A Century Of History
Celebrating its centenary this year, the AGA cooker’s design has been allowed to evolve, ensuring that it is as relevant and innovative today as when it was created.
The AGA timeline
1922
The AGA cooker was born and produced in Sweden – invented by Dr Nils Gustaf Dalén - a world-renowned Swedish physicist and Nobel Prize winner – who, after losing his sight due to an explosion during an experiment, resolved to design a cooker capable of every culinary method, yet still easy to use. This was in response to the realization that his wife, Elma, was exhausted and frustrated by having to constantly stoke the fire and watch the pots.
After a process of prototyping, his company Aktiebolegat Gas Accumulator (AGA) produced a custom-built, multi-functional, economical to run, easy to use beautiful range cooker which produced great food with minimum effort. Although originating in Sweden, the AGA cooker caught the eye of the British, and was first introduced in England in 1929.
1930s-1940s
Designer Raymond Loewy oversaw the re-design of the New Standard AGA cooker through the London offices. During this period the AGA range cooker suddenly became more popular, primarily in the UK. Sales numbers worldwide soared from 322 cookers in 1931 to 1705 cookers only a year later. Production of AGAs at the Allied Foundry commenced in South Africa. Production was boosted in 1947 by the addition of a second plant at Ketley in Shropshire.
The AGA range cooker was instrumental in keeping families warm and fed during World War II, particularly as standard heating was not as easily accessible. In response to the growing demand a second plant was opened at the historic Coalbrookdale Foundry.
1950s & 1960s
The 1950s saw a new range of colours being introduced - pale blue, pale green, grey and white were included to give the AGA range cooker more style as before then it had only been produced in cream. Prior to the 1960s, AGA range cookers had been mainly coal-fired, but the conversion to more efficient fuel types was the instrumental change in the 1960s. First to launch was the oil-fired AGA range cooker, followed closely by the gas cooker in 1968.
1956 - Introduction of new AGA colours with the traditional Cream
1957 – All production relocated to the UK
1964 - First oil-fired AGA launched
1968 - First gas-fired AGA launched
1970s-1980s
In 1975 the new ‘Deluxe’ AGA range cooker was produced, and it continues to be one of the most popular models in use because of its versatility and longevity.
In the 1980s, the first electric AGA range cooker was welcomed as an efficient solution to the previously required flue which had required a duct to channel waste gases outside.
1975 – The new “Deluxe” AGA range cooker launched
1980’s - The First Electric AGA Cooker launched
1990s
“The AGA Book” by Mary Berry included how the AGA cooker works, how to cook, the utensils to use, maintenance of and most importantly, some recipes for the discerning AGA cooker owner.
2000s
In 2009, the UK newspaper Telegraph set out to find the oldest, still functional AGA range cooker – very impressively the oldest AGA range cooker was found in the Hett family home in Sussex and reportedly had been installed in 1932 and still going strong 77 years later!
2010s
2011 - AGA Total Control launched – on when you need it, off when you don’t
2013 - AGA Dual Control launched – with switch on / switch off hotplates
2014 - AGA 60 launched – perfect for smaller spaces
Today
2018 - the AGA eR3 Series collection was launched. Cookers in this range feature a state-of-the-art induction hob and many other innovative features, including the addition of a 90L fan oven, and range in size from 60cm to 170cm.
September 2019 - the launch of the electric AGA 7 Series models. The R7 Series, available in 100cm and 150cm, is designed to have the ovens on all the time, giving cosy warmth into your kitchen whilst having 4 temperature settings, including an economy setting, to save energy and fuel costs.
The eR7 Series features an easy-to-use touch-screen control panel with 5 heat settings for the roasting oven and 4 settings for the baking oven. Each oven and hotplate is independently controlled, enabling the user to control heat output into the kitchen and the amount of energy used.