Aga, Rayburn, Esse

[Loopy Lou]

Can anyone tell me where I might be able to find a reconditioned Aga (or similar) in the region of Poitiers, Niort or Angouleme or towns in the area and what sort of price I should expect? I'm on the borders of Vienne, Deux Sevres and Charente just off the RN10.
Thanks in advance for your help.

[Ju]

Just a point Lou, you might be better looking for a French stove rather that trying to find an English product in France.

There are quite a few French brands available, and they tend to be cheaper than Agas, try france-turbo or Godin for starters.

Ju

[Alan Knighting]

Lou,

There's an outfit in Bordeaux I have seen advertised (not too far from you) which stocks all sorts of stoves including Aga and claims "home delivery everywhere in France". Might be worth a try?

Look them up at www.domestics.fr or telephone on 05 57 35 70 60.

Alan

[Giddy Goat]

There's this site too, Lou, www.paul-gee.com , which is further south than Alan's recommendation, but might be worth checking out, if only to go to his FAQ's section, which gives some helpful (but perhaps discouraging, re second-hand cookers) info, such as this:

"As these appliances have only been commercialised in France relatively recently it is rare for us to have second-hand models available. It should be noted that only very recent gas models that have CE(fr) identification plates can legally be installed in France. Until now the only oil model that has been proven to work satisfactorily on French heating oil is the cooking only Rayburn 400D (or Aga R40D). A new diesel AGA suitable for French domestic oil is now available in both the 2 oven and 4 oven models with conventional flue. It is very risky buying a s/h wood burner with boiler as it is impossible to examine the condition of the boiler and it can be extremely expensive to replace."

Even so, he might be worth a call, as this info may not have been updated for a while - you never know.

I love our AGA here in the UK, but without taking the kitchen completely apart in France, it looks as if we'll be AGA-less if and when we ever relocate.

[Alan Knighting]

Lou,

Another thought, perhaps a silly thought.

How about sourcing the reconditioned AGA you want in the UK and then shipping it over in the traditional white transit van? Fit it in with a pre-arranged trip and the additional cost is inconsequential.

I’m not totally convinced about the supposed differences between UK and French oil and gas. It sounds a little like the usual French parochialism but don’t quote me.

FF

[ejc-free]

Hi, if it's this type of oven you're after and you're willing to import - try looking at the everhot range - they're electric and are cheap to run and you can turn them off whe you're not using them. We'll be bringing with us to France when we come in January.

If we're not allowed to add web lineks here mods - please remove and appologies - but if we are allowed - here's the link

http://www.everhot.co.uk/index.php

[goo-rat]

Try Barry at www.tradcookers.co.uk

His daughter is somewhere near you, he specilises in second-hand agas and rayburns and is an absolute gold-mine of info and spares.

If you are looking at a wood-burning unit, then get a brand new french unit (godin etc) and claim back the 40% tax credit!!!!

[Tonto]

I am about to have a 2nd hand aga installed, but need to install oil tank etc - can anyone who has had an oil fired aga fitted in France advise on pipework necessary from tank to the aga - please?

[Stu]

Wouldn't be without our Godin!
There's also a place near us that exports all over France, give Elizabeth Greenaway a call on 0241 50 20 20.

HTH

[Sallys Chateau]

We went ahead and purchased a brand new Aga thinking it would throw some well needed heat around the house. Apart from cooking beautifully, drying all the washing, if you are expecting your entire room to be wonderfully heated forget it. We shall never buy an Aga again, they ain't what they used to be ! Snail

[Giddy Goat]

Snail, I'm disappointed to hear it - does it depend on its position within the property perhaps, as well obviously, as the room size? We have a (reconditioned) AGA here in the UK, which was converted from solid fuel to gas, but the kitchen is fairly large, and it gets so hot in there that we have to switch it off over the summer, which is common practice among some owners, as you know. It is on an outer wall however, so the rest of the house doesn't really benefit - but we had one (oil fired) also in the previous house, and it deffo made a difference there. Are you suggesting they are of poorer quality nowadays somehow? Thought there was only one way to make 'em!?

At least you don't have to buy one of those special ironing presses being discussed at great length on another thread - every Aga has a silver lining!

[Sallys Chateau]

Gascony Goat,

I feel rather sheepish now (an appropriate response to a Gascony Goat surely ?) as the lovely Aga man came yesterday and did the annual service and re-lit her. As it is under guarantee a faulty part was replaced immediately and the subject of re-conditioned v new arose. I got the sneaking suspicion (don't quote me) that re-conditioned ones are better if you are looking for warmth around the room and that the new one's are super duper insulated and therefore retaining the heat in a more efficient way for the serious business of cooking.
Apparently electric Aga's are the cheapest to run at the moment, however not a great bet if your area is prone to power cuts like ours ! Finally, the warmth that suffused me as I entered the kitchen this morning reminded me of why I purchased one in the first place.

Snail


www.chateaulasserre.com

[Giddy Goat]

Hurrah!! Loopy Lou, are you listening?

So pleased, Garlic, and hope this signifies the start of a long and happy association!

[Loopy Lou]

Hello all,

Been off-line for a while due to lovely French bureaucracy (must write a blog...). Having gone with Chris (my vendor) to Poitiers to sort out the changeover of the telephone and internet connections with lovely France Telecom, everything looked as though it would go smoothly. Yeah right!! The phone changeover has worked fine, but Chris made the mistake of writing to France Telecom to cancel his internet connection, so they took his written word over his spoken word and cut off the connection, and it took 10 days to get it back! Oh good grief.

I'm still having a problem with connecting to wanadoo (yes I know you will tell me that they are a waste of time, but I need them to access the emails for my gites pro tem), something about passwords relating to my previous ISP - I daresay I have done something fundamentally stupid with changing the perameters from old to new provider on my wonderful machine; I am a total novice in these things. BTW I have a Mac Mini to complicate the issue. Argh!

Anyway, revenons a nous moutons - having scrubbed the cooker that I have inherited, I have decided to keep with it for the time being. Replacing a functioning (albeit rather basic) cooker is probably not the most economic thing to do on my limited budget, but this thread is very educational nonetheless.

A bientot, mes amis,

Loopy

[enid]

Well after 4 years of discussion Kevin has finally ordered his Godin wood burning cooker. I have never been convinced as you can't run them in the summer so we bought a gas range cooker. Now we are back in the house in our new enormous kitchen and it's just crying out for the Godin - so we'll have the gas one and the wood one - and a warm cosy kitchen and no need to have the radiators on in the kitchen - and probably the connecting dining room. Great to hear that you wouldn't be without yours Stu and Syb - now we have to wait 3 months for delivery - just time to get the walls painted!!!

Loopy - so glad to hear you are home at last - yes you should start a blog - if you could ever find time to write it!!!