Cindy asked about using a transformer to run a US bread machine (120 V, 60
Hz) in HK (220 V, 50 Hz).
A transformer will work to convert the voltage but it won't change the
frequency. If the machine is specified for "50 Hz/60 Hz", then the
transformer is ok. If the machine is 60 Hz only, it won't work.
The new Zo machines (X20, V20) are 60 Hz only. The older ones (at least
the S15a) is 50/60 Hz. There are two bbcc-s15 machines on eBay at the
moment for about $50 US.
The power requirement is under 1000 watts.
There are devices that convert both voltage and frequency. This is done by
converting the AC input (220 V, 50 Hz) to DC and then converting the DC to
the desired AC output (120 V, 60 Hz). Ask your local electronics dealers,
but expect the converter to cost lots more than the bread machine.
A 1000 W DC to AC inverter costs about $125 US but there is a lot of demand
for these from people wanting to run power tools from car batteries. There
is less demand for the AC-DC-AC conversion, so it will be harder to find
and probably more expensive.
You could run your bread machine from an inverter fed from a pair of BIG 12
volt batteries (about $200 US each) which are recharged with a car battery
charger. This would run the bread machine for 4 hours.
Good luck,
Jeff