Should I Turn My Aga Cooker Off in Summer?
Aga cookers are well known for always being turned on to help maintain their cooking temperatures, but what do you do in summer when the kitchen gets too hot to handle? Can you turn your Aga off for the summer? In this article we discuss the pros and cons of turning off your Aga over the warmer months, and if you should turn it off when you go on holiday.
So, should I turn my Aga cooker off in summer? Aga cookers can be turned off in summer to help handle soaring temperatures and reduce your fuel bills. In fact, 44% of Aga owners do so. However, turning off your Aga means that you lose its 1001 cooking applications, and may need to invest in other appliances.
Read on to learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of turning off your Aga during summer.
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Can I Turn My Aga Cooker Off During Summer?
When the temperatures start to soar, the heat generated by an Aga cooker might start to become a little unbearable, and you may begin thinking about turning off your Aga for the summer months. In fact, 44% of Aga owners turn theirs off for the summer period.
This can easily be done, but there are a few things to think about before taking the plunge; below you’ll find a few advantages and disadvantages of turning your Aga cooker off for summer, and why some people prefer to keep them on all year round.
Advantages
Some of the benefits of turning off your Aga cooker in summer include:
- Reduced temperature in your kitchen, and across your entire home
- Prolonged periods of downtime are a great opportunity to have your Aga cooker professionally cleaned and serviced to help keep it in top condition
- Turning off your Aga forces you to get a bit more creative with your cooking, utilising long-forgotten appliances, and maybe even encouraging you to crack out the BBQ!
- Turning off your Aga should help to save a few pennies on fuel
- It may also help you to eat a little healthier with meals that don’t require cooking, such as fresh summer salads
Disadvantages
If you’re thinking about turning your Aga off for summer, it’s important to first be aware of the disadvantages of doing so.
- Not being able to use your Aga means losing the 1001 cooking features that it has, such as roasting, baking, slow cooking, toasting, boiling, simmering, and more. As such, you may need to re-invest in other appliances to get you through the summer period
- Some households are dependent on their Aga cookers for water as well as cooking. Make sure that this isn’t the case for you before turning it off for the summer
Should Aga Cookers Stay On Year-Round?
Some long-term Aga owners and traditionalists will tell you that they never turn off their Aga cookers, even during sweltering heat. In fact, when asked if she turns her Aga off in summer, and what she does when it gets too hot, Mary Berry said, “No…I open a window”.
Leaving your Aga on all year round does come with a few benefits, depending on your living situation. For example, for those living in apartments, the heat generated by the Aga helps with drying clothing, towels, and bedding which would otherwise be difficult to try. Meanwhile, larger families may struggle with reduced cooking capabilities if an Aga is turned off, but leaving it on throughout the summer period means that home cooks have infinite mealtime options to feed the whole family.
Learn more about why Aga ovens are so often left on all year round in our recent blog.
Can You Turn Down an Aga Cooker For Summer?
Gas-fueled Aga cookers can be turned down for various reasons by turning down the temperature and leaving the pilot light/flame on. This makes your kitchen more bearable during the summer heat, but also means that it’s much quicker and easier to turn back on to its normal settings when needed. Some Aga users also claim that simply turning the temperature down slightly can work, as long as you’re prepared to get used to new cooking times.
Should I Turn My Aga Off When I Go on Holiday?
Whilst it should harm your Aga either way, whether or not you should turn off your Aga cooker for short periods , such as holidays, depends on the model that you have, and how long you’ll be away.
It is recommended to turn off traditional oil Aga models if you’ll be away for more than a few days due to fuel consumption. Likewise, gas models are worth turning off if you’ll be away for more than 3 days as they’re relatively easy to relight. Electric models tend to be even easier to turn on and off and, as such, some experts recommend turning some models off if you’re away for just 1 night!
Reconditioned Aga Cookers at Range Exchange
Range Exchange is the home of show-room standard reconditioned Aga cookers. Choose between a number of different reconditioned Aga cookers, including New Gen Aga Cookers, like the Total Control and Dual Control Aga cookers that are perfect for turning on and off throughout the summer months. We also offer Traditional Aga Cookers, such as Gas Aga Cookers and Oil Aga Cookers.
Take a look at our models online today, or get in touch with our team for more information.