In 1922 Dr. Gustaf Dalen, an inventor, designed the simple yet effective cooker known as the Aga after he was blinded by one of his experiments. His intention was to reduce household work his wife had to do herself. The Aga assisted with the laundry, dishwashing and cooking by providing hot water and constant heat throughout the home. Since its inception, the Aga has been a popular cooker among home and professional cooks, some even declaring it the best cooker available in the world.
“If It Ain’t Broke…”
The basic design of the Aga has not changed much since 1922; being made of British cast iron ensures that it is enduring and consistent in its results. The original Aga was made in two-oven (for cooking only), and four-oven models (for cooking plus domestic hot water). Today there are two basic styles of reconditioned Aga cookers. The traditional (or standard) Aga, with its original style, has a retro feel that fits comfortably in a contemporary as well as a traditional kitchen. The Aga deluxe, released in the late 1960’s, has three doors and offers a slightly more modern appearance. A reconditioned Aga can run on oil, gas or 13-amp electrical; it can also have an on-site conversion i.e. with oil or gas pipes running into the house and into the Aga.
How is an Aga Reconditioned?
Being made of cast iron makes the Aga an ideal appliance for reconditioning. However, only a few companies manage the Aga reconditioning process and continue to offer the ageless craftsmanship of the Aga.
The reconditioning process works like this: an existing cooker is stripped of all internal parts that are recycled; the external parts are re-enameled in your color choice (from among a range of available colors). The base and ovens are sand blasted to remove scaling and rust. The stovetop plates get machined level to ensure even contact with pots and pans. All the other parts of the cooker are replaced with new components. Then, engineers re-build the Aga as an empty shell to assure that everything fits well. The cooker is delivered in pieces and is built on site. Reconditioned Aga cookers provide many years of superior cooking and heating.
Since 1998, Contact Country Style Cookers Ltd. for supply of reconditioned and refurbished Agas through the U.K. and proudly offers refurbished Agas in a wide range of varieties and colors.