How to use an Aga?

[MrsFogi]

Not sure if this should be on food or products instead but here goes....going to MIL's for w/e (she won't be there) and we're having friends over for dinner BUT in the kitchen there is an aga - can anyone tell me which oven is used for what/which hob is used for what + any tips appreciated or this could be a disaster on Saturday!

Get a carry out in and reheat in the microwave. I have a Rayburn and hate it!!

sorry.

On the plus side they are good for roast joints of meat so stick it on low (150C) and stick some joint into the big oven for about 3 hours. There is an Aga/Rayburn website here which has recipies and better advice than I have.

Best of luck

MrsFogi, as no one else has answered just yet I'll see if I can help.
I used to have an aga - I was terrified of it at first! - from what I can remember it had two oven doors. The top one was the hot one and the bottom one was the slow one. We cooked everything in the top oven and warmed our plates in the slow one. Sometimes things cooked a bit too quickly but after a while I got the hang of it, so I would suggest keeping an eye on the food at all times just in case.

The hot plates we used to boil/simmer things on, however if you leave these up for a good length of time it will effect the temp of the ovens.

I've probably been a bit vague but this is as much as I can remember, I'm sure someone who currently has one will also give you some advice. But if in doubt find a takeway and warm plates in the slow oven!!

Depends how many ovens it has-2 or 4?
Hot plates-left one (over boiler bit) is the hotter one-boiling things. other one sl. cooler-simmering.
Try not to cook too much on hotplates or your oven will get too cold. (stored heat principle)
Do need to plan a bit for dinner party, I try and have cold pudding and pos starter to conserve heat for main course.
Cook veg in oven if pos eg oven roasted vegetables-taste fab from aga oven
Nigella duck recipe where you boil it first then blast in hot aga oven is fab and foolproof at aga temps
hth!

Oooh Pagan, me too, I loathe them with a passion but most people seem to think they're fab. Sorry MrsF, not very helpful I know! One of the plates is very hot, as is one of the ovens. The other plate and oven are fairly useless. IMO

WWW thank goodness someone else is out there who shares my dislike. I think they are of a bygone time when such a heater/cooker was required for old, cold houses but in the 21st century the only nice thing is the aesthetic looks of one

Thanks for the replies. Dinner went fine but I will NEVER have and Aga. Dh spent all day Saturday trying to convince me that the aga was great, not to mention the old-fashioned weighing scales (popping various weights on one side to get the right weight), I cursed myself for not bringing my fab electic ones and am very pleased to be back in my thoroughly modern (but less good looking) kitchen!

Marvelous, welcome to the ranks of aga haters MrsF!

Good reason to have an aga.....

It dries a wet labrador!

Hooray - another for the ranks!!

Wellsie you made me smile - good for drying most things but not for cooking with