Pasted from an old thread as it's got all squished up:
"Hi again Gem. IKWYM about Agas being like a religion, they really seem to provoke strong opinions in people. To prove the point, here is my personal rant - warning, it's long! OK, the disadvantages so far, for me, in no particular order:
We have a 2 oven, 2 hob one. I dislike the fact that if I want to use the top I have to either use the left hot plate, which boils things very* quickly indeed or use the right simmer plate which is like a gas hob turned to its lowest setting or something and just about keeps things warm. So there's no in between it appears, just a very hot hob or a not-at-all-hot hob. Give me 6 gas rings which I can use simultaneously and at variable temps anyday.
- The top of ours gets dusty and since it's on all the time, it's a PITA to clean. Imagine putting a damp cloth over the top of a still hot oven and you get the idea. I suppose you could turn it off, but what a pain and who wants to?
- Which brings me to turning it off. It's summer now and we don't have another hob (although I do have a microwave which is also a combi oven so I could use that I suppose as a replacement oven) so if I turn the Aga off I won't have a hob. Since I can't imagine managing without one (pasta, boiled eggs etc) I can't turn the darn thing off and our kitchen is therefore too warm atm.
The ovens. Hmm, well I suppose the top one has been OK for roast chicken, potatoes, roast veg etc but I haven't managed to get the hang of it for cooking something like a cake. The top of the top oven is blistering hot so fine for warming focaccia, doing a pizza etc but I haven't yet worked out cakes etc, partly due, I admit, to my own impatience. You have to get something called a cold shelf and put that in the oven above the shelf you are using to lower the temp for things like cakes. I did once and obviously misjudged it since it wasn't cooked in the middle. Now, you could say that's my fault, not the Aga's but I've never f*ed up a cake in a conventional oven in my life before and I'd rather turn a dial and trust that the oven is going to go to the temperature I want than have to mess around with cold shelves and working out temperatures. Maybe that's just me being impatient and lazy though. Probably!
I've never used the bottom oven since it seems to be for things like slow cooked stews and I don't really cook them. Therefore I'd rather have the space for more 'proper' (i.e. non Aga) oven really. Actually, I'd rather forget the Aga and have a double oven each with its own temp control, now that would be useful.
As you'll have gathered I hate it, hate it, hate it and would never spend my own money on one (we're renting). If I ever go to buy a house with one in the future, I'll be haggling for them to take it with them and reduce the asking price by £6k or whatever the damn things are worth. Give me a brand new gas hob and double oven any day. OK, there are a few advantages but I think you could get most of these some other way:
- Yes, it's always on but who wants their oven always on? Big deal, you want a pizza, turn your oven on 10 minutes before you want to cook it. Or get an oven that warms up quickly.
- Yes, the overhead drier is useful and dries things quickly but so does a tumble drier or a line. £6k is a lot for an airer!
- Yes, the kitchen is warm but it is now too, in the height of summer, unless I turn it off as above. A radiator would achieve the same effect and be easier to dispense with in summer.
- Ours is gas and there's nothing else running off it. Since the rest of the house isn't heated, I can tell you that the Aga alone (i.e. without radiators ) does NOT keep the house warm. The room it's in, yes, but the rest of the house, no. Never again will I move into somewhere without central heating. I wouldn't worry about the 12 month old and baby as a downside though, they'll work out it's hot and realise not to touch it I should think so I wouldn't let that count against an Aga. After all, an oven is hot when it's on too. So I agree with your DH, they're expensive, hot in summer, useless for cooking and crap to clean. I can think of a million better ways to spend £6k and I enjoy cooking and would love a new oven.
Oooh, I've been wanting to get that off my chest for ages now, in fact when I said "I hate this f Aga" the other day dp replied sarcastically, "do you really? Tell me more..." and I started to until I realised he was taking the p*. Apologies for all the terrible language but thanks for listening and DO let me know what you decide... HTH!