AGA ranges are the real deal: they're solid cookers that come in a gazillion colors and many models have multiple ovens and six burners. However, it's not uncommon to see the workhorse appliance anchoring very small kitchens, often in the UK. Check out the three we've rounded up here...
top image via Kitschen Pink


Also, don't forget about the AGA Companion. It's a 24" companion to the larger range, but can operate as a stand-alone unit, too, which could be great for small kitchens. Image: Deborah James Kitchens

Comments (25)
I wonder why that second image has an Aga and a regular range?
Oh, and this is the ONLY time I will defend the inclusion of a Keep Calm poster (see photo #1). It makes perfect sense in an English-style kitchen.
I like these, especially the teal one.
OMG and they aren't stainless steel! That is one of my pet peeves when I watch HGTV. They make it sound like you can't sell or that anyone in their right mind won't consider buying or renting a place that doesn't have stainless steel appliances. People walk into nearly new kitchens and proclaim they are dated because they don't have stainless steel. We even turned it into a drinking game one night each time they mentioned stainless steel.
I like these SO MUCH.
Can you get these? Where would you find one?
"Can you get these? Where would you find one?"
http://www.aga-ranges.com/where/
They're more common in England where they're used as a heatsource for the house since the oven is on 24/7
Really like these, esp. the companion! Thanks for the post as I have wondered about the Aga that they talk about in British fiction.
Ah, thank you! I got the impression they couldn't be found in the US, but there are a dozen places around me that have! Awesome!
My heart is aflutter I didn't know it was possible to fall in love with an inanimate object, such as a oven, but my heart belongs to an Aga range somewhere out there.
They're not very energy efficient for the reason bepsf mentioned. And really not suitable for a temperate climate...I live in state where you don't turn on the oven for 6 months, so these wouldn't work for me at all!
While I like the look of them, I probally wouldn't like my energy bill if the oven is on 24/7. Plus I'm still tweeking my baking skills and would like to look at the food I'm cooking without opening the door.
I found a couple that said they burned through 538 gallons of kerosene (heating oil) in one year with a medium sized one.
At current NY prices, that's about $1480 a year to run one of these. Heating oil is sky high, though, but that's still a ton of money.
I'd still love to have one, though.
Wow, AGA says the electric one uses 273kwh of electricity a week. That's 25 times more than a standard range.
I'll stick to BlueStar: http://www.bluestarcooking.com/
Very old fashioned and not green.
You have to be kidding! They cost a bomb, they're always on, and they're the symbol of pretentious Brit yuppies (hence, the Aga Saga school of popular novels.)
I understand the visual appeal, but I'd love to hear from an AT blogger who has ever cooked on one.
My mother recently moved into a house with an AGA in the kitchen (exactly like the one in the first picture). We are in Sydney, Australia with very hot summers and it is a nightmare! It is either on all the time and the kitchen too hot to be in, the oven doesn't really get hot enough to bake a cake in, the stove top takes ages to boil a pot of water on, and now in our winter, the pilot light has gone out and it is a mission to re-light!!
She is desperate to have it removed, it weighs about 20 tonne (possible exaggeration) and it is free to anyone that wants it!
Although I'm not sure I've done a very good job at selling it!
My mom has an AGA in her kitchen in Baltimore, MD, and LOVES it. It's gas, not electric, and she didn't find it increased her bill. Everything she cooks in it is amazing (she uses it exclusively). Veggies and meat are perfect, and cakes heat up just fine. And, actually, I think it takes less time than my gas range to boil a pot of water. Perhaps it depends on what kind it is, how new it is, and what the temp's set at.
It gets very very hot and humid in Baltimore in the summer, so we have a/c anyway, and no one ever notices the kitchen being too hot because of the AGA. And it's so warm and cozy in the winter. Yes, they're really expensive, but for those who love the way it cooks and looks, it's a dream come true.
Interesting...once an Aga's turned on all the burners are on. How can that be economical when all you want is to fry an egg?!
http://www.aga-ranges.com/aga/inside.asp
Agas have been discussed in the press over here in the UK recently regarding their eco-(un)friendliness. The spokesperson pointed out that they last several lifetimes and can eventually be recycled. The can also be used to run the central heating as well as cook, and there are different models that run on different fuels. They are so heavy that they retain heat for a long time, so it's not like running a regular stove 24hrs. However, I'm not convinced, given the efficiency of modern ovens and heating systems in the UK. I once moved into a house that had a large gas-fired Aga. True, it was great to have a cosy kitchen all year round - especially when the electricity went off for five days at -20C - but other than that it was a bit of a nuisance to use and expensive to run. And the Companion models, which are just regular stoves styled to look like Agas, look twee and have ovens with poor energy efficiency ratings.
Like dmstudio said, its so true. I am so sick of stainless steel being the Holy Grail, and HGTV does not help the situation.
I think the range in the 2nd picture is a Rayburn, not an Aga. I suspect the reason they have a regular stove as well is that while you can regulate the heat to some degree, if it's turned down, it take a while (and some planning) to raise the temperature back up to a temperature necessary for boiling etc. I grew up with an Aga-type range in Ireland that also heated the hot water. My parents bought it in the 1960s and now a second generation of our family uses it daily. While they may be inefficient, their real appeal in a country with a cold, damp climate (with wimpy heating systems) is that they provide a continuous, reliable source of heat. The dogs and cats like to hang out against them too. My memory of Irish country farmhouses is that the kitchen with its Aga going was typically one of the few well-heated rooms in the house. Frankly, for cooking, I prefer my regular GE gas stove.
I have an AGA duel fuel range. Love it, although the main oven is a tad small so I have a hard time finding pans that fit.
http://www.aga-ranges.com/_store/Scripts/prodview.asp?idproduct=81
people will look back on stainless some day the way we look back on harvest gold and avocado green. hgtv, mark my words.
I cooked regularly on an AGA in a family member's home in Germany, and it was great in the cold of Winter when cooking for a crowd, but in Summertime it definitely was an overheated pain. It was great for soups, stews, roasting, sautes. However I found it took a lot of practice to produce perfect baked goods because was just a little trickier to pull things out on time (and I was only cooking on the AGA for 2 weeks at a time). Even if I had all the money in the World, I wouldn't install one now, I love the look of an AGA but reducing energy consumption is something we're actively practicing. I've even given up on my own dream of installing a Wolf or Viking range... going with an induction cooktop instead and just keeping the electric wall oven that's already here.
My Aunt and uncle had both an aga and a regular stove in the kitchen - use the aga for the winter months and the regular stove for the warmer months
If you like the look, check out vintage Chambers stoves. They came in about five colors I think. I have a yellow one from the fifties. They were advertised for their energy efficiency because they're heavy as a locomotive and hold heat. You can turn off the oven and it still cooks. Pricey but not as much as an Aga.