The Aga has been switched off for the last month or so because the heat of the mini heatwave we had plus the Aga being on in a very well insulated house was simply too much to bear. This year I decided to treat us to one of these mini ovens to use while the Aga was off as we cook most things from scratch and the Remoska simply wasn't enough, even with all it's back up friends.
This was an absolute bargain and will no doubt be in use every year if and when the temperature means the Aga can have a holiday. In fact this was cheaper than most of my other gadgets ...
...and Ginger got to claim the box as his own until it went on the bonfire last weekend.
I've used it for all kinds of cooking, both in the oven and on the hotplates, although I do have to remember to adjust the temperature control and read the back of packs of things that we have bought that need warming up, something I'm really not used to doing. My flapjacks were cooking much too quickly round the edges thanks to me not remembering to adjust the temperature, so remedial action was called for. The only downside to it that I can think of is that you cannot use the hotplates and the oven at the same time.
Now though, typically, the temperatures have plummeted and yesterday I caved in and switched the Aga back on to warm the house up. I'd rather have the Aga back on than the central heating as it does so many more jobs other than just heating the house.
So my task today is to declutter one of the kitchen cupboards enough so that this mini oven can sit happily behind closed doors until it is called into action again ... hopefully sooner rather than later.
Sue xx
Soup and jumpers here as well.
ReplyDeleteCentral heating, thick jumpers and boots back on.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea, we thought about getting something similar to save on the bills, I am sure they are much cheaper to run than a normal oven? I shall have to look into it.
ReplyDeleteCats and boxes!!! Gosh it is horrible here the last couple of days, didn't think rain was forecast for today but it's been more or less continuous
ReplyDeleteNo heating on yet thanks to the conservatory but the onesie went on last evening. I mainly use my gas hob so its cheap to run and the electric oven is only used when its full. I would definitely have a dual oven next time we renovate so the smaller one can be used.
ReplyDeleteWe chucked some paper kindling and a log on the wood burner last night - really chilly.
ReplyDeleteI rarely switch off the Aga as up here in the North it is rarely that warm, but as I am moving soon I might well switch it off to give it a good clean, always hard when it is hot all the time. I shall miss it.
ReplyDeleteHave one similar {minus the oven rings on the top) unused purchase gifted to us from my parents. It has proved to be a real boon/moneysaver since youngest daughter went to Uni last year and at times not economic to use my large range cooker just for me and hubby. In truth it cooks better than it as well!
ReplyDeleteI bought and used one when my oven broke and I could not afford the new one I wanted immediately. It worked very well. Freezing here too!
ReplyDeleteI bought one of these many years ago cheaply at a charity shop Sue, minus the hot plates on top. In our sweltering summers it's ideal to use for a quick heat up job or for grilling cheese on toast, so the big gas oven doesn't need to be turned on. It's still going strong, and cost less than $5 if I recall correctly.
ReplyDeleteSue, is there any chance that you can explain fully how and AGA is switched on and off please and how many days of the years one would normally be running. And how is yours powered please? They aren't all that common in Australia and I've only ever sen solid fuel ones and a single oil one (many years ago) here in Oz.
ReplyDeleteSure, my Aga is electric, a reconditioned older model .... not the new remote controllable models that you can buy if you are so inclined. Electric models are turned on and off with a flick of the switch that they are wired up to. The difference with an 'normal' cooker is that they are basically a great big hulking insulated cast iron box that holds on to it's retained heat and warms the place it is sat in and what ever you choose to put in or on it. See this post for a glimpse into the assembling of mine and how it is used -
Deletehttp://ournewlifeinthecountry.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/cooking-on-aga.html
That post also has links to other posts in which I have mentioned the Aga.
I used to have an oil powered one, the drawback to an oil fuelled one is that if you turn it off for any reason you do have to get it completely serviced before turning it back on. I find ease of being able to turn off my electric one whenever I want to much better, although they all take a full 24 hours to come back to full heat, so it's rarely off. They do use a lot of power to come back to full heat so I always switch it back on in the daytime when our solar panels are gathering as much daylight as possible.
Thank you Sue for your excellent explanation.
DeleteI would like one now as the kitchen walls are open and I have no appliances, counter or sink and only using a microwave and eating ready meals, not my usual at all and about two weeks to go and this is end of week 2...smart idea!
ReplyDeleteIt was only £84.99 from Amazon ... so you could be eating a full home cooked meal within days ;-)
DeleteThank you! I wonder if it takes an adapter for use in American plugs?
DeleteI had exactly the same dilemma last week! Opted not to switch my stove off as I don't have an insulated house (solid stone cottage with north facing cold kitchen) and even considered lighting the fire last night!
ReplyDeleteI can highly recommend a halogen oven for a part time small cooker, it is different for sure, but cooks brilliantly. I used mine as my main cooker (had a separate portable electric hob) for nearly 5 years before getting my current cooker.