3 “Big Ticket” Household Appliances To Buy Your 1st Year Living in Korea

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So I’ve been in Korea for over 5 years now. There are things that I purchased early on like my slow cooker (used it twice) that I regret buying. Other things like my vacuum and electric kettle have been godsends. Following are the items that I finally pulled the trigger on that I wish I had bought a lot sooner:

1.       Convection Oven – Man, I REALLY missed baked foods: lasagna, cake, baked chicken, etc, etc. Alas, most kitchens don’t come with ovens in Korea. Just not common.  After seeing this Instagram post from J Hearts Jae, I was super motivated to buy a convection oven! I put it on my wish list on Gmarket.com…and then did nothing. Until I finally bought it one year later. Haha. This has truly been a game-changer. We’ve made banana bread, baked sweet potatoes, roasted chicken, quiche, lasagna, and more.  What a relief to just throw things in the oven as opposed to standing over a hot stove. 

We ended up ordering it from 11st but you can also try looking for it on Coupang and Gmarket. Amazon doesn’t seem to carry Wiswell convection ovens but here are some options: here and here.

2.       Dishwasher – What can I say? I hate washing dishes. Dishes were a major cause of contention in our house. No more! This countertop version has been wonderful and comes with installation. (A grumpy ahjeossi showed up to do the deed.) You will need to have a dedicated counter space or a spare rack. My guy bought it for me (best gift ever?!) from 11st but you can also check Coupang or Gmarket or find something similar on Amazon.

3.       Queen- Sized Bed – All my apartments have come fully furnished so far but always with a super twin-sized bed. I’m tall so it must be a super or long twin bed cause I fit. LOL.  After four years of sleeping with just a wee bit of space, we got a queen-sized bed when my family was coming to visit. My guy handled the ordering and ended up getting the mattress and frames from two different sellers…I believe that both were from 11st. 

Things I haven’t purchased yet probably should:

1.       RefrigeratorHa ha update and frugal win of the week! A couple of days ago, my  Love’s parents gifted us with a barely used refrigerator that they had in storage.  This fridge is much bigger and newer than the fridge that came with the apartment.  More context: The refrigerators that  I’ve had here have all been on the smaller side. When you shop at Costco, you need more space. Also, apartments don’t always come with a fridge so it’s good to own your own. 

2.       Coffee Maker – I love the idea of waking up to the scent of coffee. I use a $5 coffee filter cone so it’s been hard to justify the expense.  

 Why I took so long to buy these things:

1.       Money  – Most of the aforementioned, are big-ticket items. Basically, they are/were investments I wasn’t sure I wanted to make. You can afford anything not everything. So buying a bigger bed to replace a free bed meant forgoing something else. 

2.       Time – How long will be I here? It’s a question every ex-pat must ask themselves.  The thought of getting rid of stuff or selling them just gives me a headache. 

3.       Minimalism – I’m not as minimalist as I used to be but I’m still hesitant to add more to my living space. 

Important note on buying electrical products from online retailers based in America…if you live in Korea: I have no issues using an adapter for my laptop but a smoothie maker that I got from my cousin, went up in smoke. I am still not sure why that happened, so please research diligently before you make any purchases.

Online Shopping Win: Use Rakuten (formerly Ebates)!  Rakuten is a website that gives you cashback for your purchases, up to 40%.  You will get $30 cash back when you join with my link. Click here for more details!.

Need a cute digital notebook to keep track of your purchases? I got you, check out my In Love with Korea Digital Notebook!