Aga Cooker Life Hacks: Everyday Benefits You Didn’t Know About

Most of us can remember what it was that first tempted us away from conventional ovens and into the cosy world of the Aga cooker.

Of course, in our experience, the majority of people browsing refurbished Aga cookers have reached that point for one very compelling reason: a friend or relative has found an opportunity to extol the (many) virtues of their own Aga cooker, beyond simply cooking. That, or they’ve had the pleasure of trying the Mary Berry Aga Victoria Sandwich for themselves.

While we could wax lyrical about cake for many pages, the first point is, perhaps, the most important. When it comes to owning an Aga cooker, cooking and baking are only the beginning. True, you will consider yourself a student of the Aga cookers unique cooking style for decades to come, but so too will you consider yourself a very happy understudy to the Aga cookers very varied, non-gastric skillset. From laundry to treating the symptoms of winter colds and drying your homegrowns, here are some of the everyday benefits to owning an Aga cooker you may not be aware of yet…

Laundry – From Drying to Ironing

The Aga cookers constant, gentle radiant warmth makes it the ultimate laundry aid. For larger items like bed sheets and blankets, simply drape them damp over the rail and let that heat dry the fibres without potentially harmful tumble drying and hot air. If you’re a busy household, then a mini rail extension makes it a lot easier to expose multiple items to the Aga cookers warmth at once. The added bonus? No tumbling means that your items won’t require any ironing once dry. Gone are the days when you have to face that weighty moral decision over whether or not to invest precious time into ironing bedsheets. Even very bulky items, like duvets and sleeping bags, dry easily on the Aga cookers. Smaller items, once cupboard dry, can simply be folded and stacked on top of the simmering place lid, allowing that warmth to permeate through the layers surely-but-gently.

Warming Towels

On the subject of linens, you needn’t limit yourself just to the day’s laundry load. Using the Aga cooker to gently warm a towel in readiness for the end of a bath or shower is the ultimate little ‘I love you’ – yes, even for yourself. While the Aga cooker represents a constant source of warmth for the house, it’s rarely close enough to take that small, wintry sting out of the air when the steam of a shower begins to dissipate. Consider this the ultimate ‘second best’ to having an Aga cooker in every room.

Warming Plates

If warming a towel for a loved one is, ‘I love you’, then warming plates is a hearty ‘bon appetite!’ The warming oven or even the simmering oven strikes that perfect balance between ‘very warm’ and ‘not too hot’, meaning dishes and serving plates can be placed on the floor of the oven about 15 to 20 minutes before serving up time.

Reducing Food Waste

Thanks to the Aga cookers magical ability to elevate any dish, recipe, or ingredient, it’s a real wonder for avoiding excessive food waste and making the most of leftovers. Some of our favourites include its knack for slow cooking even the toughest, least popular cuts of meat – or even the most fibrous parts of vegetables – until they are tender and delicious. From beef shank to broccoli stems, brisket to artichokes on the very cusp of the season, the Aga cooker can make use of them – and so can you. But that’s not the limit. The Aga cooker is also very effective at reviving stale baguettes and loaves (just place it in the roasting oven for 3 minutes with an ice cube) and day-old cookies (do the same as with your bread, just in the simmering oven instead). Even leftovers can be better cared for with an Aga cookers. Rather than microwaving, retain all that goodness and moisture using the beloved ice cube trick.

We also love using the Aga cooker to get just a little more out of produce. Lemons and limes can be placed in the simmering oven for 2-3 minutes to loosen the juice that tends to be left behind, and bananas on-the-cusp can be ripened expeditiously in the same way, avoiding that awkward window between underripe and overripe that lays so many good bananas to waste.

Cleaning – Including Itself

While the Aga cookers primary purpose is to make cooking easier and more fruitful, it remains a companion even after the dishes have been cleared. Many long-time Aga cookers owners like to place a pot of water with a few drops of essential oil on the simmering plate during that post-dinner cleaning session, which helps to clear those lingering scents of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s also very effective if you’re suffering from congestion, particularly if you opt for an essential oil like eucalyptus, tea tree, or peppermint. You can dry bulkier items like roasting tins and frying pans on top of the Aga cooker – just be sure to protect the plate from scratches with a chef’s pad. In the meantime, hang cleaning clothes over the rail to squeeze 1-2 extra days out of them before they have to join the laundry pile.

Avoiding Cold Cups of Tea and Coffee

When a 5-minute phone call turns into 45 minutes, or when that ‘I’ll be home in 15 minutes’ text message turns out to be (more than) a little inaccurate, the Aga cookers is the ultimate saviour of well-intentioned cups of tea and coffee everywhere. Just place your mug toward the back of the Aga cooker  (behind the simmering plate) and trust it to keep your drink at the ideal temperature for much, much longer.

Dry Herbs

While your Aga cookers can’t offer much assistance in the gardening department (besides rewarming frost-nipped fingers or drying damp socks after a session outdoors), it can work wonders for your little harvests. From mint destined for the tea collection to chives, dill, parsley and rosemary bound for the spice drawer, the Aga cookers simmering oven is the perfect environment for slowly drying fresh herbs.

Alternatively – and for a little seasoning decor – suspend your herbs in bunches above the Aga cookers. The heat from the lids will rise and, over the course of a few days, remove all that unwanted moisture from the leaves. Add to that a posy of flowers from the garden, and you’ll find it hard to decide between making potpourri or leaving them there for the summer.

The Aga cooker is about so much more than cooking and baking. It’s a true kitchen companion, ready to assist with all aspects of running the home day or night, and leave you wondering how you ever kept on top of things without it.

Ready to Experience Owning an Aga Cooker?

Explore our stunning range of reconditioned Aga cookers today and discover how they can not only transform your home and kitchen, but also your life! Need advice or have questions? Get in touch with our friendly team – we’re always here to help!