Big green egg

[85Carrera]

Anyone got any experience of using one of these? Seem to get good reviews.

Before I get flak for (potentially) buying the latest gadget/fad my rationale is that the OH wants an Aga in the kitchen (with which I agree because the place is bloody freezing in winter so Aga will be great) but also wants a "summer oven" when we have no need to use the Aga (which I don't because kitchen is too small, etc)

So this is a possible compromise.

[escargot]

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Some info mid way down that page.

[calibrax]

85Carrera said:

the OH wants an Aga in the kitchen (with which I agree because the place is bloody freezing in winter so Aga will be great)

You might want to read this...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance...

[anonymous-user]

calibrax said:

You might want to read this...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance...

Yes, it's something like £8000 for an installation of a small AGA (including changing the layout of your kitchen etc) and then the running costs which just make it nonsensical. We had one and spent £800 in one month on heating oil. In my opinion best bet is to invest in insulating the entire house and buying the best central heating system possible. In my experience, this still leaves you with cash left over for a top of the range oven which will st all over an AGA in every way other than the snobbery.

[anonymous-user]

On the topic of Big Green Egg, my friend has one and swears by it.

[85Carrera]

We are limited in terms of how much we can insulate the house due its age/construction so we are resigned to having an über expensive oven as a means of keeping at least part of it warm in winter

[Mobile Chicane]

I hate Agas with a passion to cook on - try getting the top rings hot enough to do anything useful

But, dear God they're nice to heat up a kitchen.

My ideal home would include a farmhouse kitchen with an Aga and a huge table. At least two shaggy dogs snoring beneath, and various cats dotted about on dressers.

[Flibble]

Wouldn't a few oil filled radiators be cheaper and easier?

[bint]

Re the AGA, buy something secondhand, either an AGA if you must, or something like it - we had a Warmsler as a kid and it kicked out more heat than an AGA.

Summer cooking today is being done on the Weber Smoker, but also a combi microwave is useful if you're solely relying on an AGA for cooking all year round.

[GALLARDOGUY]

I've got huge AGA. No idea what model it is. Just the biggest. Very pleased with it. Makes the kitchen bloody warm in the summer though!

[Cheese Mechanic]

85Carrera said:

We are limited in terms of how much we can insulate the house due its age/construction so we are resigned to having an über expensive oven as a means of keeping at least part of it warm in winter

Can we take it that your place is old (possibly stone and listed? ) and rural, not on some mains services (gas) perhaps?

P/S is there a class one flue (chimney) in your kitchen?

[collateral]

I'll second Mo Chi's comment that AGAs are a pain in the arse to cook on. I really don't see the appeal at all.

The in-laws have an egg and it's pretty impressive, although the actual grilling area is quite small

[85Carrera]

GALLARDOGUY said:

I've got huge AGA. No idea what model it is. Just the biggest. Very pleased with it. Makes the kitchen bloody warm in the summer though!

That's the idea with the egg. Turn the aga off in the summer and use the egg for any cooking instead.

[85Carrera]

Cheese Mechanic said:

85Carrera said:

We are limited in terms of how much we can insulate the house due its age/construction so we are resigned to having an über expensive oven as a means of keeping at least part of it warm in winter

Can we take it that your place is old (possibly stone and listed? ) and rural, not on some mains services (gas) perhaps?

P/S is there a class one flue (chimney) in your kitchen?

Oak frame and plaster (pargetting), about 500 years old so only so much insulation we can do. No mains gas, so frankly the aga is to warm the kitchen as much as anything else; if we can't master cooking in it the egg may see action all year round!

We fixed on getting an aga (although I understand that people either love them or hate them, hopefully we'll love ours) and there is a flue/ chimney, although we haven't investigated if any further work is required in relation to that.

[Mobile Chicane]

My advice would be to plan the kitchen to include an induction hob as well as the Aga.

Just for those occasions when you want a cooked breakfast / a quick steak and it's pouring with rain / -10C outside.