Reader question – Aga under the window
This one is for Lindy, who asked if I’d ever seen an Aga under a window. Well, I found one, and doesn’t it look great? I know, I know, there is no visible means of ventilation here except the window, which depending on your location, you might not want to open in Winter for cooking smells to escape. And yes, you’d probably end up cleaning grease spatters off the glass a lot, but glass is at least easy to clean – easier than a stainless steel refrigerator, I think.
Photo Eric Roth, scanned from "Dream Kitchens"
I apologize for the quality of the image – it looks much better in the book Dream Kitchens: Recipes and Ideas for Modern Kitchens
One thing about a traditional Aga is that the ovens do not vent into the room at all – so you don’t smell what is cooking in them. Many a mince-pie has burned to a cinder in my Mum’s kitchen as a result (yes, we can be pretty absent minded at times). Of course, cooking on the top is a completely different matter – like so many older kitchens, my Mum’s has no extractor fan either. And we dry the laundry on an old fashioned airer in the kitchen in wet weather. Wearing clothing subtly scented with frying bacon is something you can get used to!
Hi Capri – and you are probably right. Most US codes prohibit having your cooking appliance within a certain distance of an operable window. I believe the goal is to prevent potential harm from sudden drafts blowing out your gas flame, or I suppose theoretically something could blow in through the window, whatever your heat source. You have to maintain a minimum distance between the heat source and glass, or any combustible materials, whether the window is operable or not. I guess in theory a sudden blast of wind could blow the Aga “lid” closed – it would have to be quite a blast, though, for that to happen! But codes are codes, and must be obeyed. Yes, Aga cooking is all about the ovens, so you shouldn’t need a vent hood unless you use the top a lot and want to remove steam, smells etc. as you would with any cooktop.
Why is it not safe to have an Aga under an operable window? (This is not at all obvious to me.) (Also, electric Agas don’t require vents at all.)
The code concerns itself with operable windows – I do rather like the idea of standing at the Aga looking over the garden through an inoperable window, don’t you?
I echo Nell’s concern: No place I know of (in the US) would allow a stove in front of a window, with the exception of completely un-zoned rural counties where there are no building codes (something still quite common in my neck of the woods). However, just because it’s not disallowed, doesn’t mean it’s safe or sensible.
Get some design help (architect, kitchen designer, cabinet maker, photos) and create a mantel for the Aga. It seems to be what you really want; the Aga will no doubt look better in that setting; it’s safer and more practical.
Good luck and enjoy your new kitchen!
Thank you Nell, and a reminder to everyone, especially when you are acting as your own designer. CHECK YOUR LOCAL CODES. Most codes prohibit a cooking surface under an operable window. And even when they don’t, it really doesn’t seem like a safe thing to do. Another thing to watch out for is the required distance from combustible surfaces, stated in the appliance specifications. You won’t pass inspection if you don’t follow those specifications.
The image posted here is quite old, and they sure do look like operable windows, don’t they. I have no idea where in the world the picture was taken. Please don’t take it as an endorsement from me!
There are very few locations in the U.S. where the building code would permit a stove near an openable window — for reasons that should be obvious.
I’m not clear what kind of window Lindy has that will be behind the Aga, but if you’re reading, Lindy: if you haven’t done this already, please check this out with a kitchen designer or contractor who knows your local building code. That’s would be one hell of a lot of money to spend, only to have to undo the installation.
Hi Lindy – glad I could help. Combining the under the window look with the mantel look does sound like a tall order – but without seeing the space and the plans, I wouldn’t really be able to say. Are you absolutely sure the window is the only way you can go? I’m sure it could look fantastic, but it would be a shame if you still wish you had the mantel look when you are done, I don’t suppose you are going to do this too many times in your life!
I don’t know your situation, are you working with a designer? It sounds as if some time spent exploring different possibilities with a professional kitchen designer would be a worthwhile investment. Actually, worth its weight in cast iron.
Thanks for the picture! It is the first one I have seen with a stove under a window. Luckily my window is a box window and the actual glass sets back about 10 inches behind the Aga. (That is when it gets installed!) Hopefully it won’t be too much of a problem for cleaning.
I always wanted the mantel look over my Aga. Do you think that is something that can be incorporated when you have a window involved?
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