Andrew & Tracey Keller – AGA eR3 Owners

Visit the owners of the first ER3 cooker sold in Australia. A beautiful home located in the heart of Port Melbourne, overlooking the Spirit of Tasmania and Westgate Bridge, live Andrew, Tracey, their son Tom, and their ER3 Induction cooker in Black.

A beautiful family we have come to know, and love are Andrew and Tracey Keller, frequenting our AGA cooking demonstrations, so engrossed with the “AGA”, always wanting to constantly find out tips and tricks on how to get the most out of their cooker. After deciding on the new AGA ER3-4i cooker with two-zone Induction Plate, the first on sold in Australia might I emphasize, I head over to their Port Melbourne home to see the cooker in situ.

With panoramic views of the ocean and Spirit of Tasmania in dock, I am so encapsulated by their home and the area surrounding it. I have never been to Port Melbourne before, but it is a place I would love to return to. I walk in and am immediately enamoured with their AGA – it fits like a dream. Like it’s always been there. The black 100cm cooker, contrasting with the marble splashback and white cabinetry are a match made in heaven.

Andrew and Tracey, along with their son Tom, have been residing in this Port Melbourne home for several years. Andrew runs his IT company (NCI) in the city, with Tracey managing the Operations side of the business. Originally wanting the AGA 60 cooker, they settled on the new ER3-4i with Induction plate once it launched in Australia. The Induction Plate was a must-have and was the contributing factor from their switch to the ER3. They needed an oven to sit in the place where their gas cooktop once sat. Any AGA bigger than the ER3 would require too much renovation and cutting of cabinets. Any AGA smaller, would require filling the gaps with more marble and wood. It was fate; the AGA ER3 fit perfectly. Andrew grew up with a similar oven, and loved the way it cooked and produced food, so when looking for a new oven to replace their wall oven, the AGA was at the top of their list.

Deciding on a colour was the next difficult step for the Kellers. We often find clients are quick to decide on the model of cooker and size but choosing of the colour is the stage that stumps all. They wanted a colour that was timeless and stood out, but also tailored the aesthetic of the kitchen. Dartmouth Blue, White and Pewter were colours they juggled around, but they finally decided on Black. Simple, minimalistic, and extremely on trend, contrasting with the marble benchtops and white cabinetry.”

The Kellers take me on a tour of their beautiful apartment, it has a wonderful community vibe. They point out the window and show me the communal pool and lounging area. An area that has been the location for many apartment-building Christmas’, birthdays and even weddings. Tom has grown up with the other children that live in this complex, and it feels like one giant family. We head upstairs to their rooftop balcony, overlooking the port, where I meet the AGA’s rivalry: The Barbeque. The Kellers often conduct competitions between the AGA and Barbeque. Tracey will cook on the AGA, and Andrew on the Barbeque, then let their guests decides what wins. They can work together though; in summer when having a lunch or dinner party, Tracey will cook the vegetables and sides in the AGA, and Andrew will cook the meat on the Barbeque. They call it: Meat Fest. It’s a wonderful balance. Their favourite meals to cook are a big breakfast on weekend, comprising of eggs, bacon and sausages, grilled to perfection in the top of the Roasting Oven. Plus the slow cook Simmer Oven makes many a curry, soup and perfectly cooked vegetables.

Toasted sandwiches are next on their ‘favourites’ list, made straight on the Hotplate. They haven’t used their AGA toaster yet, but they are excited to start experimenting. The family recipe cheese cake, a daunting task, was a huge baking success for Tracey over a few recent birthdays. Andrew and Tracey rave about how easy the AGA is to use, and it’s sheer flexibility. That’s one of their favourite aspects of the cooker, the food “just tastes so much better!” They tell me all dishes they’ve cooked so far, have just tasted incredible, compared to their previous wall oven. They mentioned with such a gentle AGA heat the food doesn’t burn or dry out like before. With their old oven, they would never leave a roast slow cooking in their while they were out at work, but with the AGA, they leave it cooking for hours while they are out of the house. They trust it; they know nothing will go wrong.

Their son Tom is well-equipped with the AGA, often finding himself experimenting while his parents aren’t home, and taking it upon himself to make his own dinner and dessert. He’s had hits, as well as a few misses, but that is all apart of the fun. Their favourite memory? Tom’s famous cookies. He once made choc chip cookies for a school project, and was testing a batch. He put way too much baking powder, and when he took them out of the oven, they had grown into giant muffins. They will still delicious though, and everyone at school loved them!

Travelling out to AGA and Rayburn owners homes, listening to their stories, and seeing the cookers in their kitchens is one of the most rewarding things about my job. Especially with Andrew and Tracey, from seeing them at our AGA cooking demonstrations trying to get their head around an AGA, to ordering it, experimenting with it, and now telling me all about the incredible food they make, it’s so inspiring to witness. The passion they exude when talking about their AGA and the food they’ve created is lovely to hear. I can’t wait to hear what other dishes they produce with their AGA over the next few months.

Images and words by Paula Vinci.

Andrew & Tracey Keller – AGA eR3 Owners

Visit the owners of the first ER3 cooker sold in Australia. A beautiful home located in the heart of Port Melbourne, overlooking the Spirit of Tasmania and Westgate Bridge, live Andrew, Tracey, their son Tom, and their ER3 Induction cooker in Black.

AGA Australia wishes to acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurong peoples of the East Kulin Nations who are the TrADITIONal Custodians of the land on which we work and gather. We pay our respect to elders, both past and present.

AGA Australia wishes to acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurong peoples of the East Kulin Nations who are the TrADITIONal Custodians of the land on which we work and gather. We pay our respect to elders, both past and present.