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olivesmom_gw

Aga Cooker: a joy to cook with or a $$$ PITA?

olivesmom
11 years ago

I'm still In the planning stages of our new build, focusing on the kitchen at the moment. Previously I was entertaining the idea of a open kitchen/dining/living space, though I was exploring options to solve the issues caused by an open kitchen. I've now shifted gears and now I am leaning towards a completely different floorplan, one with a much more closed off kitchen.

In addition to the floorplan being different, the house itself is quite a departure from previous floor plans we were considering. At the moment I am really liking a Williamsburg colonial style by William Poole. I still have plans to introduce a more casual, rustic, northwest sort of cabin feel, but the house definitely has a more period look to it. I'm not going for a period reproduction though. Much more casual, even transitional somewhat.

However,I really want a stove that looks appropriate. I initially fell in love with an Esse wood burning cookstove (would look so lovely placed In a large stone hearth right in the kitchen), but it would be mostly for looks and the esse ironhearts are pricey for wood stoves, plus I'm probably too lazy to deal with a real wood burning stove. I then came across the Aga cooker and I'm smitten with it! Absolutely in love! Not only is it pretty but I could use to to cook all of our meals.

Not sure what color or size, but I do love their look and I'm attracted to their quirkiness I think. I'm just wondering though, if that quirkiness will turn into hassle and if I would end up disliking this very expensive stove.

One consideration is that we are building on several acres and the lot we like does not have natural gas. I could go with propane (if say, I decide to just go the bluestar route which would probably be my second choice, maybe) but Im not sure I want to deal with propane. One alternative would be to go solar and the Aga cooker comes in an electric version that looks nearly identical to the gas version. I'm not certain, but I don't think there are any other electric stoves that have a vintage look. The whole solar thing will require a lot more research in my part, not even sure it is feasible. I do like the option though.

Oh, and it may help to know that I stay at home with my young kids and I generally cook breakfast, lunch and dinner for our family which right now consists of four people, but will likely be six in the next few years. I have the time to mess around with this sort of stove, but I don't want to end up hating it because I can't get a batch if cookies to turn out. I cook mostly from scratch. I do a lot of roasts, stews, soups and braises. I also do a fair amount saut�ed and pan fried dishes. Right now I don't do a whole lot of serious baking, but I do aspire to. I cook for extended family about once a month and several times a year I host various parties. In our new home I plan to entertain quite a bit more.

One random reason I think I'd love this stove is because I think the size of the top plate (either the boiling or simmer one) would be perfect for my Le creuset 5qt braiser, which is something like 13 " across on the bottom and is really too big for my current gas range. Despite the fact that it is too large, I use it anyway with mixed results because I love how much it holds. I would LOVE to be able to use my braiser successfully.

Your thoughts on this stove? Will it be a joy to cook on, or a major pain in the rear?

Comments (42)

  • olivesmom
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow, Liriodendron- thank you so much for your very throrough response!

    I definitely plan to look into solar. This new home will be our forever house, so I'm hoping we will be in it 40+ years. Therefore the front loaded cost should be worth it, though I do worry about the lifespan of solar panels. It seems most have warranties 20 years or less. There's a lot to research, and to be honest I find it a bit overwhelming. Especially when I start thinking about heating, hot water, what fuel for the range, etc. So many things to consider.

    As far as the stove, the main thing is I want a beautiful and well performing range in my kitchen. I want my shiny, and colorful range to greet me every time I walk into my kitchen. I've thought about induction and I'm sure I'd like cooking on it and I know I'd love the easy clean up, but I don't see how an induction cooktop would look right in this kitchen. I get what you mean about the constant technological upgrades in the kitchen, it's just that an induction cooktop looks so space age. I love all things vintage (even if it's fake) and while an aga defiantly isn't colonial, it seems to look more appropriate to me.

    I've fallen hard for the Aga, however it's price is a huge drawback. Plus, I know in my head that it probably isn't all that practical. In the floorplan we are looking at there's a pretty good spot for a large stone hearth in between the kitchen and dining nook. I could install a nice, average priced wood stove there, slap a tea kettle on top and I'd think it would satisfy my need for old-timey style. I could then install a bluestar, or whatever range, in the kitchen proper and still be thousands less then the aga alone. But then I watch another aga YouTube video and I'm back to square one. We shall see.

  • liriodendron
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    O-M:

    Yes, this: (in spades)

    I could install a nice, average-priced wood stove there, slap a tea kettle on top and I'd think it would satisfy my need for old-timey style. I could then install a bluestar, or whatever range, in the kitchen proper and still be thousands less then the aga alone.

    That's what I was saying. There are certainly places where an AGA would be the right choice (if you knew you liked cooking on them.) I think the all-electric AGA is probably the least useful because it's basically a "pretend" version of the cooking method, substituting a completely different power source inside the shell of the AGA.

    Don't give up on induction. An induction cooktop doesn't have to have a space age look. Some just appear to be another counter top surface. It's grand for slow cooking things in cast-iron cookware like Le creuset. Unlike gas you can just set it and it will keep on at the correct level more or less indefinitely. (Some models do have time-limited burners for safety, OTOH, some have timed autoshutoffs which are also cool.) You could combine (for instance) a smaller (all-gas) BS (or other brand) range, add a smooth induction section to your cooktop beside it for additional hob space. If you need a second oven, then get one of the Speed Ovens, or something with some of the sdvanced baking methods for a wall oven. Then you'd have the best of both worlds, plain jane, powerful, unfussy gas range, and the energy efficiency of induction and all the bells and whistles of the new tech baking.

    Keep separate in your mind the difference between choosing a fuel source (gas, electric, wood, or coal) from the choice of an AGA-style thermal mass stove. One is a fuel, the other is method of heat delivery. For instance my cast iron cooker burns wood, but while it uses thermal mass to retain and store heat for baking, it is not essentially a thermal-mass cooker. It sheds a lot of heat into the room.

    Before choosing a thermal mass stove (of whatever style, there are some very Scandinavian modern looking ones) make a big effort to experience cooking on one. Even a chance to spend a holiday in a self-keeping cottage in England with one of these stoves would teach you about them. I expect you'll be able to turn up someone you can visit closer than half-way around the world.

    Now for a crash course on solar. (And though my DH works in this field we're in NY so I'm not trying to sell you anything.)

    The warranty on all good solar panels is 25 years (90% rated production up to 10 years, and no less than 80% rated capacity ate 25.) At 25 years the panels don't stop working, they just are not guaranteed to be producing as much juice as when new (they decline a fraction of a percent per year). Choose a brand that has been making panels for a longer time. (Hint: some Chinese manufacturuers have been in business only a year or two.) Our own panels are Sharps, made in Japan. I just asked my DH and he recommends Sunpower panels as having the best warranty (and warranty/replacement service) and long experience making PV stuff, i.e. longer than they warranty their panels for. I happen to like the looks of our Sharps better than Sunpower, and as our are on ground-mounted panels, I see them every day, so that was a factor for us. You can choose to buy your own equipment and own all the power it produces, or in most areas, find people who will install it and share the power produced with you. These are the "zero down" offers you see. Personally we liked to own it, so we are adding to our arrays as we go. That and because my DH is an inventor so we can't have simple off-the-shelf equipment, we have to have "improvements" to the standard.

    The power produced is indistinguishable from the power that comes from the electric company, indeed as I mention it flows on to them if you're not using it. It does not provide power in event of a power outage, though. The reason is that if your panels made power during a power outage and it flowed back out into the grid it would risk electrocuting linemen who were working on a supposedly de-energized line. There are some battery back-up systems available that can piggy-back on to a PV system for power outages, but they don't supply all your power, just a few critical circuits like water pump, furnace circulator, etc. Totally off-grid systems use DC, not AC, and require completely different appliances for everything in the house. If you're not really far away from the grid, they are generally not practical.

    PV panels are dead-stupid easy to run once installed. They just sit up, or out, there making juice whenever there's enough light. Ours even make a tiny amount of measureable power on full-moon nights.

    Here's two fun facts I use when people ask me about solar: every square yard of the earth has a solar production capacity of 150 watts in full sunlight (that's using currently available technology, more will available as technology improves). And the energy arrives fresh from the sun in a little over 8 minutes, every second of every day. And it burns no carbon-based fuel, it's free and it will be there forever.

    One final tip: If you get a woodstove, or wood cookstove, be sure to get one with a dedicated outside (combustion) air connection. It simplifies your life when it comes time installing a cooking vent hood as it makes it safe to run these wood-burners and the exhaust fan at the same time since they don't share the same air space.

    Did you see the ECO stoves I linked to in the other thread? (Do a search on my user name, I have a call-out to Lavendar Lass in the title.) The cost of those ranges is under 6K pounds. They seem cheaper, and as good or better than AGA, and it appears they will sell into the US.

    L.

  • quiltgirl
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Okay, I must chime in here. We have an old remodeled farmhouse and the Aga is just the right fit! It makes me happy to see it every morning! I love the look of it, the ease of use, the always ready ovens and the warmth it exudes on a cold winter's day! The first place my grandkids head when they come in is to the Aga! They like to back right into it when they are cold and no one has got burned from the experience! We put our boots in front of it to warm and our jackets on a chair in front of it to dry. I hang wet towels, sweaters, mitts and whatever else I need to over the rail across the front. Since our kitchen is big with cathedral ceilings, what little heat it gives off is not a problem. I do turn it down on the hottest summer days since we do a lot of grilling outside at that time.

    As far as cooking: We do have a gas fired four oven Aga and I did not find it a "completely different way of cooking". It is different in the fact that you use the ovens 80% of the time and the hobs 20% of the time whereas it is the opposite with a regular stove, but that is no big deal. I do not rotate my food from oven to oven as some think you must in order to cook it properly. I do move finished foods into the warming oven until all is ready to serve. That is a feature that I love! My cookies come out perfectly fantastic. I make bread all the time and I do it no differently than I did in my old conventional stove. I have canned tomatoes and made jellies on it with no difficulty at all. The learning curve here is not all that difficult. I use the simmering oven to make steel cut oatmeal that is perfect when you wake in the morning. I melt my butter and chocolates and whatever else on the warming plate without it splattering as it can in the microwave. I do feel my meats come out more tender and juicier with the Aga, especially if you are using the simmering oven and cooking a roast as you would in a slow cooker. (That is another appliance which I no longer need!) I do not feel that this is propaganda or nostalgia since guests have commented on the fact. I absolutely love the four ovens and the convenience of having them ready to use at any time. I no longer need a toaster that takes up room on the counter or in a cabinet. Since I only used my microwave for heating up coffee, leftovers and melting butter, I have now moved that to my pantry and I use the Aga instead.

    I would think you might look into the cost of the propane heat which would keep the Aga at an even temperature vs. trying to regulate it with wood. Just my thought though. I do understand that you do not have access to natural gas. I am not savy on the prices of running the Aga with other heat sources, such as propane or electric. Wood does seem like it would be more of a hassle.

    As far as cost, I know they are expensive but if you can afford it, it is worth every penny in my experience. I was lucky enough to pick up a store demo for a very good price. I believe there is a site online where you can buy used and refurbished Agas. Also, watch Ebay or Craig's list or even put an add in the paper if you decide to go with the Aga. Last year I even went to a moving sale where the people were selling one!

    As far as solar, we looked into solar panels for heating the house but it was not cost effective for us. It takes many years to re-coup your investment, so unless you are fairly young and are going to stay in that house for many years, I would not consider it. It is not cheap to set up a solar system.

    Good luck with your decision! I will be following to see how you fair!

  • liriodendron
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Quiltgirl:

    I am sorry if I left the impression that an AGA has a serious burn potential. I didn't mean to and I guess I wasn't as clear as I meant to be. Aga-style stoves are one of the low-clearance stoves I was trying to separate out from the other woodburning cookstoves like the Esse, and sheet metal or cast iron cooking stoves. Those are the ones that can burn your skin in a flash because their surface temps are so much hotter.

    When I used a coal-fired AGA (and a very old one at that because it was in the UK) I found I had a good deal of trouble organising my cooking plans to accomodate the stove's way of cooking. I had trouble with the idea of putting things I would usually have cooked on top of the stove into an oven, instead. I managed, but I found it awkward. Perhaps one of the differences between my experience and yours is that a gas-powered AGA has a smoother firing curve than a solid-fuel model burning either coal or wood. That's because you have to manage the fire, as a first - and continuing job - in addition to coping with the stove. Gas is always there and available continuosly from the orifices; coal or wood you have add, and stir up by yourself. I only used the coal AGA for about 6 months and I wasn't at all sorry to leave it behind when we left that house.

    I have much more experience with a woodburning (but non-AGA style) stove. It was a completely different experience because it isn't a thermal mass range like an AGA. In this case the difficulty is completely related to the fuel - and kindling and regulating the fire itself. It's even trickier in an ordinary wood cookstove, than with an AGA, since non-thermal mass stoves, even heavy cast iron behemoths like mine, are not designed to cook primarily with latent or stored heat like an AGA. It was on this cookstove that I had the most maddening and ultimately dissappointing results from trying to can. While I could eke out a safe water-bath processing. I never could manage a safe, meaning never falling off pressure for the entire period of 30-90mins for a pressure-canner cycle. I tried and tried and tried. It was a bitter disappointment for me at the time because I had such high hopes.

    I take my hat off to anyone who can successfully pressure can on a wood stove, of any kind. I think you could pretty easily process a waterbath canner on a gas-fired AGA, and perhaps a small-to medium sized pressure canner. I'm not sure if it has the BTU/hr output to do that efficiently though, especially for the large pressure vessels I use.

    My wood cookstove bakes well, roasts well, fries well, if somewhat slowly (I've never tried something needing really high heat like a wok because I wouldn't want to stand next to the hot top for that), keeps things warm, toasts my bread, melts butter, clabbers my cheese, etc. It just takes way more attention than my current pro-style gas-fired range to do those tasks. Perhaps I'm not seeing much difference in taste because I still use the same cast iron dutch ovens and clay and stone pots with my gas range as I did with the woodstove. I've never owned a crock pot or a slow cooker so I have no idea how they operate.

    L.

  • liriodendron
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Here's an old link I dredged out re garding AGA stoves.

    This one has a good sorting out of the various kinds of AGA-beasts, though info on prices and models may be dated since it was in 2010. It also includes the opening chapters of Quiltgirl's frustrating installation saga.

    Here is a link that might be useful: old AGA thread

  • quiltgirl
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Liriodendron, Oh Yes! My installation was frustrating! I would not wish that on anyone! The situation was rectified thanks to a poster here on this site for which I am eternally grateful! I almost gave up on my Aga, but am so glad for the intervention and the help from the company. Fortunately the frustration was with the installer and not the stove itself!

    I can understand your comments with the use of a wood burning stove. Seems like it would have some getting used to for regulating an even temperature in the unit. Gas or electric would provide a more consistent stream of heat.

    I have gotten burned with the Aga, but not from anything on the outside of it. It is usually because I have put a pan with a handle in the ovens and forgot to grab a mitt when I touched the handles!

    I do find doing more in the ovens than on top frees up my time at the stove. I find it more efficient since I now no longer spend as much time standing over the burners. I find the difference in meats to be that they are not as "dry" as they were in my conventional oven. I attribute that to the Aga being one large crock pot. I like to throw pot roast and veggies in the simmering oven in the morning and forget it till suppertime. Works like a crock pot. I like the fact that I can put oatmeal along with milk, a little vanilla and butter and a dash of salt in the simmering oven at night and have it be just perfect in the a.m. It is a different way of cooking as far as that goes, but I did not find it more difficult. I just had to raise my awareness of how to use the unit more efficiently.

    The one thing I have had a problem with is cakes. The 9 x 13 pan cakes sink somewhat in the center. I also check them when it gets close to finish time. I do rotate them towards the mid end of cooking. I also had that problem with my old stove, so I am thinking it is me doing something wrong in the process. I do check the doneness of foods as I am cooking in the ovens. But then I did that "BA" too. (before Aga) I guess I did not think too much about how to use the Aga and I just jumped in and started cooking like I always did. Our library had a book sale and I picked up a cookbook written by Amy Wilcock for Aga users for a dollar. It has some helpful tips in it so will have to invest in her other cookbooks as well. One thing I learned was to bring your potatoes to a boil on the hot plate for four minutes, drain the pan and stick it in the simmering oven while you make the rest of your meal. Potatoes come out moist and yummy! (No water boiling over because I got side tracked!)

    I am hoping other Aga users will post their experiences. It would be nice to hear how they adapted to the stove and if they have any regrets.

  • marthavila
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Quiltgirl, it's great to see you back here again! I well remember the difficulty you were having with proper installation of your classic Aga Cooker, but I never knew of your final resolution. So glad to hear everything finally worked out well. It's especially good to see your recent posts in which you've made it very clear that you're quite pleased with your Aga (like every other classic Aga owner on these boards that I've known of through the years). As you know, I own the pro-style, dual fuel Aga 6-4 and not the traditional Cooker. So, although, I've tried here and there to help others understand the workings and performance of the Cooker, I've never felt totally comfortable about giving advice on that unit. Now that you're here again, I'm certain your sharing of your direct experiences and expertise with the Aga Cooker will go a long, long way in helping others to learn more about this frequently-misunderstood-yet-wonderful British cooking machine. Congratulations and welcome back!

  • _sophiewheeler
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I think the actual difference in cooking between an classic Aga and other style ranges comes down to whether you want your cooking equipment to be responsive to your requests, or whether or not you are willing to adapt your style of cooking to the way that the Aga can cook your meals. Is your range an appliance to you, or, are you an appliance to your range. Whom exactly is the demanding one setting the parameters of the cooking experience? If you want an instantaneous response to needing to turn the heat down on something you are cooking, do you want to just turn a dial, or do you want to have to move the pot off the hot spot to a cooler spot? That's kinda it in a nutshell. I'm a high heat junkie, and I demand responsiveness. I don't find that creating workarounds to how something cooks at all appealing. I want it to adapt to me, not me to adapt to it. That's too much like settling for $100 "artisan" carob coated peanuts when what you really want is $10 dark chocolate covered pecans that you make yourself.

  • marthavila
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hollysprings, the images called up by your post keep reverberating in my head. Loved your comments! What an interesting, eloquent and so very funny way to describe your style and standards in identifying a great cooking appliance. In fact, your post actually prompted me to re-imagine my whole vision of who buys what and why when it comes to cooking appliances. In your case, I'm seeing a hot, young chick, helmeted, booted and alighting from a motorcycle, striding into a super mod and sleek kitchen, setting a pot of something on a burner, turning the knob with a flourish and then daring the machine to blast off at the shout of "go!" In contrast, I'm now seeing the classic Aga owner as a "mature", rounder, slower, warmer, and very relaxed cook in the old farmhouse, shuttling over to the stove, shoving her pot in an oven and then going on to tend to other business (like gathering the eggs from the chickens, perhaps?) LOL. Both mental snapshots are gross stereotypes, of course. I don't doubt that the classic Aga market segments are much broader and varied than the simple one I just envisioned. But again, it was the style of your post which prompted that vision, made me think about my own demands in choosing a cooking appliance . . and it all made me laugh. Thanks!

  • sara_the_brit_z6_ct
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I know it's been briefly mentioned: the "always on" aspect. I know many people in the UK who have AGAs - and while they like them, they ALL turn them off in the summer and use a regular range at that time. Even the ones in big stone houses. Even in that climate (and it's getting warmer!) it's too hot to have the thing on all year around. And too expensive.

    I never see anyone mention it either, but there is a huge backlash in the UK against people buying AGAs and their equivalents, on environmental grounds. Fuel consumption is a major concern in Europe, whether oil or gas or wood or whatever: it all produces greenhouse gases, whether in your chimney or at the power station. Having something that is always using fuel is just seen as wasteful.

    I'm not trying to put you off, because obviously it's an entirely personal choice, but if environmental issues are the least concern to you, I would suggest you look into what contribution an "always on" range makes, especially when there are such excellent alternatives.

  • olivesmom
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The only issue I have with the "always on" aspect is the cost. Propane will be expensive i think and I'm not sure how the electric version compares performace-wise to the gas models.

    As to the environmental issue, apparently human existence is detrimental to the earth and I, for one, will not live my life apologizing for being born. I intend to enjoy my life and if an Aga makes me happy, then so be it.

  • quiltgirl
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Olivesmom: You go girl! I am right with you! I hope you can find a source of energy that will allow you to love an Aga! . I guess you could put up a windmill if you had an extra million laying around, or a solar system that would capture the sun's warmth. (Neither cost effective unfortunately!) In the meantime, you go for what makes you happy!

    Sara the brit: Since losing fuel is just "wasteful", we better dump our cars, water heaters, dryers, furnaces and whatever else is environmentally damaging! Seriously, when an alternative energy source is affordable for the average Joe Blow, I am sure we all will get on the train. In the meantime, since we Americans like to have a hot shower at night, heat in our homes and gas in our cars to get to work, we will continue to use whatever heat source is available to us. That includes gas for my Aga which comes from the same gas line that fed my old conventional stove. Since environmental alternatives are not yet available, I am with Olivesmom. Also, everyone does not turn their Agas off in the summer. I personally just turn mine down where it uses no more energy than the pilot light on your conventional gas stove.
    Also, just a note on cost for the gas model we have in our area: roughly thirty dollars per month. People spend more on one meal going out to eat, so sorry, but no apologies here.

    Marthavila: I could not have said it better! And I do have chicks!

  • BennoB
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We are cooking on our third aga (kept changing houses, unfortunately), and I really like cooking on it, obviously. It is very forgiving, cooking in the ovens cuts down on the mess and is much easier, and the constant heat levels means cooking is more about following a set routine than constantly checking. For this third aga we replaced the warming plate with a pair of burners -- seemed like a good idea, since we could turn the stove off in the summer and use the burners. We have never used them in the five years we have had the stove, winter or summer (have not turned off the stove for the summer yet either), so did not turn out to be such a great idea after all.

    While the Aga can seem wasteful, the solar idea is interesting. First of all, the intent behind the electric aga is to use cheap electricity at night and cook off the stored heat during the day -- no need to run the Aga off of batteries, with the Aga time of fuel consumption and time of cooking can be different -- seems like a solar aga would be the reverse, storing heat during the day, and cooking whenever. In England they have aga-like stoves with water heater attachments -- you might investigate whether you can use solar to preheat your stove directly rather than via electricity -- it will be much more efficient -- and it would sort of be like running a water heater version in reverse. And you have in-house solar expertise! The goal would be to reduce the gas usage in a gas aga, for example.

  • barbara_nica
    8 years ago

    Hi everyone!

    my husbands accepted a job in Virginia, so after 25 years, we're moving back to the states. I've been cooking on an oil fired AGA for the past 20 years. I love it so much, that we've decided to take one back with us. Were undecided on whether to take an oil or an LPG fired one. Ours gets serviced every nine months and uses approximately 300L every year. We never turn it off, but I do turn it down during the hottest weeks of the summer. Our service man thinks we might find it easier to find a person to work on a gas model than an oil one as its more common (?). Any opinions or experience? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

    On a different note, my experience is you either love it, or hate it. A few years ago, we installed an electric oven for baking. Don't get me wrong, bread, pies and heavy (think fruit cakes) bake beautifully in an AGA. However, cakes and delicate pastries, not so much. We do have the "cake box" insert which does help, but you're then limited on cake size. I wouldn't say it's a deal breaker though. If you do a lot of stir frys and that sort of thing, the boiler plate may not stay at optimum temp. to complete your dish (hence the 20/80 rule). My friend came over to cook a Thai meal, and hated it. If you leave the lids up for too long, the temp drops considerably and can take up to an hour to heat back up. As another poster said, it's perfect for a busy family. I often put all ingredients in a heavy cast iron pot in the morning and let it cook slowly, all day in the simmering oven. Likewise, I also make breakfast casseroles overnight, and everyone serves themselves when they're ready for it. I leave a stack of wet, yet neatly folded clothes directly on top and whoever comes in throughout the day, flips them over and before you know it, they're dry and need no ironing (yea!!). When it's raining, there's not a single one of us who doesn't come in and "drape" ourselves over it to quickly warm up. So, yes, I think they're great. Are they the most cost efficient? Definitely not. However, I turn my heating on at least six weeks later than any of my neighbors, and I turn it off at least a month before them. So, there is some savings if yours is the kind of family that spends a lot of time in the kitchen. If you don't already own good quality, heavy pots, you should invest in them. I was given a lovely set of calphalon pots and pans and found that they didn't make very good contact on the cook plates and had a tendency to "bounce" around. Anyway, just my thoughts, hope it's helpful to someone out there :)


  • PRO
    Deck The Halls
    8 years ago

    You may want to contact an AGA dealer here in the US for the best answer. When I was considering buying one here, the local dealer was extremely helpful.

  • nosoccermom
    8 years ago

    How does this work when the thermometer outside hits 100 degrees (Fahrenheit) in the summer?

  • barbara_nica
    8 years ago

    100F! We only dream of those temps :). A hot summer in Cambridgeshire, hovers around 80F. August is typically the hottest month. We (like most people), don't have air conditioning. We keep the doors and windows open for the early part of the day, then draw the curtains on the south side of the kitchen from about 2 o'clock. Sometimes (not often) we use a fan. The bedroom above the kitchen is ALWAYS warm, and unless there's near blizzard temps, a window is always cracked open. I've seen pics in decorator magazines of an AGA in a California home. My first thought was "they must have money to burn" to keep air conditioning on as well as the AGA. This is my big concern on taking an AGA to Virginia. As I understand, the temps are quite similar to here, with the exception of the very high humidity. We're considering installing a whole house dehumidifier to offset the cost of running an air conditioner. Anyone done this? Would love to hear opinions, thanks!

  • _sophiewheeler
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Virginia is a 8 month air conditioning state. Late March through early October. The Southern temps and humidity are brutal. In older times, it was considered a "hardship" station, much like Africa or India was. A traditional,AGA there would be like carrying a freezer to Antarctica. Foolish.

  • PRO
    Deck The Halls
    8 years ago

    I lived in England for a couple of years and the two homes we rented there both had AGA's. The first had no other appliance to cook on so the AGA was on all summer long. In the second home, I was instructed by the owner to turn it off during the summer months and just use the other range top and all oven. Some of the other people I met in England with AGA's also turned them off.

    We considered an AGA when we were building or new home, but decided against it because the US distributor didn't recommend turning it off. I was told it would rust. I'm not sure which answer is correct, but we played it safe and went with a Lacanche instead.

    Virginia may be similar to the overall temperatures in England but the heat and humidity will last way, way longer than they do in England. Summers in Virginia are brutal. I found having the AGA on in the first house during few days we had of 'The Great British Summer' to be difficult, I couldn't deal with it in Virginia, which I have only visited there in the summer and it was well into the 100's the entire visit. I couldn't have dealt with an AGA being on all the time and I live in Michigan.

  • nosoccermom
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    While I wouldn't quite say that AC is needed 8 months/year, the climate in Virginia is most certainly not like the UK. Even if it gets hot in Europe, temperatures cool down at night. Not in VA where it will be almost as hot at night as during the day (and more humid). Expect high 90s and high humidity (i.e. 30+C) for at the very least 3 months.

  • barbara_nica
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Thanks for all the input. Seriously reconsidering taking my beloved AGA to the states. Don't think I'd want to go the route of an all electric AGA, (just not the same). Maybe I will embrace a new home, country, and a new way to cook :)

  • PRO
    Deck The Halls
    8 years ago

    I'm sorry that you have decided not to bring an AGA with you to the US. It took me awhile to get over the AGA too. Not only did it cook wonderfully, it was beautiful and solidly built. I couldn't go with anything but the traditional AGA and I knew that our MI summers would be way too hot to ever consider the traditional AGA. Have you considered any other range? There is a lot of information on this web site and the googling the web on other ranges that were available.

    After looking at many different ranges, I decided that a Lacanche would satisfy my needs and my want for an AGA. I've been using it for about 3 months now and I honestly love it as much as the AGA. I have both a gas and an electric oven which are similar in size to the AGA ovens. They heat up very quickly considering they aren't always on. I loved the AGA's warming oven for slow cooking. The Lacanche warming oven on my range has turned out some great meals including a steak and ale pie. It's also got racks so I can plate food and put it in the warming oven before serving. I like the range top on the Lacanche better than the AGA; although it takes a bit longer to boil water, etc. I like having 7 burners to cook on so I'm not trying to move things around on the two Aga hobs. I also have a portable French Plate which works very much like the warming area on the AGA. It's also easier to clean since it isn't hot all the time!


  • barbara_nica
    8 years ago

    Thanks for the information Corie. Sounds like a brilliant range and I'll definitely look into it. Did you have it imported or is there a distributor in the US?

  • PRO
    Deck The Halls
    8 years ago

    You are very welcome. They do have a US distributor with offices in Seattle and New York City. Since I couldn't get to either of those locations they set me up with an ambassor (home owner) in Michigan so I could see one of the ranges in person. I've attached their web site, I worked with Elisa in their New York office. I wish I had known to look at them before we left England, though as their was a kitchen store just off the High Street with one of the models and only a 5 minute walk from my house!

    http://www.frenchranges.com

    This is my Lacanche Cluny 1400. They have many different models and colors to chose from and you configure the range top and the ovens (gas or electric or electric/convection).

  • barbara_nica
    8 years ago

    That's just beautiful Corie. Thanks again for the info. As I sit here leaning against my toasty AGA, drenched from bringing in the horses in the pouring rain and feeling a little bit sorry for myself, I saw your post and it made me smile. I think the major appeal of the AGA for me is because it's always warm, and I'm always wet or cold or both. The house we've bought has an American style barn (so no more mucking out in the rain)! Also no more straddling a basket with lambs or chicks parked in front of the range while trying to get dinner done. Looking at your picture, I envision a clean, clutter (and maybe animal free) kitchen. Definitely something to look forward to. Take care :)

  • PRO
    Deck The Halls
    8 years ago

    Your life sounds wonderfully English! I can just imagine your babies laying in front of your AGA. My Whippets loved to lay in front of the AGA on a cold, damp day. I was told by some of my friends in England that they had family that would put the baby lambs in the warming oven to keep them warm. I would have loved to have been able to see that for myself!

    I think you may be pleased that you don't have all that heat in your kitchen in VA. Good luck with your move and please let us know what you decide to do!

  • nosoccermom
    8 years ago

    "I think the major appeal of the AGA for me is because it's always warm, and I'm always wet or cold or both."

    I can empathize; I was never as cold as when I lived in the UK. But trust me, you might be wet from sweat more often than not once you're in the Commonwealth of Virginia :)

  • huruta
    8 years ago

    We also love, love, love our Lacanche. It's an absolute dream to cook on and I adore the small, highly efficient ovens.

    Our Updated 1950s Kitchen with French Inspiration · More Info

  • sjhockeyfan325
    8 years ago

    I would have no use for a fabulous range like the ones pictured (it would be wasted on me, since cooking for me is a chore, not a delight), I just wanted to say those things are spectacular looking!

  • vaerwin
    8 years ago

    Corie, your Lacanche looks amazing. How much does one of those cost? I live in Indiana and am waiting to get my Aga installed. I can't wait. It does get warm here but am just going to deal with it.

  • familyteacher
    8 years ago

    I have a four-oven classic electric AGA cooker and the type of cooking it does is no different than the gas or propane fired AGAs. I love the quality of food that comes out of it and the fact that most of the cooking is done inside the ovens. I save some of the cost of heating it because it helps heat the house, the food is so much better done in an AGA that we rarely eat out, and I can purchase cheaper cuts of meat and have them turn out tender and juicy. I also simmer pots of bones overnight in the simmering oven and make flavorful and nutritious soups from the broth. The unique way you can put cookie sheets and pie plates right on the floor of the oven browns the bottom of the food like no other oven I've seen. Yes, having an AGA is a luxury, but it is a luxury you will use every day and it will impact your life in ways you haven't even thought of. We've invested in a swimming pool (and I'm sure some have had boats) that they didn't get half the enjoyment out of that we've had from the AGA. I would recommend biting the bullet and getting the four oven model with the warming plate along with the boiling hob and simmering hob as I constantly use that to keep a kettle of water warm. One design tip, as you cannot move the AGA to clean the sides of it I recommend using heat-resistant topped trolley/storage carts on wheels on both sides of it to facilitate cleaning any spills that go down the sides. In one of my carts there is an enclosed cupboard that I use to keep the AGA sheets and racks and the other cart has cubby holes to store the AGA specific Silpat sheets to use on the pans/trays/simmering hob. Having an AGA is a lifestyle choice but it is a positive experience to have in your life. As we will be moving this year we face the cost of having it dismantled and reassembled which will cost a few thousand dollars but I wouldn't want to be without the AGA so we'll do what needs to be done.

  • Brent Bonfiglio
    8 years ago

    in our last home in Maryland, we had an oil fired AGA... we LOVED it... I retired and moved to MA in an old farm house. We have an Heartland Arisan wood fired cooker( Rayburn in the UK and made by AGA), witch is like a wood fired AGA--- my family loves it... we use this 9 months out of the year.. during the summer we use a gas powered AGA companion.... it works great.... either way do your home work... I've now had three AGA's here in the states... they are a GREAT way to cook.... but they do need maintenance and can be pricy to run....I will never not have one...PS our wood fired range is the best baking oven i've ever owned!! I really only have good things to say... My brother has an ESSE Iron heart wood range in his kitchen... It is much more rustic looking and emits much more heat... but is also a great stove....

  • Peter Shick
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Hasn't anyone heard of the AGA Total Control? Turn it on only when you need to cook. It heats up pretty quickly, hot plates in 8-10 minutes. Ovens in just 45 minutes. Plan ahead or it's programmable from a smartphone. Totally my favorite the AGA Total Control 3 oven. http://www.agamarvel.com/aga/products/aga-cast-iron-ranges/aga-total-control-3-oven/

  • Peter Shick
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    There's also a smaller one 24" with two ovens and one hot plate. All cast iron.

    http://www.agamarvel.com/aga/products/aga-cast-iron-ranges/agacity24/

  • vaerwin
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Yes. I've heard of the 'total control' Agas. If you've never had an Aga maybe someone would want one. But if you've had an Aga, you would never dream of one that can be turned off. My family and I have had our two oven traditional gas for two months now and we love it. Sounds crazy to have an oven that is on all the time, hot and using up fuel. But it is so much more than a stove. I agree with everything 'Familyteacher' has said about their Aga. It does so much you never thought you could get out of just one appliance. And to call it an 'appliance' just seems so one dimensional and degrading to it. I'm in Indiana and it has been HOT here this summer. Not only has it been hotter than normal but the day after our Aga was installed our central air went out. We've not had it replaced yet. It has been a tad rough. But now, even though it is still August, the evenings are cool (in the 50's) so is nice to wake up to the warm stove. Only two months with it and I have told my husband that under no uncertain terms if we ever move either we are taking the Aga with us or getting another (preferably the four oven!!). I won't, if I can help it, be without a traditional Aga in my kitchen. I say traditional because now that I've had one I would never want one that will sit there cold in my kitchen. That to me, would be like having a remote control dog that lies there in a heap until activated. So sad.

  • Peter Shick
    7 years ago
    I agree with you vaerwin. And with Familyteacher.
    I used a gas-fired AGA for years at a former home. I loved it and have missed it dearly for the past 24 years! Now I'm finally redoing my current kitchen and my lifestyle has changed. I travel quite a bit. Although my home in the northeast is my primary residence, I don't spend the whole year there. When I leave for a month or two I need to turn off (and again restart) the AGA easily and in the summer I simply can't handle the continuous heat! Anyway, once I turn the electric AGA total control on I expect to leave it on except in the hottest part of summer when I'll use the app on my phone. It is a personal choice factor but I'm hoping it'll be fine. Even turned off an AGA still has that iconic look it's known for. And I love it. I have a designer friend who put an AGA 5oven in two different high-end kitchens at the owners requests. Both were removed after two years. It truly is a lifestyle choice!
  • PRO
    Anglophilia
    7 years ago

    My late MIL had an Aga. They lived in Westchester county and rented their house for the summer while they went to the Vineyard. The tenants insisted on a regular stove and turned off the Aga - no AC in that house. The Aga then went to the Vineyard and stayed there until the live-in cook threatened to quit - it made the kitchen unbearably hot, even in that climate.

    But my SIL had not learned from her parents. When they converted a barn into a house in Westchester, they got an Aga. SIL had to go to school to learn how to cook on the thing, AND they had to have a separate cooktop and oven for the summer, even with AC.

    Who had a kitchen big enough for multiple stoves? Of the money? Yes, it's a GREAT look! I'll never forget, while in England seeing DD, being taken to a lovely old stone farmhouse with a huge kitchen with flagstone floors and an enormous Aga. It was everything one dreams about who is an Anglophile! But in most of the US? Really just a silly, very expensive dream.

    As for cooking on a wood stove. When I was a child back in the Stone Age, my father's old family home still had a wood stove. When we would have family reunions there, my mother was expected to figure out how to cook on this thing, and that included pies, cakes and biscuits. After doing this a couple of times, she announced that they could either get a "real" stove or she would not be cooking. They got the "real" stove.

    So much of this "living out in the woods on 40 acres", home schooling, being self-sustaining, going off the grid etc, is really a fantasy. Very few people can happily live off the grid, cook on a wood stove and basically go back 200 years in time. My father, the youngest of 10 living children, was born in 1901, in a small town in rural MO. Even then, his mother sent the children to the local school. Yes, she had a garden, kept chickens, and had a root cellar, and they butchered and cured a hog once yearly. She canned everything possible. She made jams and jellies. She also made all the clothes and used the old ones to make quilts and rugs. She must have been exhausted all the time - she was tiny - about 4'8" tall. To me, that is not something "simple and pure" - it's pure hell.

  • vaerwin
    7 years ago

    Well, Anglophilia, to each their own. Agas aren't for everyone for sure. I must say, though, I made pancakes this morning on my Aga for the first time. I used a sheet of bakeoglide on the simmer plate. Amazing. I plopped two batches on and all done. Ten minutes of cooking. No pan to clean. Everybody's feed. Off to school. Off to work. I love my Aga. Mine is gas so maybe that makes a difference. And I didn't got to school to learn how to use it. I've had it two months and have done so many things. I just started in. And I don't use timers. My husband thinks it was made for cooking bratwurst because it makes them nicely browned and plump. Best baked chicken you've ever had as well. I dry my laundry on it. I iron my clothes with it (I do have one of those exchanbale base manual irons--it is from Aga as well but you can find ones that aren't). The ironing is pretty cool, actually. You put one base under the simmer hob while ironing with the current base. When it gets cool, open hob and exchange the base. Keep ironing. Works great! Toast is great. Water boils extremely fast. I know they are expensive. I got mine from a store that had closed. It was the last one they had and wanted to get rid of it. My kitchen is hot now that it is summer. But soon it will be warm and cozy. We don't use the microwave anymore, the toaster, the iron, the dryer (much, my husband still won't convert). I know people probably think I'm nuts. But this is the best purchase I've ever made in my life. It is a very different mind set. As I said, not for everybody.

    PRO


  • quiltgirl1
    7 years ago

    Have a four oven gas fired Aga in southern Wisconsin. I don't feel our gas bills are all that much higher. I love it and would not trade it for the world!

  • Hunzi
    7 years ago

    familyteacher, would love to see a photo of your Aga and those moveable carts!

  • julieotoole
    7 years ago

    I decided to chime in on this old thread as I have now had my Aga for ten years. It was an (expensive) leap when we were planning our house and my husband was skeptical. When it was installed in our open kitchen on concrete floors he said it looked like an expensive car parked there. That was then. Now we cannot imagine our kitchen life without it. And the kitchen IS the heart of the home.

    Keep in mind a few things: we live in the Pacific Northwest where it is cool and rainy about 9 months of the year. In the summer though it gets very hot (90 degrees) off and on. If it is gong to stay that hot for a week or more, we turn it off. And spend the next week complaining about life without it! Once you turn it back on it takes overnight to come back to heat.

    Our AGA is electric, a decision we made carefully. Again, we live in the PNW where electricity is relatively cheap, but more importantly, we decided to use energy we had a hope of generating ourselves. We will never be able to generate propane. And while I have cooked on a wood stove for years, I wouldn't really recommend it if you have other choices.

    We've never had it serviced ( we live quite a ways out in the country), but we have had the electrical element fixed twice (in 10 years).

    Why do we love it? It makes great toast. We cook pancakes for the grandchildren directly on the simmer plate; the ovens are wonderful and no waiting for preheating nor turning it down when going from 450 to 350 for a recipe; we also drape ourselves over it in the morning and at night and whenever we come in from gardening in the cold and wet; dogs love to be near it; our big open kitchen/living/dining room is not adequately heated by the radiant floor heat (ground source heat pump) at least not at the levels we are willing to turn it up to, and the Aga provides gentle heat to that end of the room; I can heat my slippers in the 150 oven; we also "iron" our table napkins and anything else you want ironed by folding them while slightly damp and letting them sit on the warming plate for a while, flipping them once and:presto, flat and ironed table linens.

    I have a lot of experience cooking with gas, propane and induction. Induction would be my (non-Aga) choice by far, but we would not really like to contemplate our kitchen life without the red classic four door beast.