AGA cookers

Davesnave

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

Was it an Aga or a Rayburn?
We're discussing Agas here.

We have had our Aga for 20 years and the only time we have had problems with the temperature dropping was when it was due a service. Perhaps you might have had a problem because you were heating a water jacket as well? Ours only cooks. Yes, I'm sure that heating water didn't help, just as our log burner now behaves differently since I converted it to dry running.


If you have an oil Aga because of the EU changes to the oil you do have to add an additive to the oil now and have them serviced every year which costs around £140. You are told you need an additive. Some people in my village have had problems getting through one heating season, even with an additive, but some might have Rayburns. We never had any problem over 6 years, with or without addtive.

£140 for a service! :eek: We live in the country. Here, people still work for £16/hr, and I'm talking of skills like plasterers, carpenters etc. Most do other jobs too. Our Aga was serviced by one of the local postmen. It would take most of an afternoon and several cups of tea + biscuits, but for that we'd also get all the gossip....say £35. Almost worth it for the inside knowledge alone!

.

I think people's experiences, like their situations, will vary widely.

I'm sure if we'd had an old farmhouse, or similar, we might have kept an Aga, but we don't, nor did we want to lose space through having the equivalent of two ranges in one kitchen, one for summer and one for the winter months.

POPPYOSCAR

Davesnave wrote: »

I think people's experiences, like their situations, will vary widely.

I'm sure if we'd had an old farmhouse, or similar, we might have kept an Aga, but we don't, nor did we want to lose space through having the equivalent of two ranges in one kitchen, one for summer and one for the winter months.

Yes obviously they do.


I do not recognise any of the problems some have stated. My top oven cooks perfectly is never too hot and the bottom oven makes perfect cakes every time for instance.I also can get 6 pans on the two hotplates.


We turn the oven down in the summer and do not personally find it too hot but then we do have a fairly big kitchen.


I love the fact that it is always on, just stick it in the oven and that is it.No need for an electric kettle or toaster.


Yes £140 is a lot for the service that is why OH does it himself. It is easy to do and takes him about a hour or so.

CKdesigner

Hi Omega_1

Let's get back to you original enquiry!

So you are renovating your house, which can I assume means you will be getting a new kitchen as part of the project? If so then you really need to look at everything you want and need in your kitchen and workout a realistic budget. I am a kitchen designer and our main showroom we share our building with our local Aga shop, so consequently we design and install a fair few kitchens each year with Agas in them. You have to consider that as an Aga on average costs £10k you really need the rest of the kitchen to be in keeping with this standard, so you most likely will need to spend in excess of £30k on the rest of the kitchen (furniture, worktop and other appliances) otherwise it will look out balance and just plain wrong.

We sometimes get some customers in to the showroom thinking they will get away with spending £10k on the rest of the kitchen, so we have to gently say to them look at your whole kitchen budget as £20k and therefore you really shouldn't be considering spending half your budget on one appliance.

I would also strongly recommended visiting your local Aga shop and booking yourself on a couple of their different demonstrations, to see if it's the sort of cooker you could get used to. While your in the demonstration mode I would also look at visiting Miele and see if you might prefer using their built in cooking appliances. As I feel you really need a comparison.

Please feel free to get back to me with any questions.

CK

Omega_1

Thanks everyone - you have certainly given me 'food for thought' (or 'ammunition' for t'other half' !!)