ESSE Cookers vs Everhot Cookers:
A Complete Comparison of ESSE and Everhot Range Cookers
The choice between the traditional ESSE Range Cookers and the modern Everhot Range Cookers can be tricky. They both offer all-electric systems, built for convenience of modern life, without losing the traditional range 'feel'.
We're proud to be suppliers of both ESSE and Everhot cookers across Scotland, which puts us in a perfect position to give you unbiased advice and comparisons to help you decide which one is best for your lifestyle.
For those who are short on time or attention spans, here's a quick answer, without the long paragraphs of text!
Choose an ESSE if you like a traditional range which produces beautifully cooked food from their 'wrap around' heating elements (unique to ESSE!), with easy-to-use manual control dials, simplified tech and the fastest heat up times.
Choose an Everhot if you prefer more of an 'always on' range, with flexibility for summer, additional tech for solar integration/WiFi control, and need the most ambient heat possible, with efficiency at it's core.
ESSE vs Everhot - Which is which?
ESSE are well known in the stove world. They have been producing stoves and range cookers for over 150 years. They have produced the cook stove Shackleton used in his famous Antarctic hut, Florence Nightingale's preferred brand of stove and the chosen range cookers for countless celebrities including David Beckham. Nowadays the range cookers are all electric (and a cheeky wood-fired option too!), and available in 3 different widths.
Everhot are known as the 'alternative' to a traditional range cooker like an Aga, with their owners fans of slower living in a world of speed. Their cookers were originally designed back in the 1970's to operate on low power from a water mill, and they have kept efficiency at their core ever since. Their cookers are widely considered to be the most efficient electric heat storage range cooker, with an 'always on and ready to cook' design. Every Everhot model is fully electric and available in 7 different widths.
What is an ESSE Cooker?
The ESSE Range of cookers are all built in the original Ouzledale Foundry in Lancashire.
Their ovens feature unique 'wrap around' electric heating elements, which stretch around the sides, top, bottom and roof of each oven - giving perfectly even heat (and impressively fast heat up times!).
Their range cookers are available in T or X models. The T models have traditional domed lids with circular hotplates and single-zone induction hob underneath. The X models have large square lids with larger circular hotplates and multi-zone induction hobs.
In 2025, the PRO versions were released, boasting even larger ovens for extra cooking capacity.
The control panel has manual dials, with an easy-to-use interface, individual temperature controls, cook timer, slumber temperatures for in-between uses and controllable automatic on/off timers built-in on the larger models.
What is an Everhot Cooker?
The Everhot cookers are all built in their Gloustershire 'carbon-negative' factory.
Their cookers are designed to be 'always on' which allows the heating elements in the floor of the ovens, conduct heat up and around the thick steel oven panels, before gently radiating it into your food.
Everhot models are mostly available in two versions, the + models (with cast iron hotplates) and the i models (with induction hobs).
Every model has large square brushed stainless steel lids, square cast iron hotplates and large ovens.
The control panels are more digital, with touch button control, digital temperature read-outs, integrated WiFi control via a mobile app, automatic scheduling, solar-specific modes and an ECO setting to drop the temperature overnight.
ESSE vs Everhot - Running Costs
Both systems represent a dramatic reduction in running costs compared to oil, gas or traditional electric Aga Cookers. The difference between the two systems is the way they're designed, and heat up times.
The ESSE models are designed to sit at a lower 'slumber' temperature and turned up (either manually or automatically) whenever needed. You can increase this 'slumber' temperature if you prefer more ambient heat into the room, or leave it at 'minimum' for gentle heat and lower running costs. You can also raise the constant running temperatures of ovens/hotplates when you need more ambient heat into the room.
Typically, an ESSE running on slumber 24/7 would consume around 42kW per week (approx £8.75 based on July 2026 tariffs). With all zones turned up to cook, they would consume around 2.5kW per hour (approx 0.65p per hour) on July 2026 tariffs).
The Everhot models are designed to sit at operating temperature constantly, providing 'always on' convenience and lots of ambient heat into the room. With their factory settings, they will automatically drop into ECO (half temperatures) overnight. You can also choose to turn your operating temperatures up/down or ovens/hotplates off completely when needed. You can choose to reduce these set temperatures if preferred, or turn ovens/hotplates off completely.
Typically, an Everhot running on factory settings (on 'normal' 15hrs a day, ECO overnight) will consume around 75-90kW per week (approx £20-25 based on July 2026 tariffs).
ESSE vs Everhot - Control Panels
Both systems offer something traditional range cooker owners could previously only dream of: independent temperature control for each oven and each hotplate. When using the hotplates, the oven temperature will not drop - as each 'zone' has a dedicated heating element.
You can run each brand of cooker flexibly - using only one oven and any induction hobs in the summer to regulate the heat into the room, or switch on more ovens and hotplates and leave them constantly ticking over in the colder months, to boost ambient room heat and 'always on' convenience.
The ESSE Control Panel
As you can see, the ESSE control panel is simple and intuitive. One of their company slogans is "Hardware over Software".
Most models have four or five large control dials - one numbered temperature dial for each controllable oven and sliding temperature dials for the hotplates and grill. The X models have a larger multi-zone induction hob, with touch controls on the hob unit instead of the main control panel.
There are bright indicator lights next to the dials, which turn red when the zone is heating, and green when it reaches the set temperature.
The 1000 and 1600 models have an integrated on/off timer, if you wish to schedule your ovens to heat up to certain temperatures at set times. This is especially handy for those moving from a traditional 'always on' range like an Aga, where 'turning up' your cooker before use is yet to become a habit.
On the smaller 600 models, the control panel is external, without an integrated on/off timer.
The Everhot Control Panel
The Everhot control panel is easy to read at a glance, with visible digital temperatures to see what each oven is set to.
There are touch buttons for increasing/decreasing the temperatures in 5c increments, as well as turning zones off completely, turning on ECO mode or engaging the grill.
The small red indicator lights next to each temperature display will turn on when the heating elements are powering, and turn off once the set temperature has been reached.
Everhot control panels are now WiFi enabled as standard, with the ability to remotely adjust your temperatures, as well as setting your automatic on/off schedules. You can choose to keep your cooker as 'manual only' without activating the WiFi features.
The smaller 60 models have an external version of the control panel with the same functionalities as the larger models.
ESSE vs Everhot - The Hotplates
Both of the systems give you two separate circular hotplates - each capable of reaching boiling temperatures, and hidden under the traditional chrome Aga lid domes.
As standard, both hotplates are solid metal replacement units with integrated heating elements underneath. These hotplates are best used as and when required, to drive down running costs and reduce ambient heat in the warmer months. You do have the option of leaving them on at a lower temperature if you prefer the 'always on' convenience and more ambient heat into the room.
The ESSE Hotplates
The cast iron hotplates on all ESSE models are larger than those found on our Traditional Aga Cookers.
- The T models have two circular hotplates under the domed lids - one single-zone induction and one circular cast iron hotplate, capable of boiling temperatures.
- The X models have a larger square 3-zone induction hob unit under the left-hand lid, and a circular cast iron hotplate with 'heat transfer' metal simmer surrounds under the right-hand lid.
- Cast Iron hotplates can reach 350c and heat to simmering in 8 minutes, boiling in 14 minutes.
The Everhot Hotplates
All Everhot models come with a large square cast iron hotplate as standard.
- The + models have multiple cast iron hotplates under the lids, with some 'simmering' plates taking conductive heat from the 'boiling' side and others independently controllable.
- The i models have induction hob units alongside the cast iron hotplates. The smaller models like the 90, 100 and 110 have twin-zone induction units, whereas the larger models have three-zone induction hob units under the right-hand lid.
- Cast Iron hotplates can reach 350c and heat to boiling temperatures in around 30-40 minutes.
ESSE vs Everhot - The Ovens
Both the ESSE and Everhot ovens use traditional 'radiant heat' cooking techniques to gentle heat the food and lock in essential nutrients.
The ESSE ovens are made from thick steel, with heating elements running around the inside of the ovens - covering the floor, sides and roof of the ovens.
- ESSE ovens have a 42L capacity, with smaller 30L bottom ovens on the standard models. All of the ovens on the PRO versions are 42L capacity.
- All ESSE main ovens have a 3kW grilling element attached to the roof inside the oven. This is perfect for crisping dishes, grilling or browning.
- ESSE main ovens have a max temperature of 240c, bottom oven 200c and a fixed temperature 'slow cook' oven on their larger 1000+ models.
- ESSE ovens are designed to tick along at a slumber temperature (approx 100c in the oven), and will heat to Roasting temp in 15 minutes.
- Both right-hand ovens are vented via small vent holes at the back of the top plate. You can choose to close these vents if you want to retain moisture in the ovens when baking etc, or open them to when roasting.
The Everhot ovens are made from thick steel and have heating elements in the floor of each (covered by a stainless steel panel). These saturate the oven with heat when left on.
- Everhot ovens have roughly 56L ovens. Some ovens have smaller dimensions depending on your chosen model.
- All Everhot main ovens have a 2.5kW grilling element attached to the roof inside the oven. Perfect for grilling and crisping, or using it to boost the top oven temperature on the odd occasion.
- Everhot main ovens have a max temperature of 250c, a second oven controllable to around 180c or 200c depending on model. Further ovens will differ in max temperatures depending on your chosen model.
- Everhot ovens are designed to be left on, but if you're heating from cold, you can expect heat up times of between 2hrs and 3hrs.
- Everhot ovens are vented via a small vent at the back of the top plate. When cooking, you'll notice steam exiting your cooker through these vent holes..
ESSE and Everhot - Heat Up Times
It's tough to compare the ESSE and Everhot heat up times, since they're both designed to work in different ways - the ESSE is best when turned up as and when needed, whereas the Everhot is best when left on 24/7.
With that being said, we'll run through the heat up times for each.
From normal 'min' settings:
- Hotplate to Simmering: 8 minutes
- Hotplate to Boiling: 14 minutes
- Top Oven to Roasting: 15 minutes
- Bottom Oven to Baking: 15 minutes
From stone cold:
- Hotplate between 25 minutes to 30 minutes.
- Ovens between 45 minutes to an hour.
Recommended settings (all day, dropping into ECO overnight):
- 220c in the Top Oven
- 100c in the Bottom Oven
- 290c on the Boiling Plate
- 200c on the Simmering Plate
- If increasing the temperature, allow 1 minute per degree increase.
From stone cold:
- Hotplate between 30 minutes to 40 minutes.
- Ovens between 2 hours and 3 hours.
