Everhot vs Aga Cookers: What's the Difference?
Everhot and Aga cookers are both celebrated for their quality; durability, and the unique warmth they bring to homes.
At Saltire, we offer both remanufactured Aga cookers built-to-order and brand new Everhot cookers sent straight from their factory, so we understand the key differences and pros and cons to consider when choosing these cookers.
Let's dive into the key differences to help you make an informed decision for your sustainable kitchen.
1. Aesthetics and Tradition
Both brands offer a range of colours and finishes, allowing you to match the cooker to your kitchen's aesthetic. However, the choice between an Everhot and an Aga cooker, might come down to personal preference for their distinct looks and the tradition they represent in home cooking.
Aga cookers are often chosen for their iconic design and status as a heritage piece in the kitchen dating back to the 1920s. They evoke a sense of tradition and nostalgia, making them a focal point in country-style or classic kitchens (similar to our Esse Cookers). That said, our modern colour options work perfectly well in more contemporary settings or popular decor themes. Aga cooker main ovens, fronts, doors and top plates are all made from cast iron - excellent for heat retention and durability.
Everhot cookers emerged in the 1970s and offer a modern twist on the classic range cooker design, with sleek lines and a contemporary feel. The large steel lids and extra hotplate space would make a well-versed chef feel right at home. It's a versatile choice that fits well in both modern kitchens, and more traditional settings with shades like classic cream, burgundy and clay. Everhot cookers are made from stainless steel with cast-iron hotplates and doors.
2. Cooking Experience
Both Everhot and Aga utilise radiant heat cooking in the ovens, which gently cooks food and locks in moisture, flavour, and nutrients. The constant heat source is ideal for slow-cooking and can produce exceptional roasts, bread, and cakes.
Comparing the two types of cooker is quite tricky due to the various models available, with Aga Rangemaster in particular adding controllable aspects to their less traditional models of cookers in recent years, to help reduce running costs more in line with the efficient Everhot running costs.
Aga cookers are available in various models, providing different cooking experiences but all Aga cookers, apart from the Aga eR7, have a fixed heat setting in the ovens meaning you need to choose which oven works best for your cooking requirements. They also have fixed-temperature hotplates, meaning frying/simmering ranges can be limited, whilst fossil fuel Aga cookers lose a lot of heat from the hotplates when in use and take time to recoup.
Everhot cookers offer the ability to easily adjust temperatures for precise cooking control, more akin to a regular electric cooker, but with the radiant heat cooking and ambient warmth of traditional ranges. They also have handy grill functionality in the top oven. The hotplates have full temperature controls making them easier to control than Aga cookers for frying tasks.
3. Efficiency and Control
One of the most significant differences between Everhot and Aga cookers lies in their approach to energy efficiency and temperature control.
Aga cookers traditionally known for their constant heat, operate on the principle of stored heat. This means they are typically always on, radiating warmth throughout the kitchen. While recent models (and our controllable conversions) have introduced more flexibility with programmable features and energy-saving modes, Aga cookers will consume more energy due to their thick cast iron ovens, higher power elements, and overall kWh consumption.
Everhot cookers are designed with energy efficiency at their core, featuring a fully controllable system inside and high-spec insulation. They're officially the cheapest heat storage cooker to operate, when compared side by side to an Aga cooker. Their trickle charge tech, limits the total electric draw to 3kW at any one time - perfect for managing consumption and any solar/renewable energy. Their ECO mode boosts their efficiency but allowing a lower 'slumber' setting when the cooker isn't in use (overnight etc).
4. Installation and Electric Supply.
When it comes to installation and electrical preparations - this may be a significant decider in an Everhot vs Aga Cooker.
Aga cookers require dedicated fuel lines and flue works for refurbished oil and gas models. Most of the newer electrical models require a 32amp supply, direct from the fuse board. This could cause significant disruption depending on your house layout. When we installed our first refurbished Aga cooker in our home, we had to rip up our bedroom floor to run a new cable from the fuse board!. This higher power supply means more electric to power those multiple electric elements fast - but also a huge demand on your infrastructure. All of our refurbished Aga cookers are the traditional models - 'cast and made in Britain' (cast in the now closed coalbrookdale foundry, to be specific!) and assembled onsite in your kitchen. The new models of Aga cookers are delivered in one piece from the Aga factory where they are assembled.
Everhot cookers have their limited 3kW trickle charge, so they can run from standard plug sockets. To put that into perspective, an electric kettle can pull up to the same charge as an Everhot when heating. Their induction models are powered by an additional plug socket, making pre-installation preparations a piece of cake. Most Everhot models are delivered in one piece, direct from their factory and manoeuvred into place. Some models can be assembled onsite for trickier locations.
Everhot vs Aga Cookers - The Summary.
It's really personal preference! If you're looking for a brand new cooker, with the most efficient running costs with ambient heat into the room, we'd recommend an Everhot Cooker. If you're looking for an 'Aga' branded cooker, with less focus on running costs but faster heat up times and the traditional styling, we'd recommend an Aga cooker.
