Talk to me about Agas

[NoseyNooNoo]

Just viewed a house with an Aga. The kitchen had a small normal oven and a large Aga which was warm/hot to touch.

There was a boiler somewhere apparently but the heating was on so I think that was coming from the Aga.

Can anyone tell me whether Agas are good or bad and how on earth you cook with one!!

Also, are they safe to have with too feral enthusiastic toddler around?

That should be two toddlers - was too busy being clever with my striking out (first time I've done that).

We have just sold ours but when we had it we turned it on from NOvember until end March. Ours only did the water so was a very expensive oven. Always best to have a back up oven aswell. Find out if it what it also does, ege water and heating. Our DC's were fine with ours, and there are plenty of books out there to hekp you cook. Is it a 4 oven or 2 oven one and what is the fuel?

Oh Gosh, I don't the answer to any of those questions but you've given me a good starting point!

very much a lifestyle and a money issue. aga's are expensive to run. very rare for aga to be driving the heating, but poss that it is driving the hot water, in which case unless there is an immersion heater (also expensive to run) you will have to keep it on all year.

agas are a joy to own and wonderful to cook on, but do take a lot of getting used too. lots of other useful things like coat/shoe warming, clothes drying, you never have to do the drying up, etc etc.

as per todlers, yes i suppose tricky to deal with but like hot ovens you have to teach them not to touch!!!

we have moved into a house with an aga and found it a complete pita tbh. Its expensive to run and makes the kitchen boiling while not really heating anywhere else so we end up with the kitchen windows open to cool it down which isn't friendly to the environment or our bank balance!
Have found cooking wise it is good for some things (stews, meat etc) but you really do have to re-learn how to cook the aga way as it is totally different. Would recommend having a back up normal oven too so you can turn it off in summer.

Having said all that, everyone I know who has had an aga and put the time intp learning to cook on it absolutely swears by it and wouldn't change it...I think if I didn't have a 6 month old I might be more inclined to but the effort in but heyho!

hth

hth!