Growing up, a cast-iron range cooker was simply part of the furniture – the warm, cosy heart of our home. I learned to bake with it, dried socks on it, and thawed frozen fingers against it after school. I didn’t realise how much I relied on that constant comfort until I left home. In student flats, early rentals and my first fixer-uppers, I missed it terribly. Unless the heating was blasting, those kitchens felt cold to the bone.
So, the minute I had the funds and the space, I made a beeline back to the thing I’d been pining for: a cast-iron range cooker. After years of writing about appliances, comparing specifications and working out how to design a kitchen that suits real life, finally taking the plunge felt momentous – and slightly reckless (our savings were scuppered). Five years on, though, I can say this with conviction: I’ve never looked back.
In a nutshell, it’s been one of the best investments I’ve made in my home. There are a couple of downsides, sure, although nothing that has made me seriously regret my life choices. But is it worth getting a range cooker for everyone? And if you’re tempted, should you choose an electric on-demand model rather than a continuous-heat beast like mine? Here’s the truth.
Looks – the heart of your home
Range cookers make an immediate visual statement, whether you choose a cast-iron model or on-demand model, which operates more like conventional ovens but still brings that generous, solid aesthetic.
For me, the look was inseparable from the emotional pull. I wanted that traditional character anchoring my modern kitchen extension to the adjoining original Victorian building. I opted for classic black for pure design flexibility – I wanted it to blend neatly with the dark green painted cabinetry on either side.
Even when it first landed in a half-built temporary kitchen (my husband set one up from plywood and optimism while our extension work dragged on), the range instantly became the focal point. Guests commented on it long before the cabinetry went in. It has that effect: it centres the room and creates a natural gathering point. Built-in cooking appliances rarely deliver the same impact — a range cooker naturally commands attention through sheer scale and presence.
This is also where placement matters. Deciding on the best place to position a cooker in a kitchen can dramatically improve how the whole room functions – not just visually, but in terms of walkways and cooking ease. Ranges deserve pride of place, and they look their best where you can see the full width and shape without obstruction. Also consider what they face. Positioning a range cooker opposite an island or prep zone creates a natural cooking “corridor”, reducing unnecessary steps and making the whole space feel more intuitive to use.
Cooking – it’s different, but in a good way
Before mine was installed, the two reasons holding me back were induction hob loyalty and running costs. The induction issue resolved itself thanks to finding a model – the AGA eR3i – that combined both induction and hotplate hobs. The running-cost concerns took more mental gymnastics, but I’ll get to that.
Cast-iron ovens use radiant heat, rather than fan convection. They are quieter and gentler, locking in moisture. ‘An independent study by the National Centre for Food Manufacturing (University of Lincoln) found that food cooked in an AGA was preferred by taste-test panels, with the majority favouring specific dishes cooked this way,’ says range cooker expert Laura James, from AGA. For me, it’s roast potatoes. They just hit differently.
I also found that it changed the way I cook, which is now less about specific temperature settings and more about intuition. Even having grown up with one, it took adjustment at first. I practised with cakes after work, using Mary Berry’s Complete AGA Cookbook (available on Amazon) as my bible (it’s aimed at AGA, but the roasting and baking principles are the same as other cast iron range cooker brands like Everhot and Esse). I learned where hotspots live, when to insert a cooling shelf, and how to choose the best cookware for baking, roasting and slow cooking.
Once I found the rhythm, the results were consistently excellent. Roasts? Unbeatable. Pizzas go straight onto the oven base for a crisp stone-baked finish in minutes. Sociable fry-ups become laughably easy, especially when the top oven doubles as a grill, and the hotplate becomes a multi-tasking beast. I put a baking sheet down and fry eggs directly on the surface, eight at a time, easily. And when the cast-iron ovens are switched off in summer, I happily hop between the induction hob, air fryer and BBQ to keep meals flowing.
If you prefer precision-control, high-responsiveness cooking, an on-demand range cooker might be a better fit. These models often come loaded with programmable functions, timers and smart technology, giving you far greater flexibility and accuracy than a traditional cast-iron cooker. But, regardless of the type you choose, capacity is where all range cookers truly excel. The multiple ovens, vast cooktops and generous capacities make cooking for crowds feel effortless – this is the kind of appliance that actively encourages big, messy, pan-clattering feasts.
Cleaning – easier than you’d think
This is the element that always surprises people. They imagine scrubbing sooty doors and impossibly deep, dark crevices. In reality, cleaning a cast-iron range is low effort because it’s always warm. Spills tend to carbonise lightly rather than glue themselves on. A quick wipe with a damp cloth usually does the trick. I barely touch the ovens. ‘Because you’re not fighting baked-on grime or stubborn residues, upkeep tends to be light and regular rather than onerous,’ agrees AGA’s Laura James.
The hotplate needs a scour now and then, but again, any spills carbonise, and I occasionally give everything a polish when guests are coming, but it’s never a major job. On-demand ranges are similarly straightforward because their enamel coatings and sealed burners are designed for ease of maintenance.
Compared to the cheap slot-in cookers I’ve had in rented homes, I’d pick my range cooker every time for cleaning ease. There are simply fewer fiddly edges, and I do not miss soaking oven shelves overnight or the toxic fumes of foam cleaners.
Cost and energy consumption – the real question
Let’s get to the real reason more people don’t own a range cooker – they cost more to buy and, in the case of continuous-heat models, a lot more to run. Five years ago, my range cooker cost around £10,000 (current RRP is £12,160), which was more than we spent on our (second-hand, average quality) family car. It made a big dent in our savings, actually it obliterated them. You can get a regular range cooker for less of course, but as a rule, a good quality model from the likes of Rangemaster, Bertazonni or Lacanche will set you back a good two-six grand.
Now for the real sticking point: running costs, something my husband needed serious persuading on. As with any big purchase, I did a bit of cost-offset justification. A few factors tipped the scales. Firstly, I work from home in the kitchen, and when the range is on we barely need any other heating (our well-insulated extension helps). I also cook a lot, at odd hours, so I’m not constantly heating an oven from cold. And the big win? We have installed photovoltaic panels, so much of our electricity is sun-powered – woop!
Even without help from renewable sources, there are ways to keep running costs sensible, especially with modern all-electric models, which tend to be more efficient than oil or gas.
Mine allows me to switch ovens and the hotplate on and off individually, so I typically run the top oven on baking mode (around 180 degrees), which costs around £13.17 per week in electricity, according to AGA (based on OFGEM electricity prices, Oct 2025). I have checked energy use against our Smart Meter, and AGA’s stats are pretty accurate. This gives just enough background warmth to keep the kitchen cosy without burning through electricity, and means I always have an oven ready to go.
The hotplate heats up fast, but during the week I mostly use the induction hob for speed and its built-in timers, only firing up the hotplate on the weekend. Small adjustments like these can make a noticeable difference to overall energy use. ‘You can also use programmers and built-in control systems to conserve energy overnight, while you’re at work, or when you’re away on holiday, allowing you to reduce running costs further,’ adds Laura from AGA.
But it’s not for every household. If you live in a well-heated home, perhaps with underfloor heating, or are out most of the day, then an on-demand range would be a more cost-effective alternative. These models heat up quickly, use energy only when required, and still give you the generous oven capacity and aesthetic appeal.
So, is it worth getting a range cooker from a financial perspective? It depends entirely on your lifestyle. If you’ll use it daily, appreciate the warmth 24/7, and factor in the heating offset, yes. If you cook occasionally, are never home, and want total control of running costs, an on-demand model is likely to serve you better.
Pros and cons of a range cooker
Pros
- Creates instant kitchen character
- Superb for baking, roasting and batch cooking
- Provides ambient warmth (cast-iron models)
- So easy to keep clean
- Large capacity and multiple ovens reduce juggling
- Retain their value and act as a long-term investment
- Built to last, so far fewer end up in landfill
Cons
- Generally high price tag for decent models
- Higher running costs for continuous-heat versions
- Take up quite a lot of space
- Takes time to learn the cooking style (cast-iron models)
- Heavy and needs professional installation
- Not the best option if you cook infrequently
- You may need a backup option for cooking during the summer months
Would I choose one again?
Five years on, I can answer the big question: are range cookers good? Yes, exceptionally so, if they align with how you cook and live. My cast-iron model has become part of the family. Through icy winters, endless baking experiments, and the general chaos of family life, it has been steady, practical and bum-warming.
If you want the look and capacity without the always-on heat or higher running costs, the new generation of on-demand ranges are genuinely excellent and may make more sense for the way most modern households cook.
But for me, the real joy is the atmosphere it creates. I still feel a tiny lift every time I walk into the kitchen and catch that gentle, familiar warmth – the same warmth guests, and our pets, inevitably gravitate towards. I even feel a little pang of sadness when it’s time to switch it off for summer. Five years on, it’s still one of the best home decisions I’ve ever made.
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