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Original poster

AGAs AGAs AGAs AGAs AGAs AGAs AGAs AGAs AGAsAGAs AGAs AGAs.........

224 replies

NotanOtter · 05/01/2009 22:04

its a minefield

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I was going to buy a new one - all singing dancing with power flue fitted 10K then AGA say heres a £1000 off due to recession s0 £9.....

Then we had supper on NY day with some friends who say 'why oh why are you buying new?'

So then i wonder why i am?

why am I?

BUt i look on the internet and cannot even find where to buy re conditioned ones - bar ebay which is just not an option really

Advice from thosed more learned than me PLEASE!

Thanks

OP posts:
othersideofthefence · 10/01/2009 22:02

My MIL had a reconditioned AGA which ran beautifully for 40 years. It was at least 10 years old when she got it.

It was converted from solid fuel to oil about 20 years ago.

DH was horrified this week to find that the people who bought her house last year have pulled it out and it is now sitting outside - they are going to take it to the tip!!!
We would have taken it with us, but they were adamant that they wanted it, but it turned out they didn't like cooking on it.

Racingsnake · 10/01/2009 22:28

Stanley is made in UK and my reconditioned one has always been great (and cheaper than an aga). DH worked in a prototype laboratory for solid fuel cookers and said aga was rubbish. Snob value mainly compared to other brands.

RiaParkinson · 10/01/2009 22:41

otherside- you should approach them - say you will take it away for them!

katch · 10/01/2009 22:44

Fivegomad, i'm sure your parents have thought of this - but Aga bend over backwards to please new customers.
Don't let them stand for it; you don't spend thousands to have the wrong Aga!

FiveGoMadInDorset · 11/01/2009 09:57

Oh believe me, my mother will be on the phone first thing in the morning, you don't want to cross my mother when she is on a rant. This is their third Aga, and they wanted one with an electric hob instead of the hot plate as they are moving to a smaller house, with a smaller kitchen and no room to put a separate electric hob ( I do admit to having an electric oven as our AGA gets turned of in the summer, just can't afford the oil, and we inherited it)

KristinaM · 11/01/2009 11:37

notanotter - if your new kitchen will be short of worktop space then you need to redesign it NOW [looks severe]. Little shelf at back of aga is not substitute for worktop. there is no point in having fancy expensive kitchen if it doesnt work for you.

ok, as you were ....end of lecture

mooseheart - I wanted to see your aga [sob]. Why have you removed your photo??? are you worried i am your neighbour and will tell everyone your secrets gleaned from MN???

othersideofthefence · 11/01/2009 15:17

I did think of offering to take it, but we have an Esse in our new house, so we don't need it.
It just saddens me to think of the poor AGA being left to disintergrate - I loved that AGA! I had my first range cooking experiences with it, and became hooked.

swanriver · 11/01/2009 15:36

Very important to have extra worktop next to aga (must be heatproof) if you only have regular size. Unlike a normal oven/hob you cannot put all the pans on top when you have finished cooking something. Yes you can keep things warm with hotplate lids down but then it is not a FLAT surface that you can serve safely from (in my opinion). We did not think this aspect of aga through properly. We have new, and three years later it is fine (lovely in fact), but not that new anymore iyswim so we might as well have had reconditioned...Also it is not really a grill tho' they pretend it can grill so be aware of that fact if you are a grilling fanatic.

RiaParkinson · 11/01/2009 20:04

Kristina - i am slightly worried about surface space but it is free standing so lose a lot because of that

basically i have the aga and a island.....

jasper · 11/01/2009 21:05

Ingles please tell more about your reluctance to recommend an electric aga as I was just about to buy one! (not the night storage one, just the standard 13 amp one)

I will await your advice.

I had a 4 oven oil fired one in my previour home ( a farm)

Now I am in the town and mains gas and electricity cost about the same but installation and service of an electric one much cheaper.

Please tell all.

KristinaM · 11/01/2009 22:07

ria - cant you have your wall units on the wall rather than on the tops of the units IYWSIM? We have an aga on its own, an island and a 3.8m long x 700 cm deep run of worktop and its fab

if you have no other worktop near the aga you will need to put granite on your island

swanriver - ours grills really well. its a 4 oven oil burning very old model

katch · 11/01/2009 22:26

I agree with Kristina, you do need worktop next to the Aga for dishing up etc. We just have one double cupboard at the end of the run which goes down to the worktop, then another three on the wall. Tbh, that's quite restrictive, as by the time the breadbin, biscuit tin and utensil jars are there, there's not much room left.
Hope I'm not boring you.

RiaParkinson · 11/01/2009 22:45

hmm Kristina you have chucked a spanner in the works - i could put units on wall yes.....

i am having granite on island though yes......

KristinaM · 11/01/2009 22:45

oooh talk about boring... i can talk about kitchen design for hours . we had to wait ages for permission to knock down a wall for our new kitchen and i spent most of that time obsessing about layouts, units, appliances, sinks and taps, worktops, flooring, splashbacks, electrics and plumbing. and dont get me started on colour schemes

ideally you want a sink near the aga too, for draining things.

RiaParkinson · 11/01/2009 22:46

Katch no you are not boring me it really helps thankyou

RiaParkinson · 11/01/2009 22:46

Katch no you are not boring me it really helps thankyou

RiaParkinson · 11/01/2009 22:47

Kristina

will photgraph two rooms that are being knocked into one for you tomorrow

you can obsess all you like my love

KristinaM · 11/01/2009 22:51

a woman cant never have enough shoes worktop

KristinaM · 11/01/2009 22:52

have you started yet? dont want to put you off...i coudl put teh bob teh builder photos on my profile?

RiaParkinson · 11/01/2009 22:59

i am DREADING every minute of it

builder due end of jan.....

KristinaM · 11/01/2009 23:19

I have added some building photos to my profile but you maybe don't want to look...

where will you be cooking for the duration?

KristinaM · 11/01/2009 23:20

could you make the worktop deeper so you have more space?

10cm makes a lot of difference

RiaParkinson · 11/01/2009 23:20

my kitchen is elsewhere in the house !

RiaParkinson · 11/01/2009 23:23

kristina the hole scares me...

wall coming down all looks very clean and neat i must say ... did you retain coving?

KristinaM · 11/01/2009 23:26

we coulndt retain it as the two ceilings were at slightly different levels and there was only coving in the one room ( not in original kitchen). so we had it replaced