Rayburn tips?

[ChevronB19]

Anyone got any?

Just moved into new (very old) house with an oil fired Rayburn. All I’ve managed to do so far is make some frankly excellent toast.

Does anyone have a link to a book/site with a simple guide?

[jet_noise]

Is it a traditional evaporative always on very slow to change type or a more modern controllable burner?
Just a cooker or hot water/CH too?
How many ovens/plates?
I've a chunky 3 oven trad. oil Aga and find it excellent. Best baked taters & slow cooked meat evah!

Don't forget to close the lids!
(Especially) If evaporative then use ovens more than the plates - less heat lost. Get stuff boiling then into an oven.
Heavy flat based pans with metal or other oven proof handles.
Oven gloves/gauntlets.

There's a number of Facebook groups, I love my Aga is one I frequent, they'll recommend books/YT vids or answer direct questions. And I love my independent Aga engineer for tech assistance /service.

[ChevronB19]

jet_noise said:

Is it a traditional evaporative always on very slow to change type or a more modern controllable burner?
Just a cooker or hot water/CH too?
How many ovens/plates?
I've a chunky 3 oven trad. oil Aga and find it excellent. Best baked taters & slow cooked meat evah!

Don't forget to close the lids!
(Especially) If evaporative then use ovens more than the plates - less heat lost. Get stuff boiling then into an oven.
Heavy flat based pans with metal or other oven proof handles.
Oven gloves/gauntlets.

There's a number of Facebook groups, I love my Aga is one I frequent, they'll recommend books/YT vids or answer direct questions. And I love my independent Aga engineer for tech assistance /service.

It’s a traditional evaporative oil fired one. Also does the hot water, but we have a separate boiler which can do the hot water in the summer. 3 ovens, one graduated hot plate with two lids. Makes the kitchen lovely and warm, for sure!

Thanks for the tips, pans we have are suitable. Going to try roast beef this weekend! Fortunately there is a separate normal oven and a two burner induction hob as well for when I cock things up.

[loskie]

I had a 1950s Rayburn No2. It was converted to oil and didn't do heating or water any longer. It was a joy to cook on, roast and baked tatties were excellent. Steep porridge oats on the cooler parts over night before cooking for breakfast, lovely creamy porridge.

There's really no mystery to them.

I took mine out as it didnt half guzzle oil. Then the oil price dropped from 85ppl to less than half!

I do quite miss it but they are highly inefficient.

[jet_noise]

ChevronB19 said:

It’s a traditional evaporative oil fired one. Also does the hot water, but we have a separate boiler which can do the hot water in the summer. 3 ovens, one graduated hot plate with two lids. Makes the kitchen lovely and warm, for sure!

Thanks for the tips, pans we have are suitable. Going to try roast beef this weekend! Fortunately there is a separate normal oven and a two burner induction hob as well for when I cock things up.

Be a bit wary of oven temperature if you've just used a lot of hot water.

Have you sussed which oven/hotplate area is which?
I don't know which is where on a Rayburn but there'll be a boiling plate or area and a simmering plate or area. Also three of roasting (220°) baking (180°) simmering (110°) and warming (50°) abbr. to SO, BO, SO, WO. Temperatures are estimates.
You'd do well to buy a (couple) of cheapie dial in-oven temperature gauges as every oven is a bit different and in broad dependent on the control setting. Also will depend on which shelf position. Oven door gauges are somewhat variable (if indeed working!).
I run mine a bit low 200/150/90/40 just because that's what it was set to when I moved in

All rather different from a fan oven.
I haven't done a beef roast.

Oh yes, it will need at least a yearly service. Did you ask about when it was last done from previous owners/landlord?
Don't run out of oil either. Can be a pain (or it may just work) to get the oil through and/or to clean out any bottom-of-tank clag/water.

[loskie]

a windy day can reduce temp drastically or blow it out all together too

[renmure]

loskie said:

I took mine out as it didnt half guzzle oil.
I do quite miss it but they are highly inefficient.

I also took mine out. I'd never had oil heating or a Rayburn before so everything was all new to me. I genuinely thought my oil was being stolen or I had a leak. The only thing I miss about it is leaning against it.

[jet_noise]

loskie said:

a windy day can reduce temp drastically or blow it out all together too

Mine shrugs its cast-irony shoulders at wind, pfft! Works fine through the 60mph breezes we get up here (Highlands).
Only thing that upsets it is water in the oil.

[ChevronB19]

Jet-noise- is there any easy (and preferably cheap) way to convert it to be on a timer?

I’ve found the control box, it’s currently on #2 and oven dial is showing ‘bake’. I’m assuming if I want to get it up to roasting temp I just turn it up to #3?

Can’t manage to get hot plates to get to a rolling boil, I assume #3 would also cure this?

[loskie]

you turn it up and wait 45 mins before it is up!

[jet_noise]

Need to ask advice of someone/where with a specific Rayburn knowledge.
You're into detail differences 'twixt them and Agas.
I've been commenting from a general always-on-evaporative experience but personal specifics are of an Aga.

I'm oot /t'Den of Dragons