The mini write up had mentioned how our Aga pads were the writers favourite, and this has led to an out pouring of Aga love on the phones. I have spoken to people who have had their Aga's for 20 years and want to give them a face lift with some fresh new textiles, and to people who aspire to own one and are choosing the textiles first!
I grew up with a Range cooker, not as posh as an Aga but it was oil fired none the less. My mum used it daily, from boiling the kettle, to slow cooking casseroles, making lovely smelling welsh cakes, and there was always washing hanging up above drying. The range cooker came into it's own at lambing time, and I will never forget the look on my husband, (then boyfriends) face when the warming oven door swung open when he was staying for breakfast and a poorly lamb let out a pitiful bleat as he pushed the door. Needless to say lamb casserole was never on the menu during lambing time, far too insensitive.
Now as a working mum, juggling baby, business and puppy, my Aga really is worth it's weight in gold. It starts in the morning boiling water for the babies bottles. I often pop in something at breakfast time to slow cook through the day so it doesn't matter what time we finally sit down for supper.
Our washing is beautifully aired on the warming plate, babies bib is repeatedly washed and dries quickly before it's next use on the front bar. The fire kindling dries out well in the warming oven, and the puppy after a long day chewing up the packaging boxes and playing with the baby and his toys will recline next to it's warmth whilst I sort out supper. I love the background heat it provides to the kitchen, and when I am feeling really lazy it cooks ready made pizza's as well as a pizza oven! Bakoglide is the best invention ever, and I have found so many things you can cook without oil on the top plate, from oil free fried eggs, to aubergine slices and cheese toasties.
We do have a standard electric cooker, affectionately known as the ornament, as I think I've used it twice, when the Aga was waiting for it's service. I know the Aga was a big investment but it is more than just a cooker, it is like an extra pair of hands in the kitchen.
