Our Pre-Refurbishment Guide For Aga Cookers

This guide will give you all the pre-installation information you need for any of our refurbishment options when it comes to your current Aga Cooker. If you still have any questions after reading through all the information, just get in touch - we're happy to help!


Our Refurb Process:


  1. We need to see photos of your Aga Cooker. Once of the whole cooker, and one with all the lids and doors open is best.
  2. We select matching stock for your model from our workshop, and send those 'donor' parts off to be enamelled in your chosen colour.
  3. You can keep using your Aga cooker until at least 24hrs before we are set to arrive with the freshly enamelled parts. Your cooker will need to be cold to be refurbished!
  4. We arrive with the new parts and replace your old external panels with the refreshed replacement versions and take the old ones away.


Do you have some sentimental value in your original Aga cooker panels? Let us know, and we can quote for an additional visit to remove your original panels and enamel them instead of replacements!

Enamelling Information

We use one of three independent cooker enamelling factories in the UK. The difference with Saltire, is transparency. We'll tell you what to expect with re-enamelling, rather than our competitors who can focus on sales over customer satisfaction.


Vitreous Enamelling is all done by hand. Some pigments are mixed inside the spray gun, then applied to the bare cast iron parts. These parts are then fired in huge industrial kilns, reaching temperatures of around 800c.


There's some "disclaimers" around Vitreous Enamelling that you should be aware of:


  • Colour shades may change slightly, when comparing to the sample tiles. Each 'batch' of enamelling can be different due to the individual staff member spraying, the kilns used or even the weather conditions etc. That's why we always fire each coloured part together, to ensure a close as possible match.

  • Over time, colours might change shade with heat. It's a classic trait with Vitreous Enamel, especially on Aga Cookers. With the constant heat, you might find doors or coloured lids etc will slightly darken compared to parts of the cooker that don't reach the same temperatures. This is particularly evident on Claret and Red colours, but possible on many.

  • Rippling (orange peel texture) and bumps might be visible after enamelling. Back in the day, heavy metals like cadmium were used as part of the enamelling process to create a smoother finish. These have since been banned in the UK, as they're carcinogenic, so the finish of some colours might be affected. Again, more common on Clarets, Oranges, Yellows and Reds.

  • Light colours will show the return edges of the cast iron and some black pinhead marks more than darker shades. The enamel is liquid form when it's applied, so the lighter colours can be a little 'thin' on corners or edges, slightly revealing the cast iron underneath. The small pinhead marks are caused by micro-particles of dust in the atmosphere during the enamelling process. The enamelling factory are actively working to reduce these by re-lining the kilns etc, but it's worth mentioning.

Cleaning Vitreous Enamel

Enamel is hard-wearing but can be sensitive to chemicals or cleaning materials.


*we can't be help responsible for damage by cleaning products or the advice below*


To clean your stunning new, glossy aga cooker enamel, we've found that:


  • The easiest option, is to wipe down the cooker using a warm damp cloth after use. We've been doing this on our own Aga cooker since it was installed, and a year on, it still looks brand new!


  • The safest option for cleaning products is to use AGA's own enamel cleaner.


  • For a deeper clean, use the Original Astonish Paste. This used to be recommended in the old Aga documentation before they made their own cleaning products. Just be careful not to use too much force with the abrasive paste.


  • For hardened built up grease, a glass scraper (or 'hob scraper' with razor blade) can be used. Let your cooker cool down to 'warm', so that the grease is softened a bit, then wet your scraper and place it at a 45 degree angle then scrape away the grease without lifting the blade. You can never use enough blades - dull blades will permanently scratch your enamel!


  • Some 'aga cleaning' companies use steel wool on the enamel surfaces. We've found it to be extremely effective, but it can leave little scratches on the enamel surface, so we wouldn't recommend if you're overly precious about the Aga!

Replacement Parts

As part of the refurbishment, we replace some parts with after market spare parts (made in the UK). We've tested these new replacements thoroughly over the years. All cast iron parts are originals, from when they were made in Britain.


  • You can see the standard versions of our lid handles opposite. There are other 'aftermarket' variations available, but over the years, we've found these to be the most robust and less susceptible to enamel chipping. We pair these with our nylon washers to prevent excessive heat transfer into the handles from the lid domes.


  • The chrome domes are chrome plated (as standard across the industry!) and can be cleaned with chrome cleaner.

  • The door and lid liners are aluminium and can be cleaned with aluminium cleaner, but it's much easier to just wipe them down with a damp cloth after use. Our lid liners are specifically made to be more 'domed' than the cheaper options other companies use - they're perfectly domed for cooking toast or eggs with the lids closed!

  • Each lid and right-hand door is fitted with 50mm of ceramic fibre insulation - much better than the older loft insulation some refurbishers still use.

  • There may be some variations in styles of lid hinges. Some have additional adjustment screws in them, others have a slightly different profile when compared like for like - it's the product of AGA changing designs whenever the wind blows differently!

Dimensions and Site Access

The old cast iron parts were hand-cast at Coalbrookdale, so some variations in dimensions can be expected.


As part of the order process, we'll assess your clearances from the photos you send, but if you have any tight-fitting worktops or tiles around the top plate of the Aga Cooker, you'll need to let us know beforehand.


  • Worktops should never be fitted up to the Aga top plate. The sides of the enamel top are chamfered slightly, so they can easily be wedged in forever if the worktops are tight each side. If your worktops are tight, try to slide a knife along the side to check clearances - there should be a 3-5mm gap each side.


  • If you have any tiles or backsplashes overlapping the top plate, they might need to be removed (or broken) to remove the top as part of the refurbishment.


We'll need adequate access to the site, with available power for our hoovers and power tools. You should let us know in advance of any restrictions like parking, steps, long paths etc.