Aga - yes or no?

[cashmerecardigans]

We're planning a kitchen extension and I am trying to decide whether to put an Aga in or not. It's on mains gas and I'm looking at the 3 oven one. Can anyone advise in running costs, as that's the only thing holding me back. I'm thinking of putting in one of those clothes airers that you can raise and lower - thinking would offset tumble drier costs??? Realise am clutching at straws now, but seriously any thoughts very welcome.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

Would you have space for an ordinary oven too? MIL had an aga, and whilst I loved it, loved the way it cooked things, and coveted it, it was too hot to use it in the summer, and she relied on a microwave.

She wasn't on a vast budget, and never seemed to have trouble with the running costs. She used it to dry clothes, and it did help with heating costs in spring and autumn too.

[Chloe94]

My nan has an aga and it is nice but it doesn't cook very well.... she can't do things like crispy shepards pie ect it just doesn't get hot enough :( I don't know if I'd use it as an airer (I have a real issue with clothes drying around food smells!!!) But she uses it to press clothes on so no need for ironing :)

[Chloe94]

Oh and another thing she can't do alot of cooking at once with it as it as it goes cold after being used and has to heat up again.. but I don't know if this is still a problem now she's had it converted to oil (it was coal) I haven't asked her but know it doesn't crisp food as she told me the other day :(

[Dippyeggsrock]

i bought an aghast year and i love it! my food has been complemented on many occasions and it great for washing! I won't be without one now!
oh and as for going cold - I did a 4 course xmas dinner for 12-no problem!!

[Dippyeggsrock]

hahaha i bought an aga - bloomin predictive text

[puggymummy1]

I love mine and will miss it terribly when we move. Even my teenage daughters love it too. It is just so easy.

[cashmerecardigans]

Thanks for the comments. Yes, I am factoring in oven and hob too for summer when it goes off.
I nearly got one 10 years ago when we moved but decided against it as I realised I used the hob a lot for cooking then and it felt like it would have been a waste. Now I do a lot more baking, make bread etc, so it feels like I'd get the use out of it. We're also downsizing so am hoping will have more disposable income to pay for it!

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

Agas make the best baked potatoes ever, IMO. I'd love one, and am green with jealousy, cashmere!

[CQ]

I really really really want an Aga in our new kitchen, but it's going to be really modern and light and DH just will not be persuaded. I am feverishly searching Pinterest for photos of modern kitchens with Agas to prove my point.

I also want a pony and he's not having that either. I may have to stamp my little foot.

[puggymummy1]

No to the pony but a definite yes to the Aga!

[nosuchnumber]

We inherited an oil AGA in our current house. While it worked it was fabulous but it needed servicing every 6 months. It is only now that we're rid of it that we realise how much oil it used. If you like baking get a bread machine: much more economical!

[Redhound]

I had an oil Esse (same as Aga) when I bought my current house. The oil costs- high at the time- were bankrupting me plus there was no heating for the house in the Summer when it was turned off so I had it taken out, sold it and now have a lovely economical oil boiler. Im going to have a solid fuel stove of some sort where the Esse was so I can light it for extra heat in the middle of Winter.

[Redhound]

Im sure the modern ones are more economical though but they are not cheap to buy

[cheekyfunkymonkey]

Great to cook on but very expensive to run ( pretty much doubled the gas side of our bill) and hot in summer. If you want one for the lifestyle and are around to cook all day go for it. If it's the idea of one you like and you are just cooking in it once a day there are gorgeous range cookers out there that would probably be better. If you can afford to take the hit on your gas bill then go for it.

[Suzietwo]

Ours runs of electricity and yes, it's expensive to run (4 ovenAIMS). Not sure how expensive but noticeable on bill. We don't tend to turn it off unless we're away, except if we have a very very hot week or two in which case we bbq

I grew up with one and have had this one for 5 years. The only additional cooking equipment I have is a £35 electric stir fry

[Lonecatwithkitten]

If I could afford one I would have one in the blink of an eye. Grew up with combination of Aga and Esse. Shepherds pie always crispy, you use the top oven. It does the best cheese on toast in the world and baked potatoes are fab. The only things that are tricky are meringues.

[AldeandOre]

I have had a three oven Gas aga for a year now and it's fantastic. We have no other oven or hob and don't miss them at all. It makes the house warm so we turn the heating down and I have just put one of those ceiling mounted clothes airers in. I can hang washing there before I go to bed and it's dry when I take it down before breakfast. I wouldn't have washing up there when I was cooking though.

I haven't done the maths on running costs but take some comfort from turning down the heating and not using the dryer. And the joy of cooking on the aga instead of the crappy Smeg range cooker that came with the house is priceless!

[ExitPursuedByADonkey]

Hell yes.

I have no other form of cooking and never turn mine off.

[exLtEveDallas]

We have a 4 oven monster that is gas run. We didn't bother with AIMS as it wasn't going to make enough of a difference to justify it.

We will turn it off on 1 June and back on again 1 Oct. We turned our heating off on 1 Apr and the house is still warm enough (and starting to get too warm).

We have a plug in electric hob, microwave, air fryer and table top oven for when the Aga goes off. DH has made a wooden cover for the Aga that these will sit on so as not to take up space. I have batch cooked and frozen some favourite meals that I would usually slow cook in the Aga so we don't feel like we are missing them - oh and some sponge cakes too!

When we were with NPower our bills were far too high. We switched to Ovo on 1 Feb and are paying £130/month. We are currently £96 in credit. I still use the tumble dryer 3 or 4 times a week.

We've had the Aga for 2 years now. It took me a couple of months to get used to it, but then I loved it. I'm still learning stuff though - it was only a couple of months ago that I learnt I could still do cheese on toast and grilled Halloumi- that was a very happy moment in the Dallas household!

[exLtEveDallas]

Oh and we signed up for the Aga service plan. £140 and they come out yearly to service - it also means that if anything goes wrong they come out and only charge costs, not a call out fee (our fan went at the start of the year which meant the Aga switched itself off)

[BikeRunSki]

My mum has one and loves it, but grew up with one and knows how to use it properly to its full potential. It cooks beautifully (and by her own admission she's not a great cook).

I believe her winter gas bill is around £130/month for cold months. She has her heating on a seperate system, although you can use an Aga for heating too I believe.

The only downside was lack of job space if you wanted more than 2 heats (although can easily have more than 1 pan on each Aga job). She had an electric hob installed, and has a fancy microwave combo thing that does all sorts, for the "August" problem.

[TheTeaFairy]

OP how about one of these? I'm considering getting one in my new kitchen in my dreams

[limesoda]

Modern kitchen with an aga: c1415082.r82.cf3.rackcdn.com/TRETRE69522/TRETRE69522-1.pdf (I coveted this house when it was up for sale).

I would love an aga, and would have had one in a heartbeat, but I run a catering business and just couldn't practically get it to work (although am sure many do...)

[YoungGirlGrowingOld]

Place marking because I want an Aga so much it hurts. The DH is yet to be persuaded.

[ladydepp]

I love ours but it is expensive to run (electric). We turn it off when we are away and in the summer if it's hot. We have an electric oven and gas hob next to it which we only use if the Aga is off. I would recommend you get an AIMs unit so you can program it to come on when you need it (i.e. not in the day if you're at work)

It cooks beautifully and dries bedding, jeans, football boots, etc... in a flash, it doesn't have an annoying noisy fan and it is always hot. I love it and miss it when I'm cooking elsewhere!

It does roasts and casseroles that are just beautiful, and the roast potatoes are amazing!