To AGA or not

[Pleasebequietnow]

Just bought a house with an oil fired AGA. Needs complete refurbishment. I am an AGA virgin. Do I:

1. get rid as they are expensive faff;
2. refurbish and learn to delight friends and family with my wonderful AGA meals. Take out second mortgage to afford the oil consumption;
3. replace with an electric AGA and, again, learn to use it.

It is a country cottage so suits an AGA but am hearing such mixed reviews. Would welcome advice from those with AGA experience. TIA.

Hard to give a definitive answer. I moved into a house with a nearly new 4 oven oil Aga. It took a while to get used to it as you do have to rethink how you cook (go on a course at your local aga dealer), but now I love it. It's so easy - always on, every temperature always available, cooks brilliantly. Don't let the ;earning curve put you off. Kitchen toasty in winter. We switch off in the summer.
But it is expensive to run. I think it's worth it DH doesn't. If I was starting a kitchen from scratch could I justify the expense - no.

I would get a quote for the refurbishment and also cost up a new electric version. They are much more economical and controllable (though I don't find control an issue on my oil Aga) but it does mean you can turn them down/off more easily.
It also depends on your lifestyle. If you are all out all day at work and don't cook much - not worth it. If there is someone in the house most of the time and you enjoy cooking, Agas are great. Just don't look at the bill!

We have a large glass extended kitchen and i wanted an Aga but the thought of it being on in summer put me off and i really can't see the point of having an Aga AND a separate hob/fan oven for summer months.

Unless you have £17k for a Total Control Aga, don't bother and just get a large gas range cooker instead.

I have an electric AGA which is really just an AGA branded range cooker - it isn't on all the time. It does have the multiple ovens and a huge induction hob though, and it's fabulous!

Thats the Aga Masterchef XL isn't it margotsdevil? They are great and come in lovely colours. I tossed up between the Aga one and others and in the end I bought the Rangemaster Elise in blue. (pictured). Neither have glass windows in the oven doors which is important to me as I hate cleaning them! I picked the Rangemaster Elise as its a copy of the much more expensive Lacanche french ovens, which i love but are pricey.

If you’re rural you might need to keep it, we lived in the countryside for 5 years and it’s fucking freezing in the winter. You needed an aga running 24/7 or you froze.

We had 2 working storage rads so we froze.

Hmm difficult one. I have had an oil fired aga for over twenty years, and I do love it. We live in a Cornish farmhouse and if I didn't have it we would spend a lot more on heating.

The real problem is the oil. Environmental regulations are changing the formula of the oil, which has to have more content from plants in it, and it's an absolute nightmare for agas as it clogs up the burner with charcoal. I now have to have mine serviced at least three times a year instead of once, and it doesn't operate at its proper temperature quite a lot of the time.

I am seriously considering converting it to electric.

Is the plant source palm oil? I wanted a bio ethanol outdoor heater till I found out it’s palm oil derived.

If you want to change it you should
Look at everhot, they are like ana aga but electric and more entering efficient

Is it linked to the central heating/water? If so, it’s useful for a boost. It heats the whole kitchen and the room behind and above, but makes it too hot. However, if we have a summer like last year, you’re gonna hate it/expire from heat. Lots of people seem to turn it off in summer, which is just a sheer waste. They’re expensive to run, ime and fiddly. My mother is always telling me to put down the lids, so I can’t glaze carrots etc.

I guess you could convert it if you have mains electric/gas. I would prefer an Everhot.

Is the plant source palm oil?

I don't know what. It wouldn't surprise me. Goodness knows how you would find out!

I grew with AGAs had to learn to cook without one when I went to Uni. Finally should soon hopefully move into my first home with an AGA.

However, my criteria included having another oven and hob. Because having it on in the height of summer is too much, second I love a pavlova and whilst possible in an AGA they require a huge amount of faffing with the solid shelf going in cold etc.
I love the AGA as the bottom over is the ultimate slow cooker brown the meat shove in the oven go off do what you want. Cheese on toast in the AGA is the very, very best. I could go on.

@BigusBumus that cooker is a work of art! I think mine is the master chef xl but is in black - it was one of the features that helped sell my current house to me! Amazing for cooking and even more so for baking

Aga? Do.Do.Do.

I inherited a gas Aga. It does look very nice and I like the bottom oven, but I’m not a massive fan. Maybe I’d feel differently if I had a 3-oven Aga so I’d have the baking/150c oven.

Tbh I’d rather have a heated floor and a range.

Thanks everyone. The range cooker does look good, and interesting to hear about the problems with oil AGAs. Lots to think about!

Lived in countryside all my life. When I was a teenager we got central heating put in parents 18th century farmhouse. Mum sold the old aga. She wasn't paying for central heating and an aga. Missed it at first but soon got used to life without it. I've taken the same philosophy. Always quite fancied a range cooker though.

I don't think aga's are environmentally friendly.

The refurbishment really shouldn't cost much, it really is just a massive lump of metal with very few 'working' parts.

I moved in with mine 10 years ago and it did take a bit of getting used to, but it does all the cooking, drying of clothes and hot water in the summer (so the boiler is off). In the winter, it is invaluable for warming half the house, snuggling up to and warming dogs up