photo sources: Aga Uk.com Say what? For those who know not of this wondrous brand of stoves, please let me bring you up to speed. An Aga is so much more than a stove. In use since 1922, it is a wondrous source of gentle heat to warm you, a vessel in which to prepare delicious meals for your family, and, perhaps most important of all, an object of beauty (and yes, I can be that shallow).
The folks over at Aga, explain it best:
" Most people associate the name Aga with good food and fine living, but many are unaware of the rich and interesting history that lies behind the world’s most famous cooker.
Although often thought of as quintessentially British, the Aga actually began life in Sweden. The cooker that has become the heart of the home in more than 750,000 households around the world was invented by Dr Gustav Dalén, a blind Nobel Prize-winning physicist.
Appalled that his wife and their maid had to constantly tend to their old-fashioned range, Dalén set about designing a thoroughly modern cooker. It’s unlikely he could have predicted that his invention would go on to be widely acclaimed as a design icon."
photo source: Aga Ranges.comAlthough often thought of as quintessentially British, the Aga actually began life in Sweden. The cooker that has become the heart of the home in more than 750,000 households around the world was invented by Dr Gustav Dalén, a blind Nobel Prize-winning physicist.
Appalled that his wife and their maid had to constantly tend to their old-fashioned range, Dalén set about designing a thoroughly modern cooker. It’s unlikely he could have predicted that his invention would go on to be widely acclaimed as a design icon."
Go here, and you will learn how it works: "Beneath the classic looks of every Aga is a heart of cast iron: the entire cooker is an outstandingly efficient energy store, steadily transferring the heat from its core into its ovens and hotplates. An Aga is always ready to cook instantly and there are no switches and dials because the Aga looks after itself. Thermostatic control maintains consistent temperatures while high levels of insulation within the outer casing and beneath the Hotplate covers ensure that every Aga uses fuel economically. The Aga releases a unique source of gentle, friendly warmth into your kitchen."
While some may pine after a high tech Viking range, with its multiple burners and shiny metal, I positively drool for the more mild-mannered (but equally able) gas/electric powered Aga. Flip through the pages of any British or European design mag, and you will find the most charming of kitchens built around an Aga. "She" might sit within an alcove of brick or amongst unfitted cabinetry, pretending to be modest and unassuming, while clearly stealing the show.
photo source: Aga Ranges.comIts makers even vow that an Aga makes food taste better. Go here to read why, and have a look through their product list...but be forewarned, you too, will go gaga for an Aga!! Indeed, according to this website, " In the year 2000, the BBC published a retrospective of the 20th Century highlighting what it considered to be the top three design icons: first was the Coca-Cola® contour bottle, second was the VW™ Bug and third was the Aga cooker."
I'll take an Aga over a Coke and a Bug any day...!!
In fact, I'll take this one, please:
