Now let’s talk about this beautiful elephant in the room. New stove that is a refurbished Cream 4-Oven AGA cooker. It took me a long time to get here. There’s still a lot of work left to do around this space and the rice cooker, but I couldn’t wait to unbutton the entire kitchen. The renovation of this space and several others could take months to come together. I’ve been dreaming about this rice cooker because for years I’ve been pining for books and online studying old English cottage kitchens that have versions of this rice cooker. Let’s start a little bit by answering some questions about this cooker and explaining how we were able to bring it to the farm.
What is AGA
If you don’t know what an AGA cooker is, or only recognize it in a few kitchens, let me briefly explain.The AGA cooker was first invented in 1922 by a Swedish physicist named Gustav Darren. Dalén went blind in an accident while working on a pressure vessel, so he set out to create a cookware that didn’t require constant attention. He came up with the idea of using cast iron to keep warm and created a stove that could be left on all the time without the need for temperature control. The entire unit is insulated with several different layers, from within the body to the door gaskets.
If you look at the oven, each door has a predetermined temperature that increases or decreases by a few degrees when the cooker reaches operating temperature. The top right is the roasting oven, the bottom right is the baking oven, the top left is the simmering oven, and the bottom left is the warming oven. The central door is where the burner his assembly is located. There are some variations, but as a general guideline, the roasting oven should be 450-460°C, the baking oven 350°C, the stewing oven about 250°C, and the warming oven about 150°C. I plan to use a laser temperature reader to read different areas, but generally speaking these are good temperatures to refer to when cooking.
There is a warming plate on the top and it gets pretty hot. You can pat it with your hand, but you can’t leave it on the baking dish. The middle is the boiling plate, the hottest part of the rice cooker, and the far right is the simmering plate. What’s really cool about the Toro Toro Plate is that you can cook directly on it.
Now let’s get into QA for this beauty.
Isn’t it expensive?
Let’s put the big questions aside. price. I bought this second hand item. Yes, it is a used item. In fact, here in the United States, there is a sizeable market for used His AGAs that brokers and installers can ship to your home. I had no idea there was such a possibility, so I thought I would never be able to own an AGA cooker, but one day, with a certain determination, I discovered this world of used AGA cookers I found It was also your dream. Purchased from Chef Cargo (Link) had a great experience.Matt provided a list of installers in our area and followed the post-purchase instructions to start the planning journey. brand new A cast iron AGA sells for over 3000 Yen, but we can absolutely assure you that we are not paying for it. After our product shipped, it was within 70-75% of the new price. And for some of the ranges we were looking at, the more conventional ones, they were in the same price range.
How do I purchase online and then fully install?
So, once you’ve purchased AGA online or in person, it’s a good idea to find an installer and see if they can come onsite and check space prior to installation. , and I lost a lot of sleep on this one, but I used my phone and a digital copy of the manufacturer’s specs and dimensions to build a space for my rice cooker.
I had an open flute 4-0ven AGA which needed to be fitted with a B vent to exhaust through the roof. These cookers come in two versions. An open flute is an exposed vertical black pipe that exits the house and is an unexposed direct vent. Thankfully, the previous bonnet had a spare vent that made routing the new B vent relatively easy. This required another professional to install the vents. When you called around, you realized this wasn’t a very common appliance.It turns out that wood stove and fireplace installers are the most familiar with this application.
The AGA luff height is 33 1/2 inches. I made a small platform to raise it to counter height. This seems to be the norm in most kitchens, so you’ll likely want a platform that’s a little stepped up. I made a stove cove using wood and plywood. We faced this staircase with full bricks that were covered with aluminum sheets on top and installed by masonry.
The installer said the sides, back and bottom should be of non-combustible material. So I took cement board, brick veneer, nailed a thin layer of aluminum in place and plated the steps over the top.
To install AGA you need to find a certified/licensed AGA installer. When shipped his AGA he came in two crates and assembled in place. I believe the AGA weighs around 1200 lbs, so once it’s installed it won’t slide anywhere. This is not one of those “certified installers only” scenarios where tasks like hooking up gas pipes or installing water heaters can be tackled by a homeowner with some common sense, but an experienced installer. is required.
I used Rob from The Aga Studio (Link), thankfully he’s from Michigan, but has been called to set up from Georgia to Mackinac Island and everywhere in between. Installation took about a day and a half and I had a great time learning about installation, parts, expected service and maintenance and some tips and tricks since he owns several.Rob also We refurbish and resell used his AGAs and sell them at very competitive prices.
where can i find it?
The broker we used is chef cargoand we also have some in our installer. AGA studioI’ve also found some on the Facebook Marketplace for between $5,000 and $9,000. Also a general online search is a good idea as they may have other capacities for sale in your area. Some people buy homes with AGA they don’t want and call the installer to have it removed or not. , it turns out to try to sell. If there are no current buyers, the installer removes them, buys them, and keeps them handy. The best part about this is that the process doesn’t have to be tinkered with, and installers usually freshen them up once they get their hands on them.
Can I change the color?
yes and no. The enamel top and front can be recolored or reglazed, but our installer knew no one in the US, only a company in the UK. It’s close to the cost of a second-hand AGA in a different color.
why cream?
I was going back and forth between cream and white units. I chose cream for several reasons. Not only did I feel it complemented the brick veneer better, but I’ve also started the transition to incorporating a little more color into this space. Because there are no other appliances near this space, there were also no other colored appliances to avoid.
What preparatory work did you have to do?
- I started by removing the old cupboard I had installed.
- Then I removed the stone walls that were previously installed when I bought the house.
- Identified Stove Cove where AGA was occurring. Decided on a lower support that had a full block wall underneath to support the previously installed stone wall.
- My brother, Johnnie Debruin Builders, fixed some structural issues and put a new header in place that could cause some problems on the floor above. He created a step-up to bring the AGA to its current counter height, assembled the cove, and cemented the interior walls ready for the masonry.
- The cove had electrical wiring, but it had to be rerouted and reused, and new switch plates had to be made for the new pantry.
- Added waterlines for future potfillers and niches in coves.
- Then we had masonry Brixstone Masonry install the brick veneer.
- Once the AGA installer was onsite, they determined the best inlet and placement for the gas and installed a brand new 1/2 inch line underneath.
Does it heat up your kitchen?
I read somewhere that they are well insulated and you don’t feel the heat. I don’t think that is entirely true. A few feet away from the AGA, you’ll know it’s on.The warming plate puts out a little radiant heat. Many seasoned AGA owners use this to dry their clothes and wet their boots. Our home is fairly open with lots of windows and a constant breeze. Additionally, there is a heavy-duty attic fan that moves the air. You’ll have to see if it causes any discomfort this summer. Again, shoot this to see how it’s open, closed, close, and far.
What’s left around AGA?
Simply opting for a backsplash tile behind the niche wall allowed water to flow into the niche above.
I bought some antique ceiling tin to plant during installation.
I’m trying to determine the lighting situation if I need anything on top.
The flooring in the front (and throughout the kitchen) will also be updated.
did you cook it yet?
Yes we have. After installation, it took about two days for the temperature to rise. It’s been less than a week, so I’m still learning the process, but I had spaghetti, grilled chicken fajitas, and quesadillas for the family. Burgers, salmon and chicken are coming to the menu soon. Once I get used to it, I’m super excited to eat a whole turkey, make a bigger one, and find healthy baking recipes to do on a regular basis. I’m thinking of making it a daily routine. He is very good at memorizing directions and is a lot of fun.
You can see the details of the AGA cooker and the details of the kitchen renovation [HERE]
