric Current
Certain adaptations are required for using American
appliances in Egypt. Things to consider include voltage,
cycles of alternating current, plugs and wall sockets, wattage
and power surges. To use American appliances, you must
have adapters, voltage converters, transformers and voltage
regulators. If you plan to bring small American appliances
to Egypt, you will need to know the following.
Egyptian current ranges between 220–240 volts (but can
drop to well below 200) alternating at 50 cycles per second.
Egypt’s voltage can be brought down to 110–120 by using
converters (for small appliances) and transformers (for large
appliances). Voltage converters come in two sizes: one for
appliances using up to 50 watts, and another for appliances
using 50–1,600 watts. Converters do not work on appliances
over 1,600 watts.
Egyptian outlets are the ‘Continental’ type, requiring
plugs with two round prongs. These are different from
British plugs that have two slightly shorter, slightly fatter,
round prongs.