Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Shopping

From everyday essentials to big purchases, swap tips and recommendations. For the best deals without the hassle, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Rayburn and Aga owners - please tell me what you think!

30 replies

cupcakesbakingonanopenfire · 02/01/2006 19:37

We're considering getting a Rayburn to heat water and radiators for the house - and cook on!
Not knowing anyone with one whom I can glean information from can you please tell me what you think of yours?
Please let me know what yours is like (even if it is oven only)!
TIA

OP posts:
jasper · 03/01/2006 23:06

friends of mine built a fab and big house from scratch and had a rayburn as their cooker/ central heating source, plus wood burning stoves. They thought it was a perfect arrangement and really liked the rayburn as a cooker.

Tabs · 03/01/2006 23:26

We have a Stanley Range which does heating, hot water and cooking. When we refitted kitchen a few years ago (range was already there, and the only thing we didn't touch) loads of people told us I'd want an extra hob, but I ignored them and was right to! We have an electric steamer which can always be used if cooking masses for the masses!

The ovens aren't huge though so I did get an additional large electric oven fitted. They might make bigger versions, but as it was here when we moved in we haven't investigated that.

Agree that it can get hot in summer, but we had the wiring changed on ours as it was connected up in an odd way, and now just have it on in summer to heat water for an hour or so in the morning and another hour in the evening. Then if I want to cook I just have to wait a little while for the cooking parts to heat up.

In winter when it's on more, the bedroom above the kitchen gets really, really hot though!

Actually more of a problem can be the boiler part overheating in winter, so that when I decide that I want the oven on hot, it actually won't heat up because the boiler has reached maximum temp! Doesn't happen often though.

We have to have one radiator that can't be turned off, which is used to vent excess heat - I presume that this is standard for such systems. We just put a big heated towel rail in the main bathroom for this purpose.

Ours is oil fired, which as others have already said, is flippin expensive at the mo. Reckon we spend well over £1k per year on oil (only 2 of us, but largeish 4 bed house and we often work from home so have heating during day in winter).

Callmemadam · 03/01/2006 23:33

Can't live without my Aga (large family) and would certainly save it before DH. Don't have an ordinary oven, love it love it love it.....

ediemay · 04/01/2006 00:01

aaah, fond memories - I lived with a lovely guy in an ancient cottage in Gwynedd for 2 years with a pale blue Rayburn in the kitchen. In summer we had to open all doors and windows and wear shorts & vests to cook in, so the kitchen filled up with his Mum's sheep - but in winter it was a truly wonderful thing!

cupcakes · 04/01/2006 16:58

We went to the Rayburn/Aga shop yesterday and talked to the salesman briefly. He recommended the Rayburn over the Aga (for heating) and said the ovens cook as well since Aga took Rayburn over the other year. Apparently we can turn the controls down in Summer so it won't be heating up the kitchen. It all seemed more high tech and controlled than I had imagined. However, this control only really applies if we use gas and not solid fuel - we can't adjust how much heat it's producing if we use wood/coal. Dh is still veering towards the solid fuel option but I'm now persuaded by the control offered by gas.
Am tempted by the Rayburn (and also the Stanley which they stock) but just don't know enough about them to be sure.
If we had it gas powered we could set the timer for it to come on before we woke up but I've got to remember to find out how long it takes to warm up from cold.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page