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Original poster

AGA vs. RAYBURN

18 replies

limpingbint · 06/03/2011 08:56

Ok, we have the new house almost in the bag. Dreadful awful kitchen that needs wrecking and replacing and now is my chance to get one of these....

It will have to be as fired and will be only a small one (otherwise will have to flog cute youngest dc on ebay to finance!) - so please mumsnetters tell me which one I should buy.

As far as I can see Aga is more expensive but apart from that I cannot see a lot of difference.

Please tell me your thoughts before I take the plunge

Thanks

OP posts:

paddypoopants · 06/03/2011 09:14

Are you really sure you want one? I'm about to get rid of my gas fired aga it is just sooooo expensive to run as gas is so expensive and about to get worse. We have a two oven one and is coming in at over £200 a month. I have heard Rayburns are marginally cheaper to run and that the new agas with AIMS will cut down the cost a bit. To be honest I won't miss it. However I'm sure there will be plenty of people along who love their ranges and will be able to fill you in.

DuplicitousBitch · 06/03/2011 09:17

they are a nonsense. get a modern cooker.

itisnotgoingwelltoday · 06/03/2011 09:29

Look for a company called marshall

www.cast-iron-range-cookers.co.uk/marshall/marshall-cookers.html

They do one that will run your heating and it's a condensing boiler - cheaper than an aga/rayburn by miles

hth

moocowmrs · 06/03/2011 09:34

Go for rayburn, cheaper and can be mu lti fuel either logs or coal lots cheaper, rayburn also does heating and hot water loads of it, I love ours had it two winters now in old cold house and it is magic ! Worth it for consent hotwater alone !

itisnotgoingwelltoday · 06/03/2011 09:50

moocowmrs - I used to have a multi-fuel rayburn.

They're class! And you can burn tons of rubbish as well!!

StickyProblem · 06/03/2011 10:00

I am very fond of my Aga but I agree with paddypoopants (there's a sentence you don't use every day!)

Ours costs a bomb to run (gas) and you are also tied into the installer as no other company will service them. It's such a high maintenance item. Ours is an old one converted from solid fuel, and it's OK now, but for the first few years we had it it wasn't very reliable - in fact we could have bought a gas oven from what we spent on repairs, and these weren't even major, they were things like valves that don't last for ever anyway. Luckily we had a good engineer who got to "know" it and fixed the problem but some people spend £££ trying to work out what is wrong with theirs. (Newer ones might be more reliable.)

We love it, it is fantastic at cooking meat in particular, but one day we'll turn it off and use it as a plant stand. It's like stretching yourself to buy a private jet - you get used to it, it's fantastic, then you realise you can't afford it and have to downsize.

No experience with Rayburns and our Aga is food only - make sure they really are reliable if you are going to have the hot water and heating connected to it as well as the oven.

Driftwood999 · 06/03/2011 13:59

My Grandparents had a Rayburn and it was considered wonderful, that was 1920's - 1970's, they had an electric cooker later on as well.
itisnotgoingwelltoday Yes you can burn all sorts of rubbish in a mutli fuel stove. My grandparents did not have an indoor toilet and when visiting them when I was very young and new to having periods, I had to put the used pads into paper bags and burn them in the Rayburn! I remember the overwhelming feeling of thinking that "everyone knows" when in fact they were more interested in their bacon and eggs Have what you want and suits your lifestyle.

fivegomadinthelambingshed · 06/03/2011 14:01

We sold our AGA, I loved it but best decision for fuel bills.

scaryteacher · 06/03/2011 15:18

Look at Stanley; bigger ovens than the Rayburn. Mine is oil and does all the heating and hot water as well.

itisnotgoingwelltoday · 06/03/2011 16:56

But the Marshall is so much prettier than any Stanley

Original poster

limpingbint · 06/03/2011 17:13

Thank you all so much for all your input, it has been so helpful

OP posts:

itisnotgoingwelltoday · 06/03/2011 17:57

But you have to come back and tell us what you decide

StickyProblem · 07/03/2011 13:14

fivegomad hope you don't mind me asking - how did you sell your AGA? Did someone take it away? Did you pay them to de-install it or is "collection" included in the price? Didn't it leave a gaping hole?!
Yes OP do tell us what you went with in the end!

scaryteacher · 07/03/2011 13:43

The Marshall may be prettier, but I can get a 26 lb turkey in the Stanley, and also 4 saucepans on the hob as it is one plate (graduated) and not two, plus there is a little hotplate to the side where you can melt chocolate slowly.

itisnotgoingwelltoday · 07/03/2011 13:54

Marshall also has a graduated hotplate, not separate ones (it's a kidney shaped hotplate) and the ovens are both the same size and are massive.

I would love any cast iron cooker!

bronze · 09/03/2011 15:35

Out of the two then rayburn
Agas are for the dream
Rayburns are for living the dream

fitflopqueen · 09/03/2011 21:38

Stanley is easier to live with, Aga too expensive for what it does, have had both. we are on oil, does all cooking, hot water and heating.

fivegomadinthelambingshed · 09/03/2011 21:40

Sticky, I googled fro someone in my area, the price included them taking it away.

We had a stsnley in our old house and is much the best.

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