Aga/Rayburn etc
Discussion
If my in-laws' Aga or my Aunt's Rayburn are anything to go by, then my number one piece of advice, if you like any sort of variety in cooking at all, would me to keep the range for show and make sure you have a proper oven & hob for actual cooking.
With the one exception of being absolutely perfect for HFW's shoulder of pork Donnie Brasco and similar dishes, the bloody things are utterly loathsome and next to useless.
As a slight footnote, both the ones I've tried to use, whilst properly serviced and maintained, do date from the fifties. They may possibly be better now, but I would take one hell of a lot of convincing!
With the one exception of being absolutely perfect for HFW's shoulder of pork Donnie Brasco and similar dishes, the bloody things are utterly loathsome and next to useless.
As a slight footnote, both the ones I've tried to use, whilst properly serviced and maintained, do date from the fifties. They may possibly be better now, but I would take one hell of a lot of convincing!
We used to have a wood-burning Rayburn and they do take some getting used to, although my mum did become fairly accomplished with it, but we did have a couple of electric hob rings too as back up. It becomes a fine art cooking with one really and you'll find in the early days that you'll burn stuff of the oven isn't hot enough. I remember once my mum made a second portion of Yorkshire Puddings, which she totally forgot about until the following Sunday, burnt to a cinder they were you can't smell anything from them unless you open the door!
They are great and really do make the kitchen the heart of the home, but there was nothing worse than coming back to the house after being out all day and then having to stoke the damn thing up to either cook or heat up the house. Oh, and then empyting the ashes on a blustery day wasn't fun either.
top tip: after being out on a cold winter's day, pull up a chair and put your feet in the lower simmering oven
They are great and really do make the kitchen the heart of the home, but there was nothing worse than coming back to the house after being out all day and then having to stoke the damn thing up to either cook or heat up the house. Oh, and then empyting the ashes on a blustery day wasn't fun either.
top tip: after being out on a cold winter's day, pull up a chair and put your feet in the lower simmering oven
Oooooooooh <jealous> We had a german version when I was a kid - called a Wamsler, trouble is that the insulation was nothing like an Aga so you couldn't sit on it to warm up. As I frequently did at a neighbours on their Aga. Did mean our house was warmer than theirs though as ours blasted the heat out itself and through the radiators.
Great things, but it helps to be patient with cooking as it can be a bit trial and error if it's a solid fuel one rather than oil (my parents went on to an oil fired Aga and loved it).
Great things, but it helps to be patient with cooking as it can be a bit trial and error if it's a solid fuel one rather than oil (my parents went on to an oil fired Aga and loved it).
Kermit power said:
If my in-laws' Aga or my Aunt's Rayburn are anything to go by, then my number one piece of advice, if you like any sort of variety in cooking at all, would me to keep the range for show and make sure you have a proper oven & hob for actual cooking.
With the one exception of being absolutely perfect for HFW's shoulder of pork Donnie Brasco and similar dishes, the bloody things are utterly loathsome and next to useless.
As a slight footnote, both the ones I've tried to use, whilst properly serviced and maintained, do date from the fifties. They may possibly be better now, but I would take one hell of a lot of convincing!
That's odd, as I find our aga is fab. We had a reconditioned one and it is mains run on gas. We have no back-up cooking wise other than a microwave. I was daunted when we first had it 5 years ago as I had never had any experience with anything other than normal gas/electric oven/hob cooking, but now I would never go back. I also find I have much more scope in cooking with the aga, you just need to know what temp each oven is then it is piss easy. I have successfully cooked a Christmas lunch for 10 people on it and still served piping hot food to the table, I couldn't do that successfully on a four ring hob and oven. It is fabulous for slow cooking casseroles, stick everything in a pot, whack it in the oven and forget about it for hours. You also always have a warm room in the house and it is handy for drying your washing too, or wet outdoor clothes With the one exception of being absolutely perfect for HFW's shoulder of pork Donnie Brasco and similar dishes, the bloody things are utterly loathsome and next to useless.
As a slight footnote, both the ones I've tried to use, whilst properly serviced and maintained, do date from the fifties. They may possibly be better now, but I would take one hell of a lot of convincing!
In fact no-one could convince me of going back to a hob and normal oven now. If we ever move I will have to have another aga.
Mrs Fish said:
Kermit power said:
If my in-laws' Aga or my Aunt's Rayburn are anything to go by, then my number one piece of advice, if you like any sort of variety in cooking at all, would me to keep the range for show and make sure you have a proper oven & hob for actual cooking.
With the one exception of being absolutely perfect for HFW's shoulder of pork Donnie Brasco and similar dishes, the bloody things are utterly loathsome and next to useless.
As a slight footnote, both the ones I've tried to use, whilst properly serviced and maintained, do date from the fifties. They may possibly be better now, but I would take one hell of a lot of convincing!
That's odd, as I find our aga is fab. We had a reconditioned one and it is mains run on gas. We have no back-up cooking wise other than a microwave. I was daunted when we first had it 5 years ago as I had never had any experience with anything other than normal gas/electric oven/hob cooking, but now I would never go back. I also find I have much more scope in cooking with the aga, you just need to know what temp each oven is then it is piss easy. I have successfully cooked a Christmas lunch for 10 people on it and still served piping hot food to the table, I couldn't do that successfully on a four ring hob and oven. It is fabulous for slow cooking casseroles, stick everything in a pot, whack it in the oven and forget about it for hours. You also always have a warm room in the house and it is handy for drying your washing too, or wet outdoor clothes With the one exception of being absolutely perfect for HFW's shoulder of pork Donnie Brasco and similar dishes, the bloody things are utterly loathsome and next to useless.
As a slight footnote, both the ones I've tried to use, whilst properly serviced and maintained, do date from the fifties. They may possibly be better now, but I would take one hell of a lot of convincing!
In fact no-one could convince me of going back to a hob and normal oven now. If we ever move I will have to have another aga.
It is as I said perfect for 24 hour slow roasts, but anything that requires variable oven temperatures is a complete non-starter, as far as I can see. Then again, it doesn't have an instruction manual, so there could be something fancy that nobody told me about!
So far so good. It will take a bit of practice. Ours is on oil so no ash or wood and we can switch it on and off unlike an Aga. Bottom oven is 60% of temp of top one and that is fully controllable. In fact I must turn it all down a bit as its a bit hot at present. Good for drying things too. And melting things. And warming cold things (SWMBO feet!)
I think I shall like it.
I think I shall like it.
my parents have a four door aga,its at least sixty years old.originaly it was solid fuelled and then it was converted to oil.its fantastic so easy to cook on once you get your head around having no temperature controls.on the hot plates you vary the temperature by putting your saucepan half on half off the hot plate.its simple once you get used to it
Kermit power said:
If my in-laws' Aga or my Aunt's Rayburn are anything to go by, then my number one piece of advice, if you like any sort of variety in cooking at all, would me to keep the range for show and make sure you have a proper oven & hob for actual cooking.
Ot actually learn to cook with one. My mum's had one for years (oil fired) and this isn't a post about how good my mothers cooking is, but seriously, if you not how to use a range properly they are vey versatile.You do have to work harder at your cooking, but they are very good.
My mum orginally kept a hb, but removed it as she learnt how to use the Aga.
Kermit power said:
Mrs Fish said:
Kermit power said:
If my in-laws' Aga or my Aunt's Rayburn are anything to go by, then my number one piece of advice, if you like any sort of variety in cooking at all, would me to keep the range for show and make sure you have a proper oven & hob for actual cooking.
With the one exception of being absolutely perfect for HFW's shoulder of pork Donnie Brasco and similar dishes, the bloody things are utterly loathsome and next to useless.
As a slight footnote, both the ones I've tried to use, whilst properly serviced and maintained, do date from the fifties. They may possibly be better now, but I would take one hell of a lot of convincing!
That's odd, as I find our aga is fab. We had a reconditioned one and it is mains run on gas. We have no back-up cooking wise other than a microwave. I was daunted when we first had it 5 years ago as I had never had any experience with anything other than normal gas/electric oven/hob cooking, but now I would never go back. I also find I have much more scope in cooking with the aga, you just need to know what temp each oven is then it is piss easy. I have successfully cooked a Christmas lunch for 10 people on it and still served piping hot food to the table, I couldn't do that successfully on a four ring hob and oven. It is fabulous for slow cooking casseroles, stick everything in a pot, whack it in the oven and forget about it for hours. You also always have a warm room in the house and it is handy for drying your washing too, or wet outdoor clothes With the one exception of being absolutely perfect for HFW's shoulder of pork Donnie Brasco and similar dishes, the bloody things are utterly loathsome and next to useless.
As a slight footnote, both the ones I've tried to use, whilst properly serviced and maintained, do date from the fifties. They may possibly be better now, but I would take one hell of a lot of convincing!
In fact no-one could convince me of going back to a hob and normal oven now. If we ever move I will have to have another aga.
It is as I said perfect for 24 hour slow roasts, but anything that requires variable oven temperatures is a complete non-starter, as far as I can see. Then again, it doesn't have an instruction manual, so there could be something fancy that nobody told me about!
Has it been serviced regularly ?
Got a Rayburn in our "croft" in Scotland. It's been there for about 45 years, origally running on solid fuel, now on oil. A friend in the same area has one that was installed in 1946 and is still going strong, with an oil conversion at some point along the way. Don't know if they make 'em like that anymore, though!
The lefthand side of the hotplate is above the burner - and therefore warmest - and it's a matter of sliding pots/pans to the right to find the right temperature. Great machines - but worth having a microwave for when time is short/you haven't cranked the heat up in time.
Max.
The lefthand side of the hotplate is above the burner - and therefore warmest - and it's a matter of sliding pots/pans to the right to find the right temperature. Great machines - but worth having a microwave for when time is short/you haven't cranked the heat up in time.
Max.
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