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The AGA cooker has become an icon of the UK because of the solid performance and cast iron reputation which it has built up over the last 70 years. It is in fact the undisputed queen of the British kitchen and has become a firm favourite with people in the USA.

The Aga was invented by a Swede by the name of Nils Gustaf Dalen (physicist), who one the Nobel Prize in 1912 for the automation of lighthouses. Unfortunately due an industrial accident he was left blind and spent lots of time at home and was convinced that his wife's conventional cooker was inefficient and the next decade was spent in trying to improve it. This gave birth to the Aga, with the first model being patented in 1922 and was named after Dalen's company Akteibolaget Gas Accumulator (AGA). However in 1928 the company relocated to the UK.

The Aga is unique because it cooks the food using radiant heat which is able to lock in the natural juices and tastes of the meals placed inside it.

You will find any home that has an Aga in the kitchen has become the heart of the house as the family are usually drawn to the warmth that radiates from it.

Aga's are powered using a single burner and run either on propane, natural gas or oil but some models now come available with electric ovens. Because your Aga is always on you will find that time is saved not having to wait for the oven to preheat before you begin cooking and if you really want you could put a meal in it before dashing off to work and knowing it will warmed and ready (but never burnt) when you return home.

Another benefit of an Aga is that when having a dinner party or entertaining you can cook the complete meal simultaneously and no the finished items will be perfect in every way.

The four-oven Aga is the flagship of the Aga family and it has separate ovens for baking, roasting, simmering and warming things in. Each oven maintains a different temperature for their various tasks. This Aga also comes with a hotplate which can be used for warming plates as well as the option of having a gas cooker top. It is made from cast iron and coated with vitreous enamels and they are available in 14 different colours ranging from black or white through to aubergine or claret. It is also said that the life span of one Aga is 100 years!

Certainly the Aga cookers which are now sold widely both in the USA and Canada have become a big part of the way we live our life's nowadays and in some cases have been handed down from generation to generation. Even celebrities have become owners of this versatile and beautiful item such as Ben Kingsley, Sharon Stone, Paul McCartney, George Michael and Billy Joel to name but a few.

So go out and bring home an Aga Cooker today and you will gain a trusted and valued ally for the rest of your life.