Aga cookers have been an iconic mainstay of the British country home for over 80 years. But, it is not only their appearance that has kept them so popular for all these years, it is also the experience of cooking with one. In this article, we will discuss the user experience of Aga cooking, as well as explore some of the reasons for the marked improvement in both taste and ease of cooking.
How can Aga cookers improve your cooking experience? An Aga cooker uses the concept of radiant heat to cook food, sealing in moisture and flavour. This cooking method is gentler than a conventional oven, so nutrients remain locked in. It’s also a very forgiving cooker; leaving something to cook for too little time does not make it dry and inedible.

To learn more about the various benefits that an Aga cooker can provide for both the taste of food and the experience of cooking it, read on.
How to improve Aga cookers as you cook?
Unlike a conventional oven where you have to worry about getting the timings right or risk your food drying out (or burning if you don’t keep an eye on it), an Aga cooker is much more forgiving.
Cooking ovens are always ready and reliable
Because you’re always adding your food to a perfectly preheated oven, the food cooks much more consistently with every meal you make. And, because it cooks in a sealed environment when you close the door, it locks the moisture inside the cooking chamber. It’s also a very forgiving cooker, expertly suited to slow cookers. Not only does this make the cooking experience much calmer and less demanding on your time, but slow-cooked dishes also allow much more time for flavors to develop and deepen.
The hot plates do not need adjustment
Changing how much heat the top plates are transferring into your food is as easy as moving the pan. No more messing around trying to get the gas flame at the right level, or the frustratingly slow experience of trying to adjust an electric hob. Instead, all you have to do is remove the lid and you have two perfect cooking surfaces, a boiler plate on the left and a simmering plate on the right. This saves time, and the totally smooth surface of the Aga cooker top allows for much greater maneuverability and cleaning than the support grid of a conventional gas range.
Why does food taste better from an Aga cooker?
The gentle radiant heat provides even cooking, locking in moisture and flavor. Unlike a conventional gas or electric oven, which depends on the movement of heated air inconsistently, an Aga cooker provides gentle radiant heat from 5 sides at the same time. Imagine the sun on a hot day, shining and gently warming the environment and everything in it. As the food cooks, it absorbs this radiant heat from all sides consistently, locking in all the moisture, flavor and goodness.
How does an Aga cooker work?
Aga cooking is different from the average gas or electric oven. The different zones are calibrated to perform a specific function, such as simmering, baking or roasting. Understanding these peculiarities is the key to an excellent Aga experience.
Unlike a conventional oven that uses inconsistent and on-demand heating, an Aga cooker uses the principle of radiant heat. Heat is generated in the core, which then transfers steadily to the heating plates and internal surfaces of the oven. Due to the enormous heat capacity of the thick cast iron body, this heat is efficiently stored and transferred for cooking. This means that there is no need for dials to set the temperature as the different rooms are at a fixed temperature all the time. Electric, gas and oil burning models do not consume fuel all the time. Rather, they employ a thermostat to only turn on the heating element when necessary to maintain the cooking temperature.
Benefits of an Aga cooker
There are a variety of advantages to the Aga cooker, chief among them the fact that they are always ready to cook and their unparalleled build quality. But they also have the often overlooked benefit of eliminating the need for a variety of single-purpose kitchen appliances. Find out more below.
Aga cooker is always ready to cook
The radiant heat source within the cooker keeps the heavy cast iron at cooking temperature at all times, meaning the cooker is ready whenever you need it. You don’t have to plan ahead or wait around for preheating as you do with a conventional oven, which makes it considerably more convenient and faster to make dinner. The different heating zones are also always in a specified temperature range, for specific purposes, as can be seen below.
Oven room | Temperature (°C) |
Heating Oven | 65-90 |
Tap Oven | 100-135 |
Baking oven | 175-200 |
Roasting Oven | 250-260 |
Built to last
Aga cookers are famous for their longevity. The average Aga cooker will outlast a conventional oven by a considerable order of magnitude. Many still operate perfectly, well into their 50s. Their extremely strong construction means that the regular wear and tear concerns that come with the average mass-produced oven are greatly reduced, and its lack of moving parts apart from the oven doors -cast iron and plate cover means scope for what can go wrong. is also reduced. An investment in an Aga cooker is one that users can reap the benefits of for decades.
Clear the kitchen counter of unnecessary appliances
A common criticism of the Aga cooker is that it is always on. Many see this operating cost as an added monthly expense that they cannot afford. However, it is important to consider that the Aga cooker makes many high-powered appliances redundant, effectively eliminating their operating costs and clearing up your countertops for much more food preparation or storage space. Toasters and toaster ovens, bread makers, space heaters and even the electric kettle are all essentially redundant as Agas can do all their jobs with facility. And as the average Aga can last well into 5 decades and beyond, these energy-hungry appliances can be effectively banished from your home, freeing up valuable kitchen space that m ‘is no longer occupied by single-purpose devices.
Refurbished Aga cookers at Range Exchange
When it comes to buying an Aga cooker, one of the main considerations is cost. Because each one is handmade in the UK, as they have been for over 80 years, cost can be a major factor. However, buying a refurbished Aga cooker is considerably cheaper without sacrificing performance or quality. The refurbished Aga cooker is installed by a qualified Aga technician, and the unit is kept intact in its original state.
But, there is no sacrifice in quality when you go for refurbished Aga cookers Range Exchange. Our Aga cookers are restored to a showroom quality state and we even offer free re-enamel in a color of your choice.
There is also a much wider variety of sizes, styles and types of fuel than most people realize. If you would like to find out more and explore this wide range for yourself, you can read more about the subject here on our site.