Aga arriving next week any tips please?

[loganberry22]

Hello

My Aga arrives next week, I've had a look at a few books and websites and will buy a kettle, toaster, bake o glide, clothes airer and tins with grill racks. Any other suggestions? I've got a cast iron casserole and frying pan but wondering about my stainless steel pots should I get another type or will they be okay for cooking on the top?

Thanks for reading

[Teapot74]

I've recently acquired an age. Found a couple of books really have helped, the best was "The complete book of age know how" Richard Maggs.
It has some recipes but is best for telling you how to use it. (I got the age bible and mary berry book for recipes)
I use my stainless steel pans and they work well inside and on top of cooker (although rarely use the top).
The lady in the age shop suggested taking my pans into the shop as they sell lids separately and age lids allow the pans to be stacked.
The best thing I've bought have been the full and 1/2 size roasting tray which are essential because they work on the cookers runners. and bake o glide! Don't know how I lived without it.
HTH. I'm only an age newbie myself. x

[TunipTheUnconquerable]

The pots need to have very flat bottoms to work; if they're warped at all they won't, but it doesn't matter what they're made of.

[tb]

If it's a new aga, it will come with the toaster, large and small roasting tins and the Mary Berry cookery book.

One thing that is really useful is a pair of really good heavy oven gloves/mits. I have a lovely scar on my right wrist where the oven gloves slipped back when I was taking a cake out and burned myself on the edge of the 'cold' plain shelf. I now have one with a baking oven.

It's also worth buying a couple of extra grid shelves. I got mine from ebay and they don't have those stupid little bits that turn up at the ends - the so-called safety feature. These were introduced between 1996 and 2006. The problem with them is that they are really fiddly to get out - and in - and while you are jiggling them around the heat gets through your oven gloves.

A second cold plain shelf can be a good idea, too.

The cold plain shelf used to be completely flat, too, and I think it was better than with the upstand bit that looks as if they forgot to flatten it down.

If you have a 4-oven one, it's worth saving up and replacing the warming plate with a double burner gas hob. Cost about €1000 though. Sob!

[tb]

I also have a really good Aga book by Caroline Blakeley. She used to run aga cookery courses.

It's spiral bound which is useful, and at the back has a section that gives guidelines on cooking all sorts of things. It's in order of increasing temperature, and give guides for 2 oven, 4 oven and Rayburn use.

The Good Housekeeping books aren't bad, but I've found duplicate recipes in the 2 I've got, which rather annoyed me.

[Castlelough]

Just bumping this as my reconditioned Aga is arriving on Wednesday!

[Castlelough]

How are you getting on with yours Loganberry?

[Mostlyjustaluker]

Not helpful for cooking. But if you hang your clothes over the rail they will iron themselves.

[MrsJohnDeere]

I wouldn't bother with the kettle. A normal one is much quicker and holds a lot more water. Ours just gathers dust

[sunny67]

Defo long gauntlets not gloves. Chefs pads for the lids, they mean you can put hot pans etc on top of them and they are handy for grabbing hot pans and casserole dishes. I got a large rectangular aluminium double roaster. Great for all kinds of things from casseroles, cooking steaks on the ridged lid or stir fry in the bottom. I got mine on eBay for £30 as the one from aga cookshop was over £80