Once you get the hang of things
AGA, Rayburn, Lacanche and the rest of these heat storing ranges aren't *that* bad. They certainly were streets ahead of what came before and that included open fires.
For a four oven AGA you get
Boiling plate - 700F
Simmering plate - 350F
Warming plate - 120F
Roasting oven - 450F
Baking oven - 350F
Simmering oven - 250F
Warming oven - 150F
As with any oven temps often vary based upon rack placement. That is since heat rises things could be cooler on lower rack versus upper. Long enough use and you became adjusted to the various quirks of each oven.
Cooking wise if you look at English and pretty much other countries both in Europe and here in the USA, things varied pre-thermostatically controlled ovens and gas or electric burners with precise controls, versus what came afterwards.
In early part of the last century you had lots of roasts, stews, soups, porridge, pies, etc... Things that could be done in ovens and if needed left to their own for much of the day as you got on with other things. For range top cooking you had almost only three choices, things that were fried, boiled or "stewed/simmered". A good cook probably could make the deft transitions between simmer, high and low plates, but not everyone had that kind of skill and or time.
When you really think about it how many oven temps are really required? Roasting and baking take place at about the same range of temperatures as the set ovens of an AGA. More delicate cakes or other things may require some finesse, but then again many housewives didn't often bother with such things then, or the cakes weren't up to bakery quality standards.
AGA, Rayburn, Lacanche and the rest of these heat storing ranges aren't *that* bad. They certainly were streets ahead of what came before and that included open fires.
For a four oven AGA you get
Boiling plate - 700F
Simmering plate - 350F
Warming plate - 120F
Roasting oven - 450F
Baking oven - 350F
Simmering oven - 250F
Warming oven - 150F
As with any oven temps often vary based upon rack placement. That is since heat rises things could be cooler on lower rack versus upper. Long enough use and you became adjusted to the various quirks of each oven.
Cooking wise if you look at English and pretty much other countries both in Europe and here in the USA, things varied pre-thermostatically controlled ovens and gas or electric burners with precise controls, versus what came afterwards.
In early part of the last century you had lots of roasts, stews, soups, porridge, pies, etc... Things that could be done in ovens and if needed left to their own for much of the day as you got on with other things. For range top cooking you had almost only three choices, things that were fried, boiled or "stewed/simmered". A good cook probably could make the deft transitions between simmer, high and low plates, but not everyone had that kind of skill and or time.
When you really think about it how many oven temps are really required? Roasting and baking take place at about the same range of temperatures as the set ovens of an AGA. More delicate cakes or other things may require some finesse, but then again many housewives didn't often bother with such things then, or the cakes weren't up to bakery quality standards.
