Aga kitchens and ovens, vintage luxury

Aga kitchens maintain the essence of those kitchens of the 40s. Even today, they are still made in cast iron in a traditional way, just as it was 70 years ago, which prevents their series production. The ovens now work, yes, with gas or electric energy and the plates have been replaced by gas burners and glass-ceramics.

These kitchens with great tradition are made in the UK and from there they are exported all over the world, where they are popular not only for their vintage aesthetics, but also for their ability to maintain moisture, texture and flavor of food, as modern kitchens do not, thanks to its system radiation heat.

Aesthetically the most representative of this kitchen are its ovens; three, four and up to five ovens. In the simplest model, the upper right oven is used for roasts, the lower left one is used for pastries and the lower right oven is for slow cooking. A whole array of possibilities to dress a professional kitchen.

The story of Aga

The company has deep roots in Shropshire, the birthplace of the industry, and is where AGA kitchens are still manufactured today. Its inventor and Nobel Prize winner in Physics, Dr. Gustaf Dalén, developed and patented the AGA kitchen in 1922, the best performance ever made.

Blinded in a terrible accident, he was convalescing at home when he realized that his wife was using an oven that was dangerous, dirty, and exceptionally slow. And that is how he invented a kitchen that came to Great Britain in 1929 and that in the 40's it would become a success, changing the lives of chefs around the world.

For 34 years, AGA had been available only in cream, but in 1956 all that changed, with new colors becoming popular. Other important changes were the introduction of gas cookers in the 60s and more recently, in the 80s, the creation of the first electric Aga cooker.

Kitchen manufacturing and operation

AGA kitchens continue to be manufactured to the same standards that have made this brand one of the most appreciated British brands. Cast iron is poured into the molds and each cast is worked by hand, thus achieving that each of the cast pieces has a characteristic and unique surface.

The kitchens thus manufactured use radiant heat to cook, a heat that helps preserve the moisture, texture and flavor of food. Heat is transferred to cast iron ovens, constantly released from all surfaces simultaneously, ensuring a smoother cooking process than direct heat from a conventional stove with resistance.

Cast iron also helps to reduce both cooking odors and flavor transfer, which allows you to cook different dishes in the same oven and at the same time, unlike other kitchens.

That offers?

At basic model, corresponding to the R3 series, integrates three ovens with different temperatures, suitable for cooking from roasts to sponge cakes or steamed vegetables. Roasting Oven, Baking oven and Simmering Oven are the names of these ovens that you can also find in other series. Do you want to know what each one is for? We tell you:

• Roast oven. The hottest of the AGA ovens is large enough to accommodate large pieces of meat, making it easy to grill when having guests. In addition to grilling, this oven is ideal for cooking on the grill, as it includes a new grill that heats up in just two minutes, and at a high temperature. The pizzas are fantastic on the solera.
• Pastry oven. Like a brick oven in a traditional bakery, this oven radiates moderate heat to bake bread evenly for moist, fluffy cakes. Since cast iron retains its heat, you can also open the door while it cooks to check the doneness. Ideal for those who are nervous waiting!
• Low heat oven. It is perfect for simmering or finishing dishes such as casseroles or puddings. It can also be used for steaming, as the radiant heat preserves the richness and structure of the vegetables.

Also, at the top, Aga is equipped with two hot plates, one for boiling and the other for simmering that can be used simultaneously or independently. This is the case in some models with three ovens, while others replace one of these hobs with an induction one with two or three zones. Because although we have only talked about the R3 series, there are kitchens in the Aga catalog with up to five ovens.

Ideal for decorating large cotage or rustic style kitchens, the R series of this kitchen, is available in many colors; white, black, cream, green, blue, as well as a wide range of pastel colors. The only "but" about Aga kitchens is their price; Its artisan manufacture and its characteristics make it only possible to purchase a traditional Aga kitchen from € 7000, a real luxury!

But today Aga is much more than a kitchen manufacturing company. It has diversified and in their catalog they also include hoods that match the kitchens, a wide variety of contemporary and traditional fireplaces, a wide range of refrigerators and great kitchen utensils such as pots, pans, oven dishes and oven mitts to make cooking much more comfortable and easy.