AGA GC 3 Use and care manual

03/06 EOPI 512428
PLEASE READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE USING THIS APPLIANCE
For use in GB and IE
Users
Instructions
&
Cooking
Guide
GC 3
(THREE OVEN)

SECTION PAGE
HEALTH AND SAFETY 3
YOUR AGA COOKER 4
TO LIGHT THE BURNER 5
TO EXTINGUISH THE BURNER 5
BURNER CONTROLS 6
OPERATING THE AGA 7
OVEN THERMOSTAT CONTROL 8
GUIDE TO AGA COOKER 8
FITTING OF OVEN SHELVES 9
REMOVAL OF OVEN SHELVES 10
CLEANING AND CARING 11
SERVICING 12
2
CONTENTS

Consumer Protection
As responsible manufacturers we take care to make sure that our products are designed and
constructed to meet the required safety standards when properly installed and used.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: PLEASE READ THE ACCOMPANYING WARRANTY
Any alteration that is not approved by Aga could invalidate the approval of the appliance,
operation of the warranty and could also affect your statutory rights.
APPLIANCE
YOUNG CHILDREN SHOULD BE KEPT AWAY FROM THE APPLIANCE AS SURFACES CAN
BECOME HOT TO THE TOUCH.
Deep Fat Frying
zIMPORTANT: Oil is a fire risk, do not leave pans containing oil unattended.
zIn the event of a fire, cover the pan with a lid and turn OFF the appliance.
Smother the flames on the hob preferably with a fire blanket, rather than attempting to
remove the pan to the outside.
Burns and injuries are caused almost invariably by picking up the burning pan to carry
outside.
zUse a deep pan, large enough to completely cover the appropriate heating area.
zNever fill the pan more than one-third full of fat or oil.
zNever leave oil or fat unattended during the heating or cooking period.
zDo not hang clothes over the left hand side of the Aga hand-rail, because the burner is
behind the top left hand door, and requires an air intake to burn properly.
HEALTH & SAFETY
3

4
THE AGA COOKER
This appliance is a heat storage cooker with an automatic gas control, which will keep the
temperature of the cooker constant when not in use and return it to the constant temperature
after use.
The GC3 cooker has three ovens, namely, the Roasting Oven, Baking Oven and Simmering
Oven. ‘Grilling’ and ‘frying’ can be done in the top and bottom positions in the Roasting Oven.
Your Aga is supplied with the following accessories:
1 Large roasting tin with grill rack
1 Half-size roasting tin with grill rack
3 Oven grid shelves
1 Plain shelf
1 Toaster
1 Aga book
1 Wire brush
In addition there is a guarantee registration card which should be completed and returned toAga.
DESN 512433
Fig 1

SEE FIGS. 2 & 3.
CAUTION: BEFORE LIGHTING: ENSURE THAT THE GAS VALVE CONTROL KNOB (2) IS
SET IN THE OFF POSITION.
1. Turn on gas supply to cooker and open gas cock 1at the base of the gas valve.
2. Turn the gas valve control knob 2anti-clockwise to the position ( ) (see Fig. 3B). Press
down firmly and hold the knob in this position while depressing the piezo ignitor 3several
times until the pilot has lit. This can be observed through the burner housing aperture.
3. When the pilot has lit continue to hold the gas valve control knob down for approx. 30
seconds. If it goes out, wait three minutes and repeat the procedure holding for a little
longer.
4. With the pilot flame established, rotate the gas valve control knob 2anti-clockwise to its
low fire position (see Fig. 3C). Where upon the main burner will automatically light. Leave
in the low fire position for at least 30 minutes.
5. After 30 minutes rotate the control knob further anti-clockwise to the mid-position of the
green band for normal running (see Fig. 3D).
NOTE: AFTER SEVERAL HOURS THE HEAT INDICATOR SHOULD BE ON OR ABOUT THE
BLACK LINE IN THE SILVER SECTION. IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO ADJUST THE
CONTROL KNOB SLIGHTLY IN THE GREEN BAND TO ACHIEVE THIS.
When the cooker is lit from cold, moisture may form on the enamel which should be wiped off to
prevent staining.
IF THE FLAME HAS EXTINGUISHED FOR WHATEVER REASON, WAIT THREE MINUTES
(MINIMUM) BEFORE RE-LIGHTING.
NOTE: IF THE PILOT EXTINGUISHES
For safety purposes a flue safety device (6) is fitted.
This will only operate in adverse flue conditions, it should be checked and if necessary
depressed. If this problem persists contact your local engineer to determine and rectify the
cause.
NOTE: REMEMBER TO NOTE THE SETTING OF THE GAS VALVE CONTROL KNOB 2
PRIOR TO EXTINGUISHING THE BURNER.
Turn the gas valve control knob clockwise to the off position (See Fig. 3A).
Frost Precautions
In the event of the cooker being switched OFF for long periods during very cold weather, the
advice of the local gas region or Aga Specialist should be obtained.
TO LIGHT THE BURNER
TO EXTINGUISH THE BURNER
5

BURNER CONTROLS
6
(6) (2)
(3)
(5)
(4)
(1)
Fig. 2 DESN 512341
DESN 512342
Fig. 3
FIG. A
FIG. B
FIG. C
FIG. D

The following points are intended to help during the change-over from your previous cooker to
theAga way of life. You will also find that theAga Book and theAga new user guide video provide
a very useful introduction to the cooker.
After the Aga has been installed
When first lit, the Aga will emit an odour for a short while. Do not worry, this is simply due to
protective oil burning off the hotplates. If you can wipe the inside of the hotplate whilst the Aga
is heating up it will avoid a film of this oil being deposited on the inside of the lids. Also,
condensation may occur on the top plate and front plate whilst theAga is heating up. This should
be wiped away as soon as possible.
The Heat Indicator
The heat indicator is above the Roasting Oven door and has three sections - black, silver and
red. When the indicator is on or around the black line in the silver section the cooker is at the
correct working temperature. The purpose of the heat indicator is to show whether or not the
cooker as a whole contains the full amount of stored heat and it should, therefore, only be
referred to first thing in the morning or after a period of several hours during which no cooking
has been done.
For most effective operation of the cooker the following points should be carefully observed:
1. Close the insulating covers whenever the hotplates are not in use.
2. Clean the hotplates regularly with the wire brush.
3. Utensils with ground flat bases must be used to make perfect contact with the hotplates.
4. Have the cooker serviced at regular intervals by your Aga distributor.
5. Take care, when closing the oven doors, to lift them on to the catch.
6. Try to cook as much as possible in the ovens, so that heat is conserved and cooking smells
and condensation are reduced.
The Roasting Oven can also be used for ‘grilling’ at the top and shallow ‘frying’ on the bottom.
Do keep the insulated covers down when the hotplates are not in use so that the heat stored in
the cooker is conserved.
zFor optimum cooking performance, use the Aga utensils and cast iron cookware. They
have thick ground bases which give the best contact with the hotplates.
zTheAga pans can be stacked in the Simmering Oven.This is especially useful for steaming
vegetables and simmering sauces.
zStore the Plain Shelf out of the Aga. Use it cold, in the Roasting Oven to deflect the heat
from the top of the oven, thus creating a more moderate oven temperature. It can also be
used as a baking sheet.
zA guide to Aga cooking is given on page 10. Ask your Aga distributor for an invitation to an
Aga demonstration.
OPERATING THE AGA
7
BLACK SILVER
too hightoo low correct amount of
stored heat
RED
BLACK LINE
Fig. 4

8
FITTING OF OVEN SHELVES
DESN 512403
DESN 512404
Fig.5
Fig. 6
If this is the first time you have used this type of oven shelf, go through the procedure of changing the oven shelf with the
aid of Figs. 5 to 8.

9
REMOVAL OF OVEN SHELVES
DESN 512405
DESN 512406
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

When the cooker is in use the gas control knob should be set to the mid-position of the green
band (See Fig. 3D) with the indicator on or about the black line in the silver section of the heat
indicator. It may be necessary to adjust the control knob slightly within the green band to achieve
this.
WHEN USING ALL OF THE OVENS AND HOTPLATES TOGETHER FOR A LONG PERIOD
OF TIME i.e. full meal.
In the above case, the Baking Oven temperature may rise, it will therefore be necessary to adjust
the cooking procedure, the following suggestions may prove useful:
1. When placing the food in the Baking Oven, ensure that the cold Plain Shelf is set directly
above the dish, for the whole of the cooking time.
2. In addition it may be necessary to lower the shelf position.
3. When baking food, such as very rich fruit cakes, which require a long period of cooking
time, place the cake on the grid shelf of the oven with the cold plain shelf set directly
above, for 3/4 hour approximately. Move the plain shelf to the middle of the Simmering
Oven. Transfer the cake to this shelf and bake until cooked through.
4. Alternatively, allow the Baking Oven to cool for approximately 4 hours before using.
NOTE: A loose perforated metal plate is positioned in the top of the Baking Oven in order
to optimise cooking performance. It must remain in place at all times while the cooker is
in operation.
OVEN THERMOSTAT CONTROL
10
Top - grilling
2nd runner - scones, small pastries;
3rd runner - bread rolls, yorkshire
pudding;
4th runner - roasts, poultry, small cakes in
cases in the large meat tin.
Grid shelf on oven floor - loaves.
Oven floor - shallow frying, quiche.
GRILLING
SCONES
PASTRIES
BREAD
YORKSHIRE PUDDING
ROASTS
SHALLOW FRYING
For casseroles, stock, milk puddings,
bring to heat elsewhere on the Aga then
transfer to Simmering Oven. (One
exception is meringues). Rich fruit cakes
can be cooked for a long time here
CASSEROLES
STOCK
MILK PUDDINGS
MERINGUES
RICH FRUIT CAKE
CAKES
BISCUITS
FISH
SOUFFLÉS
SHORTBREAD
CHEESECAKES
Towards top - whisked sponges,
some biscuits, small cakes
Middle - fish, soufflés.
Grid shelf on oven floor - Victoria
sandwiches, shortbread and cheesecake
OVEN TEMPERATURE AGA OVENS
HIGH
MODERATE
LOW
ROASTING OVEN
SIMMERING OVEN
BAKING OVEN
GUIDE TO AGA COOKING
BAKING OVEN

11
REMEMBER: BE CAREFUL OF THE HOT APPLIANCE.
DO NOT USE A STEAMER CLEANER TO CLEAN THIS COOKER.
DO NOT USE ABRASIVE PADS OR OVEN CLEANERS.
Top Plate and Front Plate
The easiest way to clean the Aga top plate and front plate is to mop up spills as soon as they
happen. Baked-on food is more difficult to clean but can usually be removed with proprietary
vitreous enamel cleaners or mild cream cleaners using a damp cloth, or, if necessary a nylon
scouring pad. If milk or fruit juice or anything containing acid, is spilt on the Aga, wipe it up
immediately. Also clean off any condensation streaks on the front plate around the oven doors
or the vitreous enamel maybe permanently discoloured.
All that is usually needed to keep the vitreous enamel surfaces of your Aga bright and clean is a
daily rub over with a damp soapy cloth followed immediately with a clean, dry cloth to avoid
streaks.
Remember the top plate and the polished covers will scratch if pans or utensils are dragged
across them.
Insulating Covers and Oven Doors
The linings of the insulating Covers and oven doors may be cleaned with a cream cleanser or a
soap impregnated pad.
Open the covers and lift off the oven doors to allow them to cool a little before cleaning. Do not,
however, immerse the doors in water as they are packed with insulating material which will be
damaged by excessive moisture.
Refer also to the Cleaning Section in the Aga Book.
Ovens and Hotplates
The cast iron ovens help to keep themselves clean, they merely need to be brushed out
occasionally with a long handled stiff brush.
The wire brush is provided for cleaning the hotplate and any burnt on spills in the cast iron ovens.
Roasting Tins
The roasting tins should be cleaned in hot, soapy water, soaking if necessary. A nylon scouring
pad can also be used. DO NOT use caustic cleaners.
DO NOT USE ANY OVEN CLEANERS.
Important: Aga recommend Vitreous Enamel Association approved cleaners for cleaning
the vitreous enamelled surfaces of this product.
But they are unsuitable for use on: chrome and stainless steel components, including the
insulating covers, hand-rails and their brackets.
The insulating covers should be cleaned regularly with a NON-ABRASIVE mild detergent,
applied with a soft (coarse free) cloth and lightly polished up afterwards with a soft
(coarse free) duster or tissue, to bring it back to its original lustre.
CLEANING AND CARING

zIn the event of your appliance requiring maintenance, please contact Aga Service or your
local authorised distributor/stockist.
zYour cooker must only be serviced by a qualified engineer, from an authorised Aga
Specialist.
zDo not alter or modify the cooker.
zOnly the spares specified by the manufacturer, are to be fitted.
For continued efficient and safe operation of this part of the appliance, it is important that
servicing is carried out at regular intervals as recommended by your Aga distributor or local gas
region, once every 12 months. The cooker should be turned OFF by the user the night preceding
the day of servicing so that the appliance will have cooled down by the following morning.
A HOT APPLIANCE CANNOT BE SERVICED.
12
SERVICING

13

14

15

16
For further advice or information contact your
local Aga Specialist
With Aga’s policy of continuous product
improvement, the Company reserves the right to
change specifications and make modifications to
the appliance described and illustrated at any time.
Manufactured By
Aga
Station Road
Ketley Telford
Shropshire TF1 5AQ
England
www.aga-web.co.uk
www.agacookshop.co.uk
www.agalinks.com