# Cost of things in Spain - scary!



## northwestlads (Sep 19, 2010)

Hi

I am looking to complete my move to spain in a few weeks time. i came on a reccy to sort a flat etc recently and just got back to the cold weather 

when i was there i went looking for some things for the flat, i looked at a telly a nice telly but cost was 2500euroes so i didnt buy it as i was shocked.

i came home and went to comet and they had a newer model of the same telly, more up to date and it was only £1400 so thats a fliping lot cheaper then spain where they still seem to sell last years models so i will be buying one here and bringing it with me

just a thought whilst i am preparing - does anyone know what else is more expensive in spain, or what things you just cannot get in spain that are essential? i thought i would get some things in the uk if it will be better and bring them with me i noticed kettles seem a lot dearar in spain too..40 euroes and for the same thing in the uk £20!

i didnt have time to look at everything but any advice on what you find dearer or what you want and jsut cant get would be good also can you buy english dvds in spain?

thanks a lot!


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## djfwells (Sep 28, 2009)

A While a go Carrefour were offering Flat screen LCD TV's at a stupid price, may still be the best place to check out


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## northwestlads (Sep 19, 2010)

it was caryfour i looked in, for a flat screen, i wanted a really big one, they seem on on small ones but the bigger you want the most our of proportion the cost for it it!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

northwestlads said:


> it was caryfour i looked in, for a flat screen, i wanted a really big one, they seem on on small ones but the bigger you want the most our of proportion the cost for it it!


you will tend to find that 'luxury goods' are on the whole more expensive here in Spain


there are of course special offers all the time, so yes, sometimes they will be cheaper


the difference in price is less than it was 6 or so years ago though

oh - & kettles - the Spanish don't use them that much - so they really are a luxury

coffee machines are a necessity though so you can get quite a decent one quite cheaply


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

computers always seemed expensive BUT again to retterate what djfwells and xabiachica have said, sales and offers do produce some bargains. Carrefour were doing a "back to school" PC bundle for about 299 the other week which is on a level with the kind of offers you get in pc world or staples in the uk at this time of year.

At least a decent bottle of wine still remains (marginally) cheaper than the UK, so jsut do what I do.. if the cost of your TV in Carrefour makes you cringe, head straight to the wine section, and then within half an hour of getting home it wont seem so bad !


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## Guest (Oct 7, 2010)

djfwells said:


> A While a go Carrefour were offering Flat screen LCD TV's at a stupid price, may still be the best place to check out


32 inch Samsung models are what they're offering up here.


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## Guest (Oct 7, 2010)

steve_in_spain said:


> computers always seemed expensive BUT again to retterate what djfwells and xabiachica have said, sales and offers do produce some bargains. Carrefour were doing a "back to school" PC bundle for about 299 the other week which is on a level with the kind of offers you get in pc world or staples in the uk at this time of year.
> 
> *At least a decent bottle of wine still remains (marginally) cheaper than the UK, so jsut do what I do.. if the cost of your TV in Carrefour makes you cringe, head straight to the wine section, and then within half an hour of getting home it wont seem so bad !*


I like your attitude!


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## Sonrisa (Sep 2, 2010)

Have you tried tien21, they're like a spanish version of Commet. There's a tv campaign coming up

Tien 21, they are pretty much all over Spain.


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## lynn (Sep 25, 2008)

As others have said, most 'luxury' goods are much more expensive here, and there is much less choice. Get as much as you can from the UK before you arrive. We stocked up on ski equipment and clothes, golf equipment and clothes, electrical appliances (things like kettle from Tescos for a fiver) laptops, netbooks, the list went on and on!. I then got shed loads of adapters from ebay... If you are heading towards Malaga, there is an Ikea for furniture at reasonable prices. And every time we have visitors they bring stuff over for us. At first my OH was commuting to the UK, so we could get things relatively quickly, but now we have to be more patient.


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## Cazzy (Nov 23, 2008)

Be very careful bringing a TV from the UK as the Spanish electric cycles at a different rate. It might only last 6 months!! We think everything is more expensive here except alcohol and ciggaretes and as we don't smoke or drink a lot we don't benefit from it. The wages are also a lot lower than those in the UK.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

Mattresses are expensive. You can buy 2 complete beds in the UK for the price of a mattress here ! Any furniture is expensive. We always manage to get a kettle from Lidl's or Aldi's now. Media Markt is one of the cheapest place for electricals we've found .


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

Car bodywork repairs are far cheaper here as I've just found out after being hit by 'el muchacho y su moto'. & his dad's paying !


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## JeanP (Sep 11, 2010)

gus-lopez said:


> Mattresses are expensive. You can buy 2 complete beds in the UK for the price of a mattress here ! Any furniture is expensive. We always manage to get a kettle from Lidl's or Aldi's now. Media Markt is one of the cheapest place for electricals we've found .


I have seen a few furniture websites and you right, I almost choked looking at the prices of furniture.

One of my biggest hurdles will be to furnish my place, as I cannot let out a fully furnished house/apartment, cannot get my head around sleeping in a bed that is not mine, or sitting on a couch that is not mine.


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

JeanP said:


> I have seen a few furniture websites and you right, I almost choked looking at the prices of furniture.
> 
> One of my biggest hurdles will be to furnish my place, as I cannot let out a fully furnished house/apartment, cannot get my head around sleeping in a bed that is not mine, or sitting on a couch that is not mine.


I 3rd that opinion - very expensive here. Before I moved out, I took on a house which was unfurnished so I could spend as much time as possible here. We used the services of a home furnishing company in Murcia and bought a complete pack - eveything from sofa and beds through to bathroom accessories. They were great and delivered, installed, and set everything up. Cost an absolute fortune but I guess we paid for the convenience.

What did I then do... move permanently and bring all my stuff from the UK. I now have two of everything - even kitchen utensils. Oh well, on the bright side, if ever anyone needs an emergency spatular they know where to come!:focus:


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Cazzy said:


> Be very careful bringing a TV from the UK as the Spanish electric cycles at a different rate. It might only last 6 months!!


I think this is no longer the case, at least on newer models:
Using a British TV in Spain | Ronda in Southern Spain


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

Alcalaina said:


> I think this is no longer the case, at least on newer models:
> Using a British TV in Spain | Ronda in Southern Spain


I brought my pride and joy (52" plasma) from the UK and (touch wood) never had an issue with it in Spain at all. Despite last winter frequent power cuts, 50% power, and all kinds of issues, its still going strong... you wait, it will pack up now i have said that!


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

northwestlads said:


> Hi
> 
> I am looking to complete my move to spain in a few weeks time. i came on a reccy to sort a flat etc recently and just got back to the cold weather
> 
> ...


We brought a lot of the Carrefour own brand stuff (Bluesky) when we bought our house 5 years ago - kettle, microwave, toaster, food processor, DVD player etc etc - pretty cheap and they don't seem to break down any more often than the branded stuff.

Of course, prices look more expensive now because you get far less euros for your pound; when we first came, €150 was £100, now it's more like £130.

Best to buy your English DVDs on Amazon. Even if you can get them here, they will be expensive.

Remember if you bring English electrical goods over you are going to have to change all the plugs ...

The only things here that are cheaper these days are **** & booze, fruit & veg, council tax, and manual labour, because wages are low. l can get my hair done for €18 (£50 in the UK) and a builder for €15 an hour (God knows what in the UK). People still tend to mend things rather than replace, at least in rural areas; I got my washing machine repaired for €20.


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

Alcalaina said:


> We brought a lot of the Carrefour own brand stuff (Bluesky) when we bought our house 5 years ago - kettle, microwave, toaster, food processor, DVD player etc etc - pretty cheap and they don't seem to break down any more often than the branded stuff.


Some very good points, and I 2nd that about Bluesky. We have two Bluesky fridges, one we got last year but the other that I bought in Spain 6 years ago, its been moved to different houses 4 times including Spain-Uk-Spain and its STILL going strong!

I also had a telly, same brand, kept it for about 5 years, the only reason I got rid was because it was outdated!

Avoid TAURUS brand of kitchen applicanes in Carrefour. Both me and a friend have bought Taurus coffee machines and they are crap!


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## northwestlads (Sep 19, 2010)

i will wait for the telly till i get tehre if its likely to blow up if i use an uk one
shame the bulky things like beds are derer in spain, csot to transport these things is high


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

xabiachica said:


> coffee machines are a necessity though so you can get quite a decent one quite cheaply


But if you are a coffee aficionada like me you need a Saeco ....
I have never had a cup of tea in my life and can't drink instant coffee so good coffee is essential.
I bought a Saeco Xynthia from Corte Ingles to replace a Krups Orkestra I had in the UK for years and took to Prague, where the chalky water from our well b*****d it up. These machines grind the beans and make superb coffee.
As I had come unexpectedly into a bit of cash I decided to get the Saeco as I'd gone long enough with just a cafetiere.
I expected to pay around 450 euros which is the best price I could find on UK comparison sites. OK it's a lot for a coffee machine but they last for years and for me it's worth it.
It was more than a couple of hundred euros more.....760 in total to be precise.
I was a bit taken aback.
But it does make superb coffee....


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> But if you are a coffee aficionada like me you need a Saeco ....
> I have never had a cup of tea in my life and can't drink instant coffee so good coffee is essential.
> I bought a Saeco Xynthia from Corte Ingles to replace a Krups Orkestra I had in the UK for years and took to Prague, where the chalky water from our well b*****d it up. These machines grind the beans and make superb coffee.
> As I had come unexpectedly into a bit of cash I decided to get the Saeco as I'd gone long enough with just a cafetiere.
> ...


I keep looking at those fancy machines that grind the coffee everytime I go in Tien21... hmm i have to say I am tempted because like you I love a decent coffee...but for the cost of them...maybe I'd be better off with a Starbucks franchise!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

steve_in_spain said:


> I keep looking at those fancy machines that grind the coffee everytime I go in Tien21... hmm i have to say I am tempted because like you I love a decent coffee...but for the cost of them...maybe I'd be better off with a Starbucks franchise!


Honestly, Steve, they are worth every cent but I know I paid over the odds buying here. 
There is an 'entry level' SAECO which grinds beans, you may be able to find it on the net.
The model I got was the only one Corte Ingles had (the swine!!!!) so I took it but there are a couple of cheaper models.
But if you buy, you won't regret it, I promise you..


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> Honestly, Steve, they are worth every cent but I know I paid over the odds buying here.
> There is an 'entry level' SAECO which grinds beans, you may be able to find it on the net.
> The model I got was the only one Corte Ingles had (the swine!!!!) so I took it but there are a couple of cheaper models.
> But if you buy, you won't regret it, I promise you..


OOHH you see I had convinced myself it was an unnecessery luxury... but now I'm not so sure... what do you think? early christmas pressy from me to me?

hmmm grrrr..I think I am going to at least have to browse the net now for a mooch round! Thanks for the recomendation on which one though because if I do buy one I wouldn't have a clue which to get! For me its more about how many lights it has on it!


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

northwestlads said:


> i will wait for the telly till i get tehre if its likely to blow up if i use an uk one
> shame the bulky things like beds are derer in spain, csot to transport these things is high



TVs should be ok to move. My husband has a TV/hifi shop in the UK and we brought five with us and they all work fine

Jo xxx


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## lynn (Sep 25, 2008)

jojo said:


> TVs should be ok to move. My husband has a TV/hifi shop in the UK and we brought five with us and they all work fine
> 
> Jo xxx


FIVE!!!but there are only 4 of you in the house!!!


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

lynn said:


> FIVE!!!but there are only 4 of you in the house!!!



Ah, but theres the kitchen!! One in each bedroom (3), one in the sitting room (1) and one in the kitchen (1)

In my UK house we even had a special waterproof TV hanging on the wall in the bathroom!! OH was trying it out as a customer of his wanted one, so he used our house as a dummy run - a perk!!!??? LOL I very rarely watch TV

Jo xxx


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## lynn (Sep 25, 2008)

jojo said:


> Ah, but theres the kitchen!! One in each bedroom (3), one in the sitting room (1) and one in the kitchen (1)
> 
> In my UK house we even had a special waterproof TV hanging on the wall in the bathroom!! OH was trying it out as a customer of his wanted one, so he used our house as a dummy run - a perk!!!??? LOL I very rarely watch TV
> 
> Jo xxx


Ummm,.... I sort of get that, but haven't you all got legs and therefore, can't you get to a room with a telly??? We are so sad, we only have the one!


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

lynn said:


> Ummm,.... I sort of get that, but haven't you all got legs and therefore, can't you get to a room with a telly??? We are so sad, we only have the one!


Its only like this cos my husband has access to them, they're all old stock. The only reason I even turn the one in the bedroom on is for company when he's not there. Apart from that I rarely watch em............ hhhmmm, its eastenders now tho LOL

Jo xxx


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

SteveHall said:


> The most important lesson I have learned in Spain, Never, ever buy anything from Carrefour with a plug on it."


We've bought a flat-screen tv, kettle and wireless router....all problem -free....
So far.....


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

SteveHall said:


> The most important lesson I have learned in Spain, Never, ever buy anything from Carrefour with a plug on it."


It's the clothes in Carrefour that I have the biggest gripe with. I don't normally buy supermarket clothes but sometimes I've seen the odd T shirt or pair of jeans that I like... every item has either worn out very quickly, or seams gone, or faded... and don't get me started on their footwear!!! Never again!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

steve_in_spain said:


> It's the clothes in Carrefour that I have the biggest gripe with. I don't normally buy supermarket clothes but sometimes I've seen the odd T shirt or pair of jeans that I like... every item has either worn out very quickly, or seams gone, or faded... and don't get me started on their footwear!!! Never again!


you're right

I bought my dd's new tracksuits for school a few weeks ago

the back seam of my younger dd's trousers has gone into holes already - she has worn them maybe 3 times??!!


the ones I bought for dd1 a few years ago in Primark in Murcia have lasted well enough to be handed down - as have the chinese bazaar & market ones I've bought in the past!!


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

xabiachica said:


> you're right
> 
> I bought my dd's new tracksuits for school a few weeks ago
> 
> ...


It _always _appears to be the back seams that go! Now I don't know about you but I think you need to have confidence in your back seam! Of all the things you don't want to go... it's the back seam! 

Totally agree about primark! They might use sweat shops paying 10p an hour to manufacturer their clothes, but they sure as hell churn out a decent pair of pantalones!!!


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## northwestlads (Sep 19, 2010)

thanks for all the help, very useful


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

My daughter uses Carrefour in Petra and this summer they now have started stocking Carrefours own brand and now have lots of special offers .. we have Carrefour no1 goods in the store in Cairo.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Interesting to hear the comments about Carrefour. I do very little shopping in supermarkets, but quite often pop into Carrefour between classes as there's not much else to do in the area where I work. They've just revamped this one and it's quite different. Lots of ready made food. You can order a tortilla with the ingredients you want (spinach, chopped bacon etc) and have it made on the spot. Prepacked salads, couscous, a few Indian, Chinese dishes. Lots more sandwiches with "different" fillings for example sundried tomatoes and chicken with rocket lettuce.
The clothes are different too to what they used to be, but must say the quality doesn't look too good, but they had some nice nightwear stuff in good cotton.
There's a lot more organic stuff and the other big difference is that there's a cafeteria IN the store.
The only thing I've actually bought is a sandwich which was quite good, but in general the store looks different, much more like a Sainsbury's ASDA kind of thing. As for electrical I've only ever bought a ceiling fan and an MP3 and both have worked fine


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Interesting to hear the comments about Carrefour. I do very little shopping in supermarkets, but quite often pop into Carrefour between classes as there's not much else to do in the area where I work. They've just revamped this one and it's quite different. Lot's of ready made food. You can order a tortilla with the ingredients you want (spinach, chopped bacon etc) and have it made on the spot. Prepacked salads, couscous, a few Indian, Chinese dishes. Lot's more sandwiches with "different" fillings for example sundried tomatoes and chicken with rocket lettuce.
> The clothes are different too what they used to be, but must say the quality doesn't look too good, but they had some nice nightwear stuff in good cotton.
> There's a lot more organic stuff and the other big difference is that there's a cafeteria IN the store.
> The only thing I've actually bought is a sandwich which was quite good, but in general the store looks different, much more like a Sainsbury's ASDA kind of thing. As for electrical I've only ever bought a ceiling fan and an MP3 and both have worked fine




Ohh I hope they start selling those brown paper carrier bags with ready made chines/indian meals... so handy for those busy busy days or even a lazy day.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

SteveHall said:


> Let's all boycott, Carrefour! On another forum I have organised many virtual "protests" at some of the more unacceptable policies employed by Carrefour,Torrevieja. The "C" word only needs to be mentioned and some poster asks for me to comment. This has been going on for at least 7/8 years.
> 
> Number one on the short things I dislike about Spain.....so I don't frequent it.
> 
> (Horrified to hear when I was in the UK in the summer that they have some partnership with Tesco)


Yup, they've had a deal with Tesco for years not to compete on each other's territory.

What sort of policies were you protesting about, Steve?

I won't shop in Lidl, because of the way they treat their staff. They even make women wear a special cap when they are menstruating!
Some reasons why you should boycott Lidl | blogBCN.com


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

steve_in_spain said:


> It's the clothes in Carrefour that I have the biggest gripe with. I don't normally buy supermarket clothes but sometimes I've seen the odd T shirt or pair of jeans that I like... every item has either worn out very quickly, or seams gone, or faded... and don't get me started on their footwear!!! Never again!


Sadly they are one of the few places in Spain that sell women's shoes in my size!

I didn't realise I had big feet till I moved here. Size 41 (7) in the UK seemed quite normal. But most Spanish shoe shops only go up to 40.

Fortunately flip flops are unisex!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> Sadly they are one of the few places in Spain that sell women's shoes in my size!
> 
> I didn't realise I had big feet till I moved here. Size 41 (7) in the UK seemed quite normal. But most Spanish shoe shops only go up to 40.
> 
> Fortunately flip flops are unisex!


yes, we're having that problem with my dd1

at age 14 her feet are bigger than mine - & I take a 41 too

if she was a girly girl we'd really have problems - but she's happy in flip flops & trainers - thankfully


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## leedsutdgem (Jun 3, 2010)

For cds and dvds dont use amazon as they charge you postage. Use Play.com (UK): DVDs, Music CDs, MP3s, Video Games, Books, Electronics & Gadgets - Free Delivery free delivery to Spain.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

leedsutdgem said:


> For cds and dvds dont use amazon as they charge you postage. Use Play.com (UK): DVDs, Music CDs, MP3s, Video Games, Books, Electronics & Gadgets - Free Delivery free delivery to Spain.


Wow! Thanks!!!

Though I do buy a lot of used books on Amazon for 1 penny +£3.95 postage, which is about the price of a cup of coffee in London now I think.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

leedsutdgem said:


> For cds and dvds dont use amazon as they charge you postage. Use Play.com (UK): DVDs, Music CDs, MP3s, Video Games, Books, Electronics & Gadgets - Free Delivery free delivery to Spain.


Theres also cdwow CD WOW! - New Release Cheap CDs, Discount DVDs, Blu-ray, Bargain Games


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## northwestlads (Sep 19, 2010)

thanks for all the help, very useful especially the ones with free p+p


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## fourgotospain (May 4, 2009)

Ditto the Carrefour clothing/shoes - my dd2 had a pair of canvas shoes that literally fell apart in 2 weeks. Her Primark 'converse' are still going strong! We brought stuff with us and also have a furnished rental so it's not too bad. Our little flat screen from the Uk seems fine (unpredictable imminent gota fria storm surges excepted!)

My present to myself last Christmas in the UK was a Senseo coffee maker - it's a 'pod' machine so not so good if you like lots of cappuchino but for a black americano it's the business. So simple - you can buy the pods everywhere and the machine was about £45!! You can even get a special pod holder thing now that you can put regular ground coffee in too...

Oh and bring a Brita filter jug and plenty of cartridges, that way your kettle lasts much longer and you don't need bottled water.


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

fourgotospain said:


> My present to myself last Christmas in the UK was a Senseo coffee maker - it's a 'pod' machine so not so good if you like lots of cappuchino but for a black americano it's the business. So simple - you can buy the pods everywhere and the machine was about £45!! You can even get a special pod holder thing now that you can put regular ground coffee in too....


I have a Tasimo which is similar, actually makes a reasonably good coffee - but buying the tab things gets costly - I think its in the basement somewhere now filed under "another boys toy that Steve's lost interest in"


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

Can I ask... what's all this DD1 & DD2 people are refering to? I thought it was bra sizes but when people are refering to their DD1 wearing canvas shoes I somehow doubt it?

Daughter? Maybe hazarding a guess?


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

steve_in_spain said:


> Can I ask... what's all this DD1 & DD2 people are refering to? I thought it was bra sizes but when people are refering to their DD1 wearing canvas shoes I somehow doubt it?
> 
> Daughter? Maybe hazarding a guess?



Dear Daughter 1 and Dear Daughter 2!! The "Dear" is possibly a tad tongue in cheek?????? - or the amount they cost us! It is when I use it lol!!!

Jo xxx


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## fourgotospain (May 4, 2009)

Mine works out about 25c a cup which is a lot less than Starbucks (or even the exceptionally good Nostro's in Javea). I love it and will save if challenged by the 300 litres of rain heading this way!!!


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

jojo said:


> Dear Daughter 1 and Dear Daughter 2!! The "Dear" is possibly a tad tongue in cheek?????? - or the amount they cost us! It is when I use it lol!!!
> 
> Jo xxx


Ah right... Jo..Gracias!

That makes perfect sense now!


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## fourgotospain (May 4, 2009)

Sadly I suspect the DD's made by Carrefour you refer to would not be up to the job!!!!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

fourgotospain said:


> Sadly I suspect the DD's made by Carrefour you refer to would not be up to the job!!!!


wouldn't be any good for me


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