Daniel’s AGA Experience with Twyfords Aga
So, being the 21st Century man that I am, I recently attended a half day cookery course in Leominster, courtesy of Twyfords AGA, nudged forward by my love forcooking andconstruction (and of course, my dear wife wanting to see an improvement with my home cooking).
I was invited and greeted by the lovely Elley with a large cup of tea, a full English breakfast and a friendly smile. We cooked many dishes, pies, and cakes and discussed AGAs all afternoon.
The primary reason for the session for me was to gain experience with the AGA- at Bespoke, we’ve installed many AGAs for clients over the years when constructing new-build residential homes and I wanted to get to grips with this iconic cooker for myself. I wanted to hear everything I could and discover the unbiased, truthful facts myself so that when clients ask me about installing an AGA, I can give them an informed opinion and guide them in the best possible way.
Whilst relatively expensive in comparison with a conventional cooker,the British designed AGA is built using cast iron and very few components. This means the life expectancy of an AGA is much longer than a standard oven – there are even stories of AGA cookers lasting 50 plus years!
Having spent a very enjoyable day at Twyfords, I must say I love the robust and dominant look of this hot box within the kitchen. AGAs are also good for heating the room and some models also have a flow & return heating system connected, removing the need for an independent boiler.
For people with a hectic lifestyle, it’s also really easy to make speedy food for the family, as it’s always hot and switched on, and therefore ready to go instantly.
On the down side, within a well-insulated new build in the summer time, AGAs do still kick out the heat, so the building will inevitably become uncomfortably hot. Many AGA owners deal with this by having an independent cooker which is used in the summer, or indeed an AGA side modular, which essentially is an electric cooker. Having either of these additions in your kitchen will enable you to turn the AGA off in the hotter months, giving you the best of both worlds and removing the problem. In fact, AGA has recently developed the new generation of AGA cookers in the form of Dual control and Total Control models which present the ability to switch off in the summer but still have the hobs ready for cooking when needed. In the case of the Total Control model, you also have the ability to turn on ovens individually.
A warm kitchen in the winter with beautiful hearty food, and a cool house during the summer– sounds pretty perfect to me!
If you’re thinking about embarking on a design and build adventure, please do give us a call or email us. And if you wish to know anymore about AGA cookers, take a look at either of these links: http://www.twyford-cookers.com/ or http://www.agaliving.com/store-locator/where-to-buy-an-aga/aga-bath