AGA cooker

A modern-day three-oven AGA cooker

The AGA cooker is a heat storage stove and cooker, which works on the principle that a heavy frame made of cast iron can absorb heat from a relatively low-intensity but continuously burning source, and the accumulated heat can then be used for cooking.

History

Originally heated by slow-burning coal, the Aga cooker was invented in 1922 by the Nobel Prize–winning Swedish physicist Gustaf Dalén (1869–1937), who was employed as the chief engineer of the Swedish AGA company (Swedish Aktiebolaget Svenska Gasaccumulator, English Swedish Gas Accumulator, Limited). Dalén lost his sight in an explosion while developing his earlier invention, a porous substrate for storing gases, Agamassan. Forced to stay at home, Dalén discovered that his wife was exhausted by cooking. Although blind, he set out to develop a new stove that was capable of a range of culinary techniques and easy to use.

Adopting the principle of heat storage, he combined a heat source, two large hotplates and two ovens into one unit: the AGA Cooker. The cooker was introduced to Britain in 1929, and were manufactured there under licence in the early 1930s. Their popularity in certain parts of British society (owners of medium to large country houses) led to the coining of the term "AGA Saga" in the 1990s, referring to a genre of fiction set amongst stereotypical upper-middle-class society.

The cast-iron parts were cast at the Coalbrookdale foundry in the 1940s, where they were still made by the Aga Rangemaster Group until November 2017 when Middleyby closed the site with the loss of 35 jobs.[1]

Energy use

A small, traditional two-oven AGA running on gas will use approximately 2,530 watts; 22,200 kilowatt-hours per year (perhaps half that if switched off during the summer months). The average standard gas oven and hob uses 580 kilowatt-hours per year (66 watts), only 2.6% of the AGA's consumption.[2] AGA's own figures for expected energy consumption for their two-oven AGA support this criticism,[3] suggesting average consumption of 40 litres of kerosene or diesel fuel per week, 60 litres of propane gas per week, 425 kW⋅h of natural gas per week, or 220 kW⋅h/week for the electric models. This would indicate that the smallest traditional two-oven gas AGA providing simple cooking functions (i.e. no water heating or central heating) consumes thirty-eight times as much as a standard gas oven and hob, almost as much gas in a week as a standard gas oven and hob in nine months.

AGA has provided an analysis of their own, which includes the steps taken to reduce energy consumption.[4]

Owners[5] often talk about how the AGA actually makes their homes more energy efficient, as the AGA does a number of jobs, such as replacing several radiators, a tumble dryer, electric kettle and toaster and is not simply a cooker.

The vast majority of AGAs sold today are programmable and AGA announced an upgrade initiative in 2009,[6] meaning that owners of older AGA cookers can have them modified so they are programmable. The latest model, the AGA Total Control,[7] uses the same radiant heat to cook, but is designed to be switched off like a regular cooker when not in use, using far less energy as a result. Oil burning AGAs can be fitted with a modern pressure jet oil burner in place of the standard wick burner which burns the fuel more efficiently and so reduces oil consumption.

Models

Four main models of AGA are currently in production: two-, three-, four- and five-oven versions, with the four- and five-oven versions wider than the others. The two-oven model has three doors behind which are the burner, roasting oven and simmering oven. The newer three-oven model also includes a baking oven,[8] the four-oven version also has a warming oven and warming plate on the top, and the five-oven has an additional slow-cooking oven. All models have two hotplates – a boiling plate and a simmering plate. The cookers come in a range of different colours, but the most popular is the original cream.

Current fuel options include kerosene, diesel, biofuel, gas or electricity. Electrical models, some of which can be controlled by a smartphone, make up nearly three-quarters of all sales, while just one in twenty customers are after a conventional oil-powered Aga.[9] AGA Dual Control model has three or five electric ovens on one system and two separate hobs. It has proved popular with owners used to keeping a classic AGA on for sustained periods but who want to cut the running costs.[10]

The 60 cm wide AGA City60 was launched in July 2014, intended for compact spaces. It has two ovens and a hotplate, with the main oven being fully programmable. Like previous models, in the winter it can be left on all the time as a heat source.[11][12]

Longevity

The AGA is known for its longevity, with many cookers still operating after more than 50 years. In 2009, in conjunction with the Daily Telegraph and to celebrate the 80th anniversary of its founding, AGA set up a competition to find the oldest AGA still in use.[13] There were thousands of entries, but the winning cooker was installed in 1932 and belonged to the Hett family of Sussex.[14]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Coalbrookdale Aga foundry to close by end of November". BBC. 21 November 2017. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  2. ↑ "Carbon Footprint – Household Energy Consumption".
  3. ↑ "2-Oven Aga Cooker Specification". Archived from the original on 8 May 2011.
  4. ↑ "AGAnomics – The guide to AGA home economics" (PDF).
  5. ↑ MarmiteLover, Ms (19 March 2010). "In defence of the AGA". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 23 March 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  6. ↑ "AGA launches upgrade programme for older cookers".
  7. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  8. ↑ "Aga Range Cookers".
  9. ↑ Roland, Denise (7 March 2014). "Electric Agas lead the way in stove maker's comeback". The Daily Telegraph.
  10. ↑ "Aga fired up as housing gets cooking".
  11. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 14 March 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  12. ↑ "Aga unveils electric version aimed at young urban homeowners".
  13. ↑ Edwards, Adam (1 November 2008). "AGA cooker: Hot on the trail of our oldest AGA". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  14. ↑ Edwards, Adam (7 April 2009). "The hunt for Britain's oldest Aga". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
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