Mercury is AGA's professional-style range cooker brand. Its range cookers come in 100 cm, 110 cm and 120 cm widths, each with a matching chimney hood. It suits a larger kitchen and a cook who likes plenty of hob space, two ovens and a separate grill. The range cookers come in a choice of seven colours, and the hoods in several finishes, so you can match a hood to your cooker.
The first choice in Mercury cooking is the hob. Dual fuel models have five gas burners, with cast-iron pan supports and a wok cradle for high-heat stir-frying. Induction models have an easy-clean glass top, with hot hob indicators that show when a zone is still warm. Induction heats the pan directly, so it responds quickly and is easier to wipe down. It does draw much more power, though: the induction cookers list a maximum electrical load of 18.4 kW, against 7.4 kW for dual fuel, so check your electrical supply before you buy. All the range cookers have the same layout. On the left is a 78-litre multifunction oven with seven functions, on the right a fanned oven, plus a separate dual-circuit grill and a storage drawer. Both ovens are rated A for energy.
The Mercury cooker hoods come in two chimney styles. Pitch has a slim pyramid shape, while Slab has a squarer T-shaped design. Both have three speeds plus a booster, extracting up to 511 m³/h in normal use and 795 m³/h on boost. Both vent outside through a 150 mm duct and have built-in spotlights to light the hob. The booster is for clearing steam fast after searing or frying, and the lower speeds run more quietly the rest of the time.
To narrow the choice, start with the space you have and pick the 100, 110 or 120 cm width. Then choose gas or induction based on your gas and electricity supply and how you like to cook. Finally, choose the hood width to match the cooker, and pick Pitch or Slab for the look you want.
