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Little aga - any one got one and do you like it?

9 replies

GervaseFen · 23/10/2020 14:30

I'm planning a kitchen extension and wondering about one of those little agas with two ovens and one hob. The new kitchen will be quite a bit bigger and as we're at home a lot I thought it could work well to make it warm and homely from Sept to April and give us somewhere to dry clothes and cook. We'd want to turn it off in summer as we're south-facing so I can't really justify the space of a full size one plus a gas hob. But are the little ones big enough to do all the things we'd need?

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fabulousathome · 23/10/2020 15:27

I'm probably a philistine, (I don't know anyone with any kind of Aga) but do you really want to be drying clothes in your kitchen and have something there that isn't used for a third of the year too?

How about having underfloor heating or a fireplace in the kitchen for extra cosiness or a cuddle-up sofa?

SabrinaThwaite · 23/10/2020 15:54

Have you also looked at the Everhot ranges? They also do a 60cm wide version that is all electric, and 90cm wide version that also has an induction hob.

GervaseFen · 23/10/2020 17:51

Thank you both for your ideas Smile I don't mind it not being used in summer as long as I love it the rest of the time. I think it's nostalgia really as I grew up on a farm and still head for the aga when I'm home. It always feels so gorgeous to walk into a lovely warm space.
A fire would be good as it helps get the one warm room without heating empty space but it's tricky as the flue would have to go up the outside and our neighbour could object as it would effectively be in their garden.
I didn't know that other brand, have you got one @SabrinaThwaite?

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SabrinaThwaite · 23/10/2020 19:13

A friend has an Everhot and is very happy with it - she is the kind of person that does a shed load of research when planning things (lost count of the number of test pots for the kitchen cupboards for instance).

Worth looking into.

Saz12 · 23/10/2020 21:00

I grew up with an aga. You don’t /shouldn’t really use the hob much (just put pans in the oven) as it becomes v inefficient with the hob covers open. So a 60cm version is probably not a problem size-wise.

They made a lot of sense when the aim was to have one warm room for all day, plus a fireplace in the living room in the evenings. But now most people have central heating. Agas are just so expensive to buy, install, and service, and then use oil / gas/ electric at a rate that makes central heating more environmentally appropriate.

They are great for drying stuff. In exactly the same way that a storage heater would be! I don’t think that’s a reason for having one.

They’re great for anything slow cooked. But then, slow cookers are also pretty good at that...!

If you really want one, then at least make the most f it with an armchair beside them. You can’t really put food cupboards immediately beside them (well, you can but it’s a bit yuck and pointless). Though really and honestly, you’d be better thinking about a wood burning stove / gas fire / etc. It’s more controllable, better for the environment, nicer to look at, cheaper to buy, instal and run....

exLtEveDallas · 23/10/2020 21:11

We have a very large kitchen and a very large Aga to match! Its on from Oct to Mar/Apr, and we have an electric oven in our utility room for May-Sep.

Its great, but it’s bloody expensive! I wouldn’t be without it. It means we use the heating less during the winter and it seems to warm the whole house, not just downstairs.

We also had a multi fuel burner that I hate,
So much so that we haven’t used it for over a year. Bloody dirty stinky thing and the cost of seasoned wood (or smokeless coal) made it an easy choice to give up.

Tuliptulip · 23/10/2020 21:24

We have an Everhot (110+ so bigger than you’re looking at), and are v pleased with it. They are cheaper to run than Agas largely because they give out less heat (so might work well for you). Also v easy in terms of no plinth/flue/annual service required, and the customer service is amazing. Look at the Facebook pages, and you can ask anything you like there - I think the public one is called something like the Everhot Cookers Discussion group. There are a lot of ex-Aga owners!

Nodney · 23/10/2020 21:37

I've got a two oven Aga but bigger than 60cm,think it is nearly 100cm. I absolutely love it and bought it second hand (it was renovated). Bit thirsty on the oil (no gas out here) and I only ever use my dryer for bedding as I dry my clothes over night on a rack in front of it. I have it on all year as I have no other cooker. It's also pretty cold here and this keeps the cottage a good temp.

GervaseFen · 24/10/2020 15:59

Super helpful, thank you. I think I need to look at the Everhoy and also work out what the environmental impact would be. We probably wouldn't use the central heating much if we had one as we're all happy with cold bedrooms. I like the idea of space for a chair next to it!

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