Anonymous wrote:We just bought a place in Lake Placid and are renovating. I'm seriously considering putting in an AGA stove. Anyone have any experience with them? Are they difficult to work with? Are they really warm? We are thinking it would offset some of the heating costs in the winter. Plus they just look so charming and cozy.

Does your place have a heating system that is easily hooked up to a stove boiler? Otherwise, the aga will heat the room that it’s in, but won’t help heat the rest of the house. Don’t be suckered by stories of English cottages heated entirely by agas. In the old days, yes, an aga in a 1 bedroom Cornish cottage would be adequate when people were content to sleep in an ambient temp of 54 degrees. But not in bigger houses when people want it warmer at night.

A few years ago we looked at a rental in London. I saw an aga in the kitchen and walked right out. 80% of my cooking is done on the range, and agas are not great for that. If you use a plate above on high, the heat will diminish everywhere else. So you are constantly managing how to keep things hot, shoving things in ovens like soups that could otherwise simmer on the stove where you can easily give them a quick stir or a peek. Also, even though we were in London, I didn’t want the kitchen so hot. There was no ac in the kitchen and I couldn’t imagine having the aga on in the summertime, which meant that I wouldn’t be able to cook in the summer. And finally, I didn't want to pay £50 a month in gas bills just for the aga. Turning it off is tricky because it takes a full hour to heat up again.

Only good if you are in a really cold climate, they do warm up the room / house. There is a reason they are popular in cold damp climates.

We just bought a place in Lake Placid and are renovating. I'm seriously considering putting in an AGA stove. Anyone have any experience with them? Are they difficult to work with? Are they really warm? We are thinking it would offset some of the heating costs in the winter. Plus they just look so charming and cozy.