Rangemaster Heritage

Rangemaster are the market leaders in range cookers. From the distinctive design of the Elan Deluxe, to the contemporary styling of the Nexus, the Rangemaster is famous for its style and functionality. We are able to draw on a long history, stretching back over 200 years. 

Built from experience
1803 - 1830

OUR STORY BEGINS

In 1803 John Flavel moved his operation to Leamington Spa. Generations of the Flavel family would become civic leaders in the town, while the factory itself became a major local employer. Then in 1833 the mighty Eagle Foundry was built.

The new foundry enabled John's son, William, to expand and develop his epoch-making 1830 invention, the Kitchener range cooker...

Kitchener
1830 - 1850

THE BIRTH OF THE KITCHENER

Manufactured in cast iron and heated by solid fuel, the kitchener could be used to boil, roast, bake and warm - all from the same heat source. It was hailed as one of the greatest domestic institutions of the 19th Century.

Indeed a contemporary advert at the time described it as...

"The most ready means of performing in the best manner, either separately or at the same time, all the operations of cooking with only one fire, and that an open one, which may be of any size to suit the kitchen of the smallest cottage, or the largest mansion or hotel.... its arrangement is so simple, in every department of the culinary process, that servants cannot easily disorder or mismanage it."

Following the death of William Flavel in 1844, his son Sidney took over and ran the firm. In 1851 he exhibited the Kitchener at the Great Exhibition, in Crystal Palace. The exhibition celebrated the supremacy of British manufacturing and was attended by Her Majesty Queen Victoria, along with her aunt, the Duchess of Gloucester. The Duchess was so impressed with the Kitchener she ordered one for Kensington Palace.

AGA
1851 - 1950

THE TURN OF THE CENTURY

Between 1851 and the turn of the century, the Kitchener won many more awards throughout the world. As the Victorian era wore on, the Kitchener went from strength to strength. Its status was recognised by everyone from Edward VII and the King of Italy to the Emperor of Germany - who all had Kitchener stoves.

Following the First World War, developments in gas and electricity paved the way for the next generation of range cookers. Much of the historic cast iron technology was adopted by Rangemaster's sister company AGA, passing to Alastair Darby's foundry at Coalbrookdale, where AGA and Rayburns have been made since 1946.

Sidney Flavel remained at the forefront of cooker styling and technology and his reputation for innovation remained. Indeed much modern domestic cooker technology has its roots in the development laboratories of Royal Leamington Spa.

Rangemaster 110
1951 - 1995

PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF INNOVATION

Rangemaster were the first to offer colour shaded cookers, the first dual fuel cooker and the fold away grill all came from the laboratories at Leamington.

Then, in 1995, Rangemaster launched its first double oven range cooker, the Rangemaster 110, which would become our best ever-selling range cooker so far.

Nexus SE
2002 - 2014

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE

In 2002 the Royal Leamington Spa site was transformed into a centre of excellence for range cooking. 

With exceptional facilities in place including a state of the art Research & Development facility, Rangemaster has the platform to continue to be Europe's No.1 range cooker manufacturer for years to come. We continue to produce cookers and sinks of the highest quality right here in the UK, staying true to a history of innovation, design and reliability - attributes that you'll also find in our refrigeration range, wine storage units, kitchen sinks, dishwashers and cookware.

As part of the AGA Rangemaster Group, Rangemaster products are available globally. In the UK Rangemaster is renowned for its wide range of cookers and appliances. To ensure our products continue to perform to their best potential we employ home economist, Alexandra Dibble, who carries out British standard cook tests on all of our ovens. She also tests all of our cleaning products on our cookers and checks that our user manuals are easy to follow and understand.

1 million
2015

1 MILLION RANGE COOKERS

On 4th March 2015 we celebrated the historic milestone of manufacturing Rangemaster’s millionth modern range cooker at our plant in Leamington Spa. For a look at the build up to the celebrations, watch our "Countdown to the Millionth" video.

Nexus Steam
2019

INTRODUCING THE NEXUS STEAM - INNOVATION TO THE RANGE COOKING MARKET

In 2019, Rangemaster continued to lead the way by introducing the NEXUS Steam. This brand new unique range cooker combines a variety of cooking functions in one single appliance including a dedicated steam cavity. For healthy meals that all the family can enjoy, the steam cavity helps to retain food's natural vitamins, minerals, texture and taste.