AGA tips
Never used an AGA? - don't be put off ... you'll want one at home after using one!
Big shiny covers keep the heat in the hotplates and are lifted to allow use and closed quickly after use. The left hand one is the hottest and used for quick boiling (and toast). the right hand one is for simmering pots that are already boiling or for gentle heating of sauces and frying eggs (on a sheet of silicone film - no fat needed).
There is a hot and a simmering oven too. The top oven is for roasting and the bottom one for gently simmering. The art of AGA cooking is WHERE you put the pot on or in the cooker.
On a conventional cooker one does about 80% on the hob and 20% in the oven. With an AGA it is almost exactly the reverse. The ovens are used a lot.
You fry best in a pan on the floor of the roasting (top) oven - no spits or smells - it all goes up the chimney. The simmering oven is great for slow cooking of soups and stews but is also used to finish off root vegetables. Started with a quick boil on the left plate, after 7 or 8 minutes they are drained and left to steam quietly in the simmering (lower) oven to finish off. There is a heavy cast iron casserole - brown meat and fry the veg in it, add the stock and pop it in the simmering oven all day - a fabulous stew will be ready when you come back from a walk or visit. Jacket potatoes are wonderful when big ones are cooked for about 90 minutes in the top oven.
There are cookbooks and booklets with more AGA cooking tips in the bookshelf.