Are AGAs worth it?
Discussion
We are buying a lovely Georgian style Victorian house. It currently has a 100cm double oven gas AGA which we have the option of buying with the house.
The AGA is placed in and old chimney breast with only a gas supply present. The consumer unit is the opposite side of the kitchen/diner, at a guess running a suitable supply over for an electric/gas range would be in excess of £500 which isn't prohibitive but adds up with the cost of buying a range.
We could buy an all gas range and limit the hassle and cost, but are they any good?
At the moment, we have told the sellers we don't want the AGA, they seem to be total converts but are they really that good and worth the continued expense in terms of gas?
The AGA is placed in and old chimney breast with only a gas supply present. The consumer unit is the opposite side of the kitchen/diner, at a guess running a suitable supply over for an electric/gas range would be in excess of £500 which isn't prohibitive but adds up with the cost of buying a range.
We could buy an all gas range and limit the hassle and cost, but are they any good?
At the moment, we have told the sellers we don't want the AGA, they seem to be total converts but are they really that good and worth the continued expense in terms of gas?
We replaced one that we inherited when we moved into our house. Made the house too hot in the summer, so as other poster has said you need alternative anyway. Got good money for it, several thousands pounds and it was 7-10 years old or something of that order. That certainly helped towards cost of range. We didn't invest the time to learn to use the aga properly, I can't recall us using it even once - there was a separate electric hob and we just got by somehow until we replaced it. We had to have a new supply and circuit breaker thing put in but consumer unit wasn't far and from memory it didn't cost a great deal, we were redecordating anyway. One thing we had to consider was that the ranges we looked at were different sizes to the Aga, not sure if you've considered that? It meant that we had to get our builder to make some oak column things to bridge the gap left by the smaller range.
Allegedly food tastes better on them, in which case I'd expect to see them in top restaurants but to my knowledge you don't. I think there's a lot of middle/upper class snobbishness/ponciness about them, no doubt they are cosy and look nice and everything but I think you can't beat a decent range cooker. I'm sure thousands will be along shortly to disagree......
Allegedly food tastes better on them, in which case I'd expect to see them in top restaurants but to my knowledge you don't. I think there's a lot of middle/upper class snobbishness/ponciness about them, no doubt they are cosy and look nice and everything but I think you can't beat a decent range cooker. I'm sure thousands will be along shortly to disagree......
Edited by silverous on Friday 14th August 16:42
Edited by silverous on Friday 14th August 16:44
If you like cooking and things like crispy chicken skin, pork crackling or soufflés then ditch the aga as they don't get hot enough.
Go french the likes of La Canche make some excellent ranges which heat up quickly and can get very hot pretty much like the ones you see in the chef kitchens.
Go french the likes of La Canche make some excellent ranges which heat up quickly and can get very hot pretty much like the ones you see in the chef kitchens.
Is the Aga part of the house deal? Usually the cooker/oven is in the particulars and is included? You could make good money selling it per my earlier post, I can recommend a company that come and take it away and most likely give you a four figure sum for it.....
Why would you go for gas range - to avoid electrical supply need? Is there no way a new electric supply (back to the consumer unit) can be put in with minimal disruption?
Why would you go for gas range - to avoid electrical supply need? Is there no way a new electric supply (back to the consumer unit) can be put in with minimal disruption?
Don't get rid of it
You are taking over a Victorian house- I grew up in on e just like it and the Ava was the heart of the house, constant soft warmth, giving constant heating.
As to cooking, once you learn how to use one there are few better ways of cooking especially from an oven perspective.
In our old house we absolutely wouldn't be without one.
In a new house I wouldn't bother!
You are taking over a Victorian house- I grew up in on e just like it and the Ava was the heart of the house, constant soft warmth, giving constant heating.
As to cooking, once you learn how to use one there are few better ways of cooking especially from an oven perspective.
In our old house we absolutely wouldn't be without one.
In a new house I wouldn't bother!
jogon said:
If you like cooking and things like crispy chicken skin, pork crackling or soufflés then ditch the aga as they don't get hot enough.
Go french the likes of La Canche make some excellent ranges which heat up quickly and can get very hot pretty much like the ones you see in the chef kitchens.
The top oven of an aga should be 240 degrees if installed correctly. Properly hot enough for crispy chicken skin.....Go french the likes of La Canche make some excellent ranges which heat up quickly and can get very hot pretty much like the ones you see in the chef kitchens.
When we lived in Shetland we had a Rayburn - like an Aga but not as posh, although they are made in the same factory. It was a multi-fuel model so could run on any solid fuel. It provided our hot water and central heating as well as being a cooker. In summer we burnt peat, in winter anthracite.
It wasn't the best of cookers as it was a bit difficult to control the oven temperature, so we had a gas cooker as well.
Would I have one again - not sure.
It wasn't the best of cookers as it was a bit difficult to control the oven temperature, so we had a gas cooker as well.
Would I have one again - not sure.
I absolutely love our aga
It cooks meat so perfectly it turned us temporarily veggie and bakes bread and cakes supremely
We have no alternative and so run it all summer without quibble, yes the kitchen gets hot but we've never wished it turned off. In winter it makes the kitchen very agreeably cozy
It's a bit of a guilty pleasure eco wise but we'd never ever go back
The temp comment displays gross ignorance, the roasting oven runs well above 240
Cheers
It cooks meat so perfectly it turned us temporarily veggie and bakes bread and cakes supremely
We have no alternative and so run it all summer without quibble, yes the kitchen gets hot but we've never wished it turned off. In winter it makes the kitchen very agreeably cozy
It's a bit of a guilty pleasure eco wise but we'd never ever go back
The temp comment displays gross ignorance, the roasting oven runs well above 240
Cheers
Could not wait to take mine out, though it did sell on ebay quickly. Too hot in the summer, hideously expensive to run whenever its on, and it was using 50 litres a week of oil, when oil was 50p a litre! and without doubt most people i know that still have them are real zealots to the cause of AGA and just turn a blind eye to its deficiencies as a cooker. Just bonkers economy and dare i mention the environment.
Edited by Rapid rental on Monday 17th August 09:58
They are to meal preparation in 2015 what carrier pigeons are to a cellphone.
That said in a large/fancy property of the right period that I didn't intend staying forever I'd be inclined to hang on to one and complement it with something practical as like said they're very trendy with the right crowd.
That said in a large/fancy property of the right period that I didn't intend staying forever I'd be inclined to hang on to one and complement it with something practical as like said they're very trendy with the right crowd.
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