AGA SAGA

[Bowerbird5]

Hi,
We have had the same kitchen for thirty years and I have been procrastinating over a new one on and off for a year. Yes, I know!
So it is a country cottage with an outside door in the corner. Then a short run of units under a new window which at present has a double and a half sink( one was for horse bucket, chicken feeders, other for people) then worktop to corner. Under is sink unit, dishwasher, washing machine at a bloody awkward angle because I bought dishwasher because I had four kids and was studying full- time. Turn. There is presently the original No. 2 Rayburn which we had put back in after damp proof done (30 yr) which was working and was a Godsend when I was living on a building site with three young kids( 8,5, 18mths) but later on when it needed new fire bricks and a new thermostat and money was tight ( still, baby 4) DH said it was taking too much wood and refused to fix it so it was disconnected but left in situ. Houses all my pans. I did miss it, especially in winter. We had put a Coalbrookdale Severn in for CH originally in inglenook in sitting room.
Then continued run of units including a single electric cooker in middle of these. Dresser at back wall. Radiator on next wall and doorway to house.
Are you still with me, sorry?
So we have had some kitchen plans drawn up in the summer and changed one lot twice ( too clinical for us) but not including any range. Now it is winter and I have been ill for seven weeks and so Christmas and then off work. Of course it has got me thinking and changing my mind a bit. The house is very thick stone two inside walls are 15 and 17 inches thick including kitchen 17" and the planners made us change the rotten oak solid door for a full glass panel door as it only had one smallish, half sash window and we knock down a wall inside. So it is often cold in winter. We had a big table for six squeezed in but now have a small one for two and put the other in dining room/ playroom as was. So when I retire I'm thinking that I would quite like an Aga, Rayburn, Esse. We don't have mains gas and will never be getting it, too many hills apparently.
So to all you knowledgeable Range owners I would like to know the pros and cons. DH will not go for solid fuel although it would keep him fit Ashe retires in a year or so. Older than me😁 I think part of me just loves the country kitchen look being a bit of a rural romantic but I wonder whether it is the right thing. So types, cost of running and would we need the flue where there is one or I see some photos where I can't see one. I know they have moved on a lot since our baby. We could put one into design where cooker is now. Another problem as I love it and intended keeping it but the oven went off with Christmas Cake and twice since that we have noticed,so part of the reason for a re think. Counting up it is about 12 yrs so if I am going to replace it could I have my Aga? Don't know anything about the electric ones. We have a decent size garden and could put oil in I suppose but means my veggie patch will have to go probably or could swap chickens over.
I thought I had this sorted until I was off ill but not sure if we would eat in kitchen in winter if retired.
DH is not keen and rolling his eyes about Range. I have a secret stash and can afford one but it is a lot of money on top of a new, possibly bespoke kitchen and I am half Scot. I'd have to live to 90's to reap full benefit. We do have some hardy Senior citizens here 80's , 90's and one reached a 100!
Sorry for such a long post but I know SOME people on Mumsnet don't like drip feeding so I think all the info is here. I must say I prefer this corner to some of the other bits. AIBU - some would say LTB if if wont agree to a Range! AIBU? I would like to know about any pitfalls remembering we will both be on pension in six years 😳 where did that time go?
Look forward to your opinions. Remember it maybe life-changing.
Oh and unfortunately our AGA shop closed down so it is a bit of a trek. If I had known that I might have been in there for a cheaper deal but I try and avoid the city centre. It was last year I think.

I managed for ages with just Stanley, and that was someone who never knew anything about ranges, I think the Stanleys are a little more agreeable on the controllability though...but again mine is old so the newer ones maybe different.

I know the guys that come to service him are always impressed by his simplicity, one burner...usually needs a new jet nozzle every other year and since we have had it, both baffles have been replaced, but other than that there really isn't anything to go wrong.

I have two camping gas stoves and a single. We used to go camping a lot and the kids still go( adults now) and borrow for friends too. We have three tents! We used to have camp weekends at our house including a camp fire I didn't know about and DD nearly set fire to her old Wendy House. Which by the sound of the wind outside has probably just collapsed.
Think I am going to make a chart and add points for the Ranges. Thanks for your input MrsHome Slice. I was worried I wouldn't get any replies

As others have said, having an AGA or something similar (Mum bought an ESSE for her new kitchen in 2000s) is a lifestyle change after a conventional electric or gas oven!

In fairness, she hated her ESSE when it arrived, but was committed to trying to get on with it due to it's weight, and cost! She now adores it and it heats her long kitchen, which would otherwise be cold due to the only small sized radiator at the far end. You can also turn an ESSE off or have it running on it's 'pilot light' setting, so it doesn't get too hot in the kitchen in summer.

My Mum is a fairly precise person, she likes things just so. So having to work out what temp was 'hot', 'very hot' etc. and calibrate it all did almost break her for a while. Her reality of cooking on her ESSE was less romantic than she had hoped I think at the beginning - especially because she was trying to feed three grumpy teenagers who wanted instant food, not to wait for 20-40 to start cooking, depending on what you wanted to cook! She got on with the vaguely dog bone shaped hotplate better as you can pretty much boil stuff when it's on 3 1/2, and switch stuff between plates if you need it to maintain a simmer etc. - although as another poster has mentioned, you can't get more than 2 family sized saucepans on either side of the dog bone shape at any one time really, unlike a conventional 4 ring stove top where I can fit four if I'm pushing it with a culinary delight!

If you get an ESSE, the key thing that has to change is the wanting to cook without prior planning I think! The needed mentality from my experience is 'I think I'll be hungry at 6.30pm, so I'll put the oven on at 5pm so it can warm up ready for cooking'. Oh and mind the 'burnt spot' on the top shelf towards the front of the main oven in the ESSE. Cakes etc. will get scorched in that spot unless you're handy with a bit of foil or push things right to the back...

I learnt how to cook a great many things in the microwave following the arrival of Mum's ESSE, but would be sad if she didn't have it now...

yes...my eldest has said that it's not the same cooking with a normal oven....no challenge to guess how hot "HOT" is today? No remembering that HOT today means top shelf for roasties, but you will have to turn them all around AND rotate the tray or all the RHS ones will be naked underneath, when last week the middle shelf was fine and no tray turning.

Hi op, not much to add I have a Sandyford range, cheaper than an Aga & manufactured in Derbyshire, the chap who services it reckons that Sandyford & Stanley ranges are really underrated & are a better buy than Aga, I have a three oven Sandyford & absolutely love it.

More interesting stories thank you. I have found someone within an hours drive that sells both Esse and AGA's so I think a visit there next weekend might be on the cards.

dontcall thanks I haven't heard of Sandyford I will have a look. Might plan a weekend in Derbyshire but don't tell DH why
Off to google.

Hi just updating. I have been ill so haven't progressed much other than I had Howdens draw up plans with an AGA and it looks good. Have to think about kitchen too as if I go with Howdens I can afford AGA but if I go with the other kitchen I don't think I can as it is bespoke and more than twice the price. Hmmm!

I do think the Rayburn 600 series is far more versatile, you don't need to have it on as background heat (unless you wish to).

It's 'A' rated, so very fuel efficient. Admittedly I tend to use electric to cook in the summer as we have solar on the roof, but I last filled up in October 2016, and I reckon I'll next fill up in March and it costs around £50 a month on average at current prices, which is more than covered by the feed in tarrif of our solar (£1300 a year). We have had the heating on pretty much all day every day in winter as there's almost always somebody home, it's off overnight and and the water is on twice a day. If I was having an electric one, I'd be also looking at solar to offset the cost.
You can programme the heating and hot water independently of the cooker and of each other, and over-ride as required.
You can programme the cooker to come on to get warm enough to cook on a timer for when you get home. It takes approx 20 minutes to get up to heat to cook if you don't.
The hot plate has 2 lids but is just one huge hot plate (fits 5-6 pans or so) and has a hot area and a cool area, so it's easy to move things around as you're cooking.
It's made by the same people as Aga, and comes in a great range of colours
We have ours in the side of our room (inside wall)and the flue goes up through the loft and out of the roof (bungalow).

Thank you Ariela.
We have a No. 2 Rayburn just now but DH disconnected it a few years back . It needed attention and he did it while I was away on holiday. Sneaky.

I have an Everhot 100i it has a very fierce commercial grill and the i means it also has a commercial induction hob, It costs an extra £12 per week in electricity (approx.) it gives out a gentle heat in a large cold kitchen. I was working with a chimney breast gap of just over 100cm, if I had a bigger gap I would go for a bigger Everhot if I lived in a small cottage I would be happy with the 60cm model. No servicing costs and it just plugs into a normal 13amp socket. Approx £8000 but worth every penny. I love my Everhot.

I've had a Sandyford for about 10 years, after leaving our old oil fired aga behind in our last house.

It's a 2 oven oil fired balanced flue, so on an outside wall, with a 5-6' dia. pipe sticking out about 5-6'. It's totally adjustable, so if you want to cook a cake at 160 degrees, you set the temperature. You can also turn it off completely in the summer, but fire it up to cooking temperature in about 20 mins.

It heats the kitchen beautifully, and saves me a LOT of money through not tumble drying stuff.

We have friends who installed one, having seen ours, and have been v happy with theirs.

Not sure where you are based, but the bit of the SE I'm in, is covered by a chap in Chertsey who comes and services it once a year.

Thank you. I am looking into all possibilities at present.
Weighing up the price of the kitchen as well. If I go with the cheaper kitchen I can afford one. I love the other kitchen though. Going to check temperature each day in kitchen so I get an idea how cold it gets in there in winter. We do have a small dining room to eat in and have lap trays if just the two of us and we want to watch something.

I haven't been well but hope to continue the research this week. Thank you to all contributors the stories are lovely.

For the Stanley enthusiats amongst you, here is my new one. My Superstar died in 2014 after 20 years, so I got this one instead. It stands slightly prouder than the old one, has twin burners, so no fiddling about with baffles (yay!) and there is a hotplate cover on the small hotplate at the side. Oven space still as was and cooks brilliantly.

Meant to add, the oil consumption has dropped dramatically since we changed the Stanley.