If you’re looking to replace your cooker, a traditional cooker is the way forward for many reasons says Robin Durie, Sales Director at Spillers of Chard…
It’s true, new ideas and advancements in technology have brought some exciting changes to our favourite room in the home, but there are some stalwarts of the kitchen that have turned traditional into a delicious art form.
The Aga is undoubtedly top of the pile when we talk about longevity. The method of cast iron cooking with radiant ‘all around’ heat, first imagined by Nobel Prize winner Gustaf Dalen in the 1920s, has remained unchanged to this day. Unlike most modern ovens that tend to dry food out, a cast iron oven (which cooks the food from all sides) will retain lots of moisture and bags of flavour. This means succulent roasts, lighter cakes, crunchier chips and juicier steaks – radiant heat even does wonders for the humble ready meal.
Of course, new colours and a few energy saving updates have kept the Aga fit for 21st century living, but the simplicity of Aga cooking (you don’t need a degree in oven functions to use one), coupled with the easily achievable and delicious results, has won a new generation of fans.
The Aga isn’t lacking in the good looks category either. The timeless appeal of the gleaming round hob covers and mirror finish enamel allow the Aga to look at home in virtually any style of kitchen – although it has to be said, cream continues to outsell the more colourful choices (even rose pink!) In a BBC survey, the Aga was even voted one of the top three design icons of the 20th century – not bad for a cooker invented over 80 years ago!
There are plenty of other names in the kitchen that have kept true to their roots. Lacanche range cookers have been made by hand in Burgundy for 200 years. Today, the same exacting standards and manufacturing processes are called upon to create Lacanche products that are exported all around the world.
So there we have it, next time you’re updating the kitchen or considering a change of oven, consider a traditional cooker – they may just surprise you, and your taste buds!