Underfloor heating

[The Natural Philosopher]

No, digging out the floor was for when you come to visit.

But your U values aren't adequate, so into the septic tank you go!

Plonk!

[IMM]

Duh! If you are going back in time to outmoded yesterdays technology then go all the way.

Neither are farmhouse kitchens or thatched roofs.

Are they outmoded too?

[IMM]

temperature

Oh this is good. Straight from Last of The Summers Wine.

[Andy Hall]

I think that it would be a good idea. Perhaps we could ask Phil to put up a links page in the FAQ and then when a "regular" thread comes up simply add a pointer to it.

.andy

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[Anthony James]

A nice solution to a different question: it neither fits the look i want nor my style of cooking. They're large, expensive and don't remove the need for a normal cooker. Some people love them but they're not for me.

AJ

[Andy Hall]

I'd accept large and expensive, but I certainly don't need a "normal" cooker (whatever that is).

That's fair enough.

.andy

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[Anthony James]

I've some relations who have one (so I have cooked with them) and have been to a couple of other houses where they've been installed, and in all cases they felt the need for a gas or electric hob and oven in addition to the Aga.

AJ

[The Natural Philosopher]

That is fairly true. There are two things I can't do easily on an aga, one is grill, and the other is very hot stir frying. It does to excellent toast tho.

Its a better oven than any other I have ever used tho.

I still have found that scrambled eggs done in a microwave are teh best scrambled eggs as well.

Frankly, you need it all. :-)

Back on topic: IF you discover you have a not very interesting raised wooden floor that can be replaced with a screeded one (with appropiate insulation and screed) water based UFH plus the cooker-of-your-dreams will I am sure be a fantastic solution.

[The Natural Philosopher]

On the contrary,they are very comfortable. Style of course, is a matter of taste.

[Andy Hall]

That's really more of a question of the cooking methods that one uses. There is a method to do anything that you would do on a "normal" cooker. The issue is generally whether or not people want to adapt their already learned cooking methods or not, but once done, they are just as effective.

.andy

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[Andy Hall]

You surprise me. The floor of the roasting oven is one approach, using the cast griddle pan with ridged bottom is another.

No problem there either. We found a cast iron wok during a trip to France that could be heated in the roasting oven and then used on the boiling plate. I compared results with using a thin metal wok on a wok burner (5kW) that we have with a gas barbecue and they are just as good.

Definitely.

Absolutely. The four oven model especially gives a wide range of temperatures and options.

I would agree with you there. That is one of the few uses that we have for our microwave, and not an essential one. It probably gets used every other day, but that's about it. The other one is for baked potatoes needed quickly. I wouldn't say that the microwave does a "better" job of this than the Aga, rather a different one. The microwave ones tend to be fluffy with soft skins, whereas in the Aga we tend to rub the skins with sea salt (Maldon is best) and bake them. Firmer texture and superb flavoured skins. Hmm. I'll have to have one for my lunch now..... ;-)

Yes and no. I think that it really depends on how much you want to adapt cooking methods.

.andy

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[Steve Firth]

K3wL a six-grand toaster that's useles for anything else.

The Aganauts are sooooo gullible.

Wanna buy a gold brick?

[Andy Hall]

Only if you're inept

You have one to sell?

.andy

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[Steve Firth]

And a bridge.

[IMM]

Part of the Brinks Mat heist?

[Andy Hall]

In that case, I would focus on the U.S. market if I were you - they buy that type of thing from the UK.

.andy

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[Anthony James]

That i cant deny. tastes even better if the bread was baked in it as well

cheers

[The Natural Philosopher]

Yers...its hard to get it right that way tho. Must try harder..

Mmm. Interesting. I might try that next trip to france.

Ah. The trick is to give em about 15 in the microwave and then pop into the aga.

Indeed. I use the oven far more simply because it is there, and hot, NOW. Part baked frozen bread in 5 minutes to crusty and piping hot from deep freeze..NOTHING else does it that fast. Hot butter dripping out the ends...coated on cheese or smoked mackerel Pate...

Even a gas oven takes some time to warm.

As far as teh plates go, I cannot get QUITE the maximum temp out of them that I can out of a ceramic hob...I guess small time foundry work is out :-(

[The Natural Philosopher]

Au contraire, its the best oven bar none for anything.

The plates are perfectly OK for frying, simmering, braising etc.

No, its a good cooker. I have cooked on just about everything, and I do cook a lot - and not just beans on toast either. I can knock up a roast plus 4 vegetables faster on an Aga than anything else. I have developed the best ever technique for rice cooking.

I don't know how much a built in 4 burner setup plus oven and grill costs these days, then add on the cost of room heaters and cooker hoods (not needed) and microwave, and electric kettle, but that has to be the best part of a grand and a bit anyway for decent stuff. And that will be shagged in 15 years max. Agas do 30+ years. So break even puts the aga at about 3 grand roughly - not far short of a small one. Then the heated towel rails etc...Nope.

Its not the most cost effective way to go for limited sapce, and a modern look, but its fabulously nice to use, to copok on and just to have THERE.

As I said, the best bit is that you can come home from wherever, slap a couole of potaoes in teh oven, open a bottle of wine and set the table, stick a pan of water on to tsem some veggies, spal them in, slap a couple odf steaks in the pan and in 35 minutes its a seriously gorgeous meal of fresh cooked fresh produce raring to go.

Nope.

[Andy Hall]

Do tell about rice cooking. I wonder if it's similar to the method we use.....

.andy

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