Reconditioned AGA cookers vs New AGA cookers

Why buy a second-hand AGA cooker when you can buy new for just a little more?
Reconditioned vs New AGA

AGA cookers are designed to last for many years, decades in fact, and they are often handed down from one generation to another. This is one of the reasons why AGA heat storage cookers represent such good value for money, they will literally last a life time if they are properly looked after. It is because of this longevity and the superior craftsmanship that goes in to creating each AGA cooker that some people consider buying a used AGA instead of a new one.

However, buying a used, refurbished AGA or reconditioned AGA is full of pitfalls. For example, the product you are buying may already be well over 30 years old and made up of bits from different AGA cookers. Many also started life to run on one fuel type eg. oil but have been converted by someone along the way to work on a completely different fuel. Its rather like buying a 30 year old diesel car that started life as a petrol model. Few reconditioners use original AGA parts in their refurbished products and only one company, AGA Twyford, can offer genuine AGA enamel and original authorised AGA parts on the products they supply.

An AGA cooker must be perfectly calibrated to work properly and a poorly built AGA will not run efficiently or deliver the right cooking temperatures. Take our word for it, we get calls every week from disappointed customers who were trying to save a few hundred pounds only to regret not buying a new one and unfortunately there is little we can do to help other than sympathise at that stage.  

Second hand AGA dealers also usually advertise their products at prices which exclude delivery and installation which will add around £500 to the overall cost. With a new AGA the prices we quote includes a home survey, delivery and installation by our own experienced engineers.

Buying a new AGA cooker means you get exactly the product you want purpose built just for you. We offer a wide range of products starting at prices which are little more that 15% more than you would typically pay for the equivalent second hand model which could already be 40 years old or more. We think this is a relatively small price to pay for a fully guaranteed brand new AGA which comes with the peace of mind of our 5 year guarantee.

Why take the risk in buying a renovated AGA cooker when a brand new AGA could be yours for just a few hundred pounds more?

  • Ask these questions before you buy a renovated AGA Read more

    What guarantee do you get?

    Will the cooker be assembled in your home or does it come ready assembled?
    AGA cookers are designed to be built up on site, if they are moved fully assembled then the ovens may move out of alignment and the heat conduction through to the ovens and hotplates will be inefficient.

    Also the insulation may not be up to specification as there may be a loss through leakage or settlement. Loss of insulation means that the AGA cooker will be hotter to the touch and more heat will be emitted into the kitchen.

    Are the installers fully AGA trained?

    What cooking accessories / equipment, if any, are supplied with the cooker?

    What is the finish?  Is it painted or vitreous enamelled?
    All new AGA cookers have a high gloss vitreous enamel finish, which takes up to three days to complete.  This is hygienic, durable and easy to clean.

    Has the cooker been converted to burn a different fuel?

    If converted, does the cooker have automatic thermostatic control?

    Have parts been replaced or just cleaned up and painted?

    Have genuine AGA parts been used to replace worn parts?

    Has the AGA got the appropriate mandatory approval?

    Would you buy a car with no service history? If no, then why buy a refurbished AGA cooker with no knowledge of its history?

    Does the dealer service AGA cookers?

    What choice of models is there?

    Are the gas engineers CORGI registered?

    Does it contain asbestos products?

    There may also be hidden charges:

    • Is there a charge for delivery?
    • Do you deliver into the kitchen?
    • Is there a charge for assembly?
    • Is there an extra charge for different colours?
  • Benefits of buying a new AGA Cooker Read more

    Purchasing a new AGA cooker means you are getting an up-to-date product with the benefits of:

    Performance and function

    • AGA Rangemaster Ltd is a company with a sound financial and business base
    • Fully approved products by the latest British and European standards
    • Manufactured by a BSI registered company
    • 5 year guarantee
    • Genuine components, approved and tested
    • Parts that have not been used before
    • Cast iron components, manufactured in England
    • Products made for specific fuels
    • Choice of product, dedicated to a specific flue system
    • A choice of AGA manufactured specifically for use with  natural gas, propane gas, oil or electricity
    • Choice of 2, 3 or 4 oven models


    Design

    • Deep gloss vitreous enamel finish, not paint or dry powder coat.
    • Choice of 7 standard colours.  Plus 5 signature colours at small extra cost.
    • Option of new AGA with the classic 'Aga Standard' front plate for a retro look


    Installation

    • A choice of flueing arrangements.  Gas has a choice of a conventional chimney flue; a balanced flue, which goes through a suitable outside wall or a power flue, so the Aga can be fitted almost anywhere in the kitchen
    • Free home survey so you get the right product for your home
    • Authorised AGA trained engineers, who meet the latest fuel safety regulations and are kept fully informed of all specification changes and developments
    • Company technical back-up and advice line
    • Free delivery and assembly on UK mainland
    • Comprehensive operating instructions
    • Additional product options available, such as the Module (if purchased at the same time as the parent AGA) ceramic or gas hob option for 4 oven)


    Help and advice

    • Over 70 specialist shops, nationwide
    • Free advice and help
    • Free home survey so you get the right product for your home
    • AGA cooker demonstrations to show you how to get the most from your AGA cooker
    • Opportunity to try out the Aga in the showroom
    • AGA Finance
    • Comprehensive website, regular news available through facebook and twitter


    After sales

    • After sales servicing by trained engineers
    • AGA shops have a large range of cookware and accessories to complement your AGA cooker
    • Specialist AGA cooking demonstrations for the AGA user
    • Full spares availability, which are compatible
  • Refurbished AGA cookers - read before you buy Read more

    There are many second hand AGA cookers offered to the public which have been 'converted' or 'reconditioned' from one fuel to another which may or may not be advertised as such. Some models are hybrids made up of parts from several AGA cookers.

    Reconditioned AGA cookers

    Reconditioning is taken as meaning a major strip down and rebuild of an appliance.  If you are enquiring after a reconditioned AGA, then check that inferior metals have not been used to make replacement or inferior pattern parts, this could result in a significant reduction in performance.

    In addition, inexperienced personnel not trained by AGA can leave the appliance in either an inefficient or dangerous condition. 

    Converted AGA cookers

    When an AGA is referred to as 'converted' it is generally meant that a fuel change has taken place, from solid fuel to oil, or less commonly, gas.  Whereas each new AGA cooker is individually designed to achieve maximum performance from the fuel used and typically will operate more economically than a conversion.

    Each fuel model requires significant variations in cast iron internal components as well as the burner area and controls.  It is not possible therefore to merely exchange a burner type to use a different fuel.  Can you be assured that a conversion is successful and safe?

    Age

    It is worth asking the age of a refurbished second hand AGA; it may be that you are paying out thousands of pounds to get a cooker that is already 40 years old.  To identify older models visit the AGA website - www.agaliving.com

    There are some of the independent Authorised AGA Distributors who may have completely rebuilt an AGA and exchanged all the necessary components to make it into the equivalent of a new appliance with a different fuel.  In this case it is not really a 'converted' model and would have the same status as a factory supplied model.  However this action is rarely commercially viable for customer or vendor.

    False Economy

    In 1994 the BBC Watchdog programme reported on converted AGA and Rayburn cookers.  The programme alerted potential purchasers about the problems and risks associated with buying a converted appliance and reported that converted AGA  and Rayburn cooker owners were having a variety of problems from ignition difficulties to dangerous ventilation systems.  They discovered that in some cases a new AGA could have been purchased for the same amount of money customers were forced to spend in order to get the cheaper model modified and made safe.

  • Identifying a Converted AGA Cooker Read more
    • Does it say it is oil or gas fired?
    • Look to see if it has lift out plugs on the boiling and simmering plates, if there are it has been converted from solid fuel.
    • Are the oil or gas pipes taken into the cooker through the front burner door?
      If they are it is 'converted'
    • Is the Aga front plate of the old Standard design, but advertised as oil or gas?
      If it is then the AGA is converted