Remember the faucet ad in which the well-groomed couple challenges the stentorian architect to “build a house around this?” Well, I’m not sure I’d be willing to engage in that level of commitment, but I would certainly be willing to build a kitchen around the impressive new Masterchef XL Range Cooker from Aga.

Masterchef XL Range Cooker. Manufactured by Aga.

Aga’s Masterchef XL Offers Gas or Induction Hobs For State-of-the-Art Cooking Performance

If I may be allowed to begin with the appliance’s compelling aesthetic… the Aga Masterchef XL is a bit of old school industrial meets contemporary cutting edge. Featuring a front with a pair of oversized cooking drawers, lateral-opening doors, and chamfered corners, the Masterchef XL exudes a classical yet understated elegance.

Moving on to the multi-functional cooktop, however, the Aga Masterchef XL is all business. The gas model offers six burners varying in size from 1 to 3. 5 kW, thus providing sufficient variability to perform any cooking task—from concocting a quick hollandaise to pan-frying a delectable ribeye.

The gas hob version also features a cast aluminum griddle and cast iron wok ring, the former presenting an ideal medium for everything from cooking eggs to rapid searing of burgers, vegetables and fish.

The induction model, for its part, offers electromagnetic cooking technology that achieves up to 90% efficiency. Other induction features like an automatic pan identification function and uniform cooking performance help to avoid hot spots as well as the common peril of an empty pan left on the burner—thus further saving electricity, increasing efficiency, and enhancing safety.

The Aga Masterchef XL’s multi-function 69 liter capacity oven offers all the perks of an industrial kitchen. Thermostatic control promises even, slow heat for perfect execution of complicated dishes such as casseroles and meringues; and fan-assisted functions help achieve consistent temps for precision grilling, browning, and defrosting.

Lastly, the Aga Masterchef XL is primed to match any existing decor. Aga offers both induction and gas hob versions in a plethora of pretty colors: Cream, Gloss Black, Cranberry, Pewter and Pearl Ashes.

About the Manufacturer: Aga owes its origins to a Nobel prize winning-physicist and his wife, Elma. Confined to his home after a failed experiment cost him his sight, Dr Gustaf Dalén created the world’s first cast iron heat-storage cooker, much to the pleasure of Elma. By 1929, manufacturing was under way for this revolutionary appliance that contained two large hotplates and a pair of side-by-side ovens. Today, Aga is a household name in household appliances. The company’s product line extends from stoves and cooktops to refrigerators and an entire range of cooking accessories.