To keep the Aga?

[UmbriaLover]

We are having the kitchen re-done.

DH wants to replace of the Aga with fantastically modern electric ovens/microwaves that cook food quickly, easily, and at low cost without the extreme hassle of an Aga.

DH says:

1. The Aga costs too much to run (oil... don't ask it came with the house)
2. It's quicker to boil an electric kettle
3. We don't live in the country (we live in Fulham) or have a springer spaniel.

This is my ABSOLUTE worse nightmare.

How can I convince DH to keep the Aga?

AIBU to keep the Aga?

We inherited an Aga with our house, and it went within 6 months. We didn't have space for a 'Summer' oven and hob, and the thought of keeping it running 24/7 365 days a year made me feel physically sick at the environmental and financial waste. I never understood the 'don't need a tumble dryer' arguments either. Are Aga owners doing far fewer loads of washing than the rest of us? How would you dry 4 loads of washing in a day, as well as use the Aga to cook? Bleurgh. They're a ridiculous relic of a bygone age before central heating.

@EmmaStone

We inherited an Aga with our house, and it went within 6 months. We didn't have space for a 'Summer' oven and hob, and the thought of keeping it running 24/7 365 days a year made me feel physically sick at the environmental and financial waste. I never understood the 'don't need a tumble dryer' arguments either. Are Aga owners doing far fewer loads of washing than the rest of us? How would you dry 4 loads of washing in a day, as well as use the Aga to cook? Bleurgh. They're a ridiculous relic of a bygone age before central heating.

I am so sorry that you felt physically sick at the environmental waste. Did you try Gaviscon?

Should I suggest to DH that we have an Aga for the winter and 'Miele' for the summer?

We send our laundry via an App, so we don't need to use our Aga for this.

Thank you!!!

I'm with DH here. The Aga sounds like hard work and they always look grubby and out of place if they're not in a farmhouse kitchen.

@inheritancetrack

I'm with DH here. The Aga sounds like hard work and they always look grubby and out of place if they're not in a farmhouse kitchen.

Do you have something against the fact that the Aga is in Fulham? Thanks

I love mine with a passion, we put it in to replace an old one when renovated over 20 years ago. Have no other cooker and it’s on year round, apart from summer heatwaves.
but this current fuel crisis has me worried, we are considering adding a normal cooker and turning the Aga off from say may to October.
I will miss it so much though
Even in a heatwave with it off, the kitchen doesn’t feel right in the mornings

I'd get rid of the husband before I got rid of the AGA.

@LittleGwyneth

I'd get rid of the husband before I got rid of the AGA.

Is it to do with the absence of bras??? Or knickers?

Well if he is worried about the cost, then why send out laundry??

Replace it or dont

@dfendyr

Well if he is worried about the cost, then why send out laundry??

Replace it or dont

Because then I would have to do the laundry

Owning an Aga is similar to owning a car in as much that you only use it 10% of the time, but you don't leave the engine running in a car 24 hours a day.

@Ifailed

Owning an Aga is similar to owning a car in as much that you only use it 10% of the time, but you don't leave the engine running in a car 24 hours a day.

I like it!

Are you advocating that we should shut the Aga off when we are not using it? Thanks

‘We send our laundry out’ 😂😂😂
This tickled me.
Oh how the other half live 😁

We lived in SW London and had a gas fired Aga. We also had an electric oven and small 2 ring induction hob so could turn the Aga off in the summer when it got too hot (around May - October). Have moved out of London and miss it so much. Can’t wait to do the kitchen and it will be first on my list although will be closely looking at gas/electric running costs before I choose which type. I know they cost a lot but life isn’t the same without one!

@CalamityJaney

We lived in SW London and had a gas fired Aga. We also had an electric oven and small 2 ring induction hob so could turn the Aga off in the summer when it got too hot (around May - October). Have moved out of London and miss it so much. Can’t wait to do the kitchen and it will be first on my list although will be closely looking at gas/electric running costs before I choose which type. I know they cost a lot but life isn’t the same without one!

Yes! Fantastic to have a DH isn't it

Aga in Fulham - pretentious is the word I think?

As for sending the laundry out 🤦‍♀️

Did you say you lived in Fulham OP? Best remind us in case we missed it . Anyway this peasant here can't hang around. I've laundry to do...

Owning an Aga is similar to owning a car in as much that you only use it 10% of the time, but you don't leave the engine running in a car 24 hours a day.

Not true, ours heats the kitchen and we cook in and on it. So it's in use all the time. Turn it off in summer. general.

I can't work out if the OP is taking the piss. Laundry out etc.

Our Aga came with the house. I hated the idea of it but in practice I love it and wouldn’t be without it now. My drier hardly gets used in winter as I bought a drying rack to hang on the front of it which fits a full load of washing. I also have many other accessories so everything can be done on the Aga in winter - kettle, toaster, toasted sandwich maker. I wholeheartedly disagree that you can’t make Yorkshire Puddings in it, mine cook beautifully in there! I could never get on with our crockpot slow-cooker as I thought everything I cooked in it was bland, but the simmering oven is a game changer. Plus our central heating is also oil-fired (we’re rural) and the Aga has meant that I can sit in the kitchen when I wfh and I don’t need to have the heating on throughout as it’s lovely and toasty.

Ours is switched off every summer, only because the house is far too warm with it on when the weather is good. The model we have has an electric powered section with hob, grill and oven that can be used year round, but the previous owners of our house also put in a separate electric oven too. I still miss the Aga in the summer and love it when it gets cold and we can switch it on again. I wouldn’t give mine up willingly.

I have an Aga and a country farmhouse kitchen, the only thing I don't have is the dog. Anyway I absolutely love it and am very sad that it is going to have to be turned off very soon because it really is very wasteful and expensive to run. Mine is gas and is only used as a cooker.

I have to say I am with your DH, if you are refitting then rethink your cooking needs. I don't think fuel is ever going to be 'cheap' again and actually it's bad for the environment.

Did you say you lived in Fulham OP? Best remind us in case we missed it

Goes to Umbria for her hols too seemingly, no stereotypes here oh no

Not true, ours heats the kitchen and we cook in and on it. So it's in use all the time.
Unless you sleep in the kitchen, why pay to heat it throughout the night?

Anyway, it's pretty clear that OP is on a wind up.

We have moved to France, and have already abandoned the oil fired heating system and just use the wood burner now. And are contemplating getting rid of the oven and just getting a grill and 2 ring hob as there really is no need with all the modern appliances around these days.

We did however live without an oven in the Uk for a few years, and just used a Remoska and toastie machine and a toaster and could basically do anything we needed to do with those. We are veggies though so no need to cook whole fowl or pigs or whatever it is that meat eaters do these days. We recently bought an air fryer and I'm now using that for everything I'd do in the oven, so a grill and 2 hobs would suit me fine. The less in the kitchen the better.

I am getting slightly confused now. Is it only possible to cook Yorkshire puddings in an Aga? Is the Aga good for anything else? We don't really use it that much for cooking, truth be told.