How To Cook On AGA

The cooker at Gardeners Cottage in Blakeney is a four-oven night-storage AGA, designed to store heat overnight and provide gentle, even cooking throughout the day. Each of the four ovens has a specific purpose: a hot oven for roasting, a moderate oven for baking, a slow oven for simmering, and a warming oven for keeping food or plates warm. This type of AGA uses radiant heat rather than a conventional flame or electric element, making it ideal for slow-cooked meals, baking, and everyday cooking with minimal fuss.

COOKING ON A 4-OVEN NIGHT-STORAGE AGA – SIMPLE GUIDE

• Top Right Oven – Roasting (Hot)
– For roasting meats, pastries, and high-heat dishes.
– Middle shelf gives the most even results. Top shelf is good for roasting and browning, frying pan can be placed directly on base of oven when cooking breakfast.  Base of oven is also good for cooking pizzas (make sure pizza is well floured on base to avoid it sticking )

• Top Left Oven – Simmering (Slow)
– Ideal for simmering vegetables once they've come to the boil. Also good for slow cooking casseroles, stews, soups, and overnight cooking.
– Also useful for keeping food warm.

• Bottom Right Oven – Baking (Moderate)
– Best for cakes, bread, biscuits, scones, and everyday baking.
– Offers steady, reliable heat.

• Bottom Left Oven – Warming (coolest)
– Warm plates, rest cooked dishes, or dry herbs/meringues.
– Not suitable for raw cooking.

• Boiling Plate (Left Hotplate is the hottest plate)
– For boiling kettle, bring vegetables to the boil, frying, searing, and fast cooking.
– Keep the lid down when not in use to retain heat.

• Simmering Plate (Right Hotplate)
– For gentle frying, simmering, sauces, porridge, or melting.

• General Tips
– Use heavy, good-quality pans.
– Cook in the ovens rather than on the hotplates to preserve stored heat. Bring things to the boil on the hottest plate then place in simmering ovens. For frying start them off on the hottest plate then move them into the base of the oven. Remove the detachable handle from the AGA frying pan before putting it in the oven.
– Keep doors and lids closed where possible.
– The AGA cooks with gentle, even, radiant heat.

NEED MORE HELP?
For more detailed instructions on cooking with the please visit our website , or see the House Manual.
Or scan the QR code to watch our AGA YouTube videos.

AGA Simple User Guide

This is an electric night-storage 4-oven AGA. It automatically heats overnight and stores enough heat to remain at ideal cooking temperature for the whole day.

Important settings on the Aga

  • Black settings knob: Always leave on setting 4. Do not change.
  • Green light: Shows the AGA is at cooking temperature.
  • Continuous red light: AGA is drawing power overnight.
  • Flashing red light: AGA has lost heat and is re-heating itself.
  • Large red button: Emergency extractor fan. Only use if smoke from a cooking spill in the roasting or baking oven needs venting. Using the fan cools both ovens and reduces cooking ability, so use only if necessary.

Top layout (Aga Hobs & Warming Plate)

Top left – square warming plate:

  • Useful surface to rest pans or dishes when moving them from hobs or ovens.

  • Great for checking, stirring, or turning food.

     

Left hob – boiling plate (covered):

  • Keep the lid down when not in use to retain heat.
  • Use to boil kettles, or bring pans of water, rice, pasta, potatoes, or vegetables to the boil.
  • Once boiling, move the pan to the simmering oven to continue cooking with less water.
  • This method cooks like steaming rather than boiling, giving excellent results.

Right hob – simmering plate (covered):

  • Lower temperature for gentle cooking.
  • Ideal for simmering sauces, poaching eggs, or thickening.
  • Keep the lid closed when not in use.

 

Hob covers:

  • Always use the supplied fabric covers to protect the polished steel.
  • Do not place pans or trays directly on the steel lids.

Aga Ovens

  • Top left – Roasting Oven (Hot):

    • Use for roasting meats, pastries, or high-heat cooking.

    • Contains a polished steel movable shelf with 4 levels – always use AGA gloves, never tea towels.

    • Roasting trays and AGA trays are provided; they fit the shelf supports in both ovens and allow flexible positioning.

    • Grilling: place tray or shelf at the top of the oven.

    • Frying: use AGA frying pans directly on the oven floor.

    • Pizza: place directly on the oven floor for a crispy base (ensure base is well floured).

    • Large roasts: place the steel shelf on the oven floor and the roasting tray or pan on top to avoid burning the base.

  • Lower right – Baking Oven (Moderate):

    • Use for cakes, bread, scones, and pastries.

    • Steel shelf adjustable to 4 levels.

    • Top of oven is 10–20°C hotter than the base (usually 160–180°C).

  • Upper left – Simmering Oven (Slow):

    • Use to cook vegetables brought to the boil on the boiling plate.

    • Works like a slow cooker for casseroles and stews.

  • Lower left – Warming Oven:

    • Keep food warm without drying it out.

    • Warm plates or dishes here for serving.

AGA Pans

  • Designed with flat lids so pans can be stacked in the ovens.

  • Multiple pans can cook simultaneously in one oven.

  • Ovens are long – more pans fit than you might expect.

Tips for best results on an Aga 

  • Use heavy, good-quality pans for even cooking.

  • Avoid opening oven doors unnecessarily – heat escapes quickly.

  • Favour cooking in the ovens rather than on the hotplates to conserve stored heat.

  • Keep lids and doors closed whenever possible.

Top tips for cooking on a  4-oven night-storage AGA

  • Know your ovens:

    • Hot oven – roasting and high-heat cooking

    • Moderate oven – baking cakes, bread, and everyday bakes

    • Slow oven – casseroles, stews, soups, and slow cooking

    • Warming oven – keeping food and plates warm

  • Use the hotplates wisely:

    • Boiling plate – fast cooking, frying, searing, boiling

    • Simmering plate – gentle simmering, sauces, melting, porridge

  • Cook with lids down: Keeps heat in and saves energy.

  • Choose heavy, good-quality pans: They distribute heat evenly and improve cooking results.

  • Avoid peeking: Opening oven doors loses heat and slows cooking.

  • Batch cook if possible: Using ovens for multiple dishes saves energy and makes the most of the stored heat.

  • Pre-plan your cooking: The AGA stores heat overnight, so cooking is gentler and slower than conventional ovens—perfect for recipes that benefit from steady heat. Cooking may take longer than on a conventional oven, so plan for this.

  • Only use extractor fan if you burn something in oven: using extractor will cool oven and is only for emergencies and for a short time.

  • Cleaning tip: Use a damp cloth for daily wipe-downs; avoid harsh chemicals on the enamel. Clean up cooking spills and splatter quickly as the Aga is always hot they will bake on if left.

  • Experiment gradually: Each AGA is slightly different; start simple and get to know how the Aga cooker responds.

  • Remember pans are very hot (including metal handles of frying pans) Pans that have been in the roasting oven will be very hot. Use gauntlets and or oven gloves to remove items from the ovens to avoid burning your hands or arms.