AGA cooker: Difference between revisions
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In 1912 Dr. Dalen lost his sight in an explosion while developing his earlier invention, a porous substrate for storing gasses, Agamassen (''[[Agamassan|Aga]]''). Forced to stay at home, Dr. Dalen discovered that his wife was exhausted by cooking. Although blind, he was determined to develop a new stove that was capable of every culinary technique and easy to use. It is also capable of heating a house. |
In 1912 Dr. Dalen lost his sight in an explosion while developing his earlier invention, a porous substrate for storing gasses, Agamassen (''[[Agamassan|Aga]]''). Forced to stay at home, Dr. Dalen discovered that his wife was exhausted by cooking. Although blind, he was determined to develop a new stove that was capable of every culinary technique and easy to use. It is also capable of heating a house. |
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Adopting the principle of heat storage, he combined a |
Adopting the principle of heat storage, he combined a heat source, two large hotplates and two ovens into one unit: the AGA Cooker. The cooker was introduced to England in 1929, and its popularity in certain parts of English society (owners of medium to large country houses) led to the coining of the term "[[AGA Saga]]" in the 1990s, referring to a genre of fiction set amongst stereotypical AGA owners. |
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AGA is an abbreviation of the company name, Aktiebolaget Gasaccumulator. |
AGA is an abbreviation of the company name, Aktiebolaget Gasaccumulator. |
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The iron castings in the cooker are made at [[Coalbrookdale]] in [[Shropshire]], the site of [[Abraham Darby]]'s original iron works where modern iron [[smelting]] was invented. |
The iron castings in the cooker are made at [[Coalbrookdale]] in [[Shropshire]], the site of [[Abraham Darby]]'s original iron works where modern iron [[smelting]] was invented. |
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AGAs have been criticised for guzzling energy.[http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2009/01/13/flying-over-the-cuckoos-nest/]However Aga have responded that each cooker is made from 76% recycled material, lasts for decades and can act as heat source, cooker,can air and dry clothes and can be used in place of electric kettles, toasters, steamers and microwaves. |
AGAs have been criticised for guzzling energy.[http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2009/01/13/flying-over-the-cuckoos-nest/] However Aga have responded that each cooker is made from 76% recycled material, lasts for decades and can act as heat source, cooker,can air and dry clothes and can be used in place of electric kettles, toasters, steamers and microwaves. None of these arguments change the fact that an Aga uses more energy to run than a the central heating for a typical family house. A small, 2 oven Aga running on Gas will use approximately 425kWh per week. That is a massive 22,100 kWh per year, costing £663 per year at 3p per kWh. |
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==Models== |
==Models== |
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Revision as of 18:32, 28 March 2009
 | This article contains content that is written like an advertisement. (October 2008) |
The AGA cooker is a stored-heat stove and cooker invented in 1922 by the Nobel Prize-winning Swedish physicist Dr. Gustaf Dalén (1869 - 1937), who also founded the AGA company. The cookers are today manufactured by the Aga Rangemaster Group.
In 1912 Dr. Dalen lost his sight in an explosion while developing his earlier invention, a porous substrate for storing gasses, Agamassen (Aga). Forced to stay at home, Dr. Dalen discovered that his wife was exhausted by cooking. Although blind, he was determined to develop a new stove that was capable of every culinary technique and easy to use. It is also capable of heating a house.
Adopting the principle of heat storage, he combined a heat source, two large hotplates and two ovens into one unit: the AGA Cooker. The cooker was introduced to England in 1929, and its popularity in certain parts of English society (owners of medium to large country houses) led to the coining of the term "AGA Saga" in the 1990s, referring to a genre of fiction set amongst stereotypical AGA owners.
AGA is an abbreviation of the company name, Aktiebolaget Gasaccumulator.
The iron castings in the cooker are made at Coalbrookdale in Shropshire, the site of Abraham Darby's original iron works where modern iron smelting was invented.
AGAs have been criticised for guzzling energy.[1] However Aga have responded that each cooker is made from 76% recycled material, lasts for decades and can act as heat source, cooker,can air and dry clothes and can be used in place of electric kettles, toasters, steamers and microwaves. None of these arguments change the fact that an Aga uses more energy to run than a the central heating for a typical family house. A small, 2 oven Aga running on Gas will use approximately 425kWh per week. That is a massive 22,100 kWh per year, costing £663 per year at 3p per kWh.
Models
Three main models of AGA are currently in production: two, three and four oven versions, with the four oven version wider than the others. The two oven model has three doors behind which are the burner, roasting oven and simmering oven. The newer three oven model also includes a baking oven,[1] and the four oven version also has a warming oven and warming plate on the top. All models have two hotplates - a boiling plate and a simmering plate.
The fuel for these is kerosene, diesel, natural gas, propane gas, night storage electric or a 13 amp electric wall socket. New models burning solid-fuel have been discontinued;[2] however, Aga Twyford, the only renovator authorised by Aga, still offers renovated solid-fuel models.[3]
In terms of weekly fuel consumption, Aga expects[4] the two oven Aga to consume 40 litres of kerosene or diesel, 60 litres of propane gas, 425 kWh of natural gas or 220 kWh for the electric models. To put this into perspective, the average domestic natural gas consumption in the UK is 386.75 kWh per week[5]. This equates to about 20 l of oil a week or £25.
In addition, Aga sells kerosene and diesel models which, with slight modification, can be made to run on biofuel[6].