Mercury Range Cooker Review: 5kW Wok, 638mm Deep, No Timer

This Mercury range cooker review starts with what you are actually paying for. Mercury is AGA Rangemaster’s top domestic brand, built in Britain on the same family of parts as Falcon, with heavier oven fittings, chunky metal “hi-fi” dials and seven enamel colours. Every model has a 5kW wok burner (or a five-zone induction hob), catalytic oven linings and three years’ parts and labour cover.

The two catches are fixed across the range. Every Mercury is 638mm deep, so it stands proud of standard 600mm worktops, and none has a clock or timer. If you can live with both, it is one of the best-finished ranges you can buy in the UK. If you cannot, a Falcon gives you much the same cooking in a 600mm body.

We built this review from the published specifications of all six current Mercury models (three widths, each in dual fuel or induction), as listed by the UK stockist Rangecookers.co.uk on 14 November 2026, plus owners’ reviews on the same pages. We have not cooked on them in a test kitchen, and where an opinion comes from owners rather than the specification, we say so.

Who makes Mercury

Mercury is one of the AGA Rangemaster Group’s brands, alongside Rangemaster, Falcon and AGA itself. The stockist describes it as the “performance end” of the group’s ranges: same factory family, with stainless steel telescopic shelves, a heavy glide-out grill tray and those metal control dials. Our semi professional range cooker comparison sets it against Falcon, Lacanche, La Cornue and ILVE.

The three Mercury models compared

All three dual fuel models share one hob: a 5kW wok burner, three 3kW burners and a 1.7kW simmer burner on six matt cast iron supports, with single-handed ignition and flame failure on every burner. The induction versions have five zones, from 1.4kW (2.2kW on boost) to 2.3kW (3.7kW on boost). All stand 920mm to 945mm high on adjustable feet.

Every oven is energy rated A. The main oven has seven functions: fanned, conventional, browning element, base heat only, fan-assisted, fanned grilling and defrost. The grill cavity is the same on all three: 450mm wide with the tray on telescopic rails. Dual fuel models need a 7.4kW electrical supply; the induction models draw up to 18.4kW and need a 32 amp cooker circuit.

What Mercury does well

The 5kW wok burner. It is the same output as Falcon and more than the 3.5kW wok burner on a Rangemaster Classic 110. Big pans boil faster, and a wok sears rather than steams. The 1000 and 1200 come with a wok support.

Proper fittings inside the ovens. Catalytic liners on the back and sides of the main oven, a removable enamel floor plate, a telescopic shelf and a grill tray on glide-out rails. These are the parts that wear on cheaper ranges, and on a Mercury they are the heavy-duty versions. One owner of a 1082 induction, who was otherwise unhappy, still singled out the grill rack as “very heavy”.

Colour. Mercury comes in seven finishes: stainless steel, Oyster, Snowdrop, Liquorice gloss, Ash Black satin, Blueberry and Indigo. They are deep vitreous enamel colours rather than painted panels, and they are a large part of why people choose Mercury over a stainless-only professional range.

Three-year cover. Mercury gives three years’ parts and labour, against two for Rangemaster, if you register within 30 days of delivery. Our page on range cooker warranty deadlines covers the small print. Delivery through Mercury’s premium service includes unpacking, installation and testing.

Owners who stay loyal. On the stockist’s pages, one buyer replaced a Mercury that had lasted 22 years with a new 1082 and found it “equally efficient and well made”; another replaced a flood-damaged Mercury 1200 with the same model and “wouldn’t have any other cooker”. These are individual reviews, not a reliability survey.

What owners and the spec sheet flag

638mm deep. Most UK worktops are 600mm. A Mercury stands about 4cm proud, so you either build out the units either side or accept a step. Falcon’s Deluxe models are 600mm and Rangemaster’s Classic 110 is 617mm. Our guide to kitchen cabinet sizes explains why this matters.

The 1082 is an odd width. At 1082mm it is 10mm narrower than a Rangemaster Classic 110 or a Falcon 1092. One owner who swapped from a Rangemaster pointed out that a worktop cut for the Mercury would not take a standard 110cm range later. If you are planning a kitchen around it, decide on the cooker first; see what size range cooker you need.

Tall, narrow second ovens on the 1000 and 1082. The tall fanned oven is 270mm wide on the 1000 and 296mm on the 1082, though 575mm high. That suits a tall roast or several shelves of small trays, but the same 1082 owner complained it “doesn’t even fit a full sized baking tray”. If you want two equal ovens, the 1200 is the only Mercury with a second oven as wide as the first (465mm).

No timer. There is no clock, no minute minder and no programmer on any model. For some buyers this is a feature, since there is less to fail; for anyone who batch-bakes, it means a separate kitchen timer.

Heat-up and noise complaints. The same unhappy 1082 induction owner reported a slow oven heat-up, rattly doors and a constant noise that meant switching off at the isolator. That is one review against several positive ones, so treat it as a reason to see one running in a showroom, not as a verdict.

Which Mercury to buy

• Mercury 1000 if your gap is 100cm. The tall second oven is the smallest in the range at 66 litres, so it suits households that mostly use one oven.
• Mercury 1082 if you want the biggest oven capacity in a gap around 110cm (78 plus 81 litres), and you check the tall oven takes the trays you own.
• Mercury 1200 if you have 120cm. It is the only one with two equal 78 litre ovens and a 22 litre storage drawer. Of the three, this is the one we would choose for a family that cooks big meals.

Choose dual fuel if you have mains gas and like cooking on flame; there is an LPG conversion kit if you are off the grid (see LPG and oil range cookers). Choose induction for speed and easy cleaning, and check your consumer unit can take an 18.4kW appliance on a 32 amp circuit. Our induction versus gas range cooker page sets out the trade-offs.

Mercury against Falcon

The two share a hob and much of the oven design. Mercury adds the metal dials, colours, catalytic liners and heavier fittings; Falcon is 600mm deep and has more models, including a single-cavity 900. If your kitchen has standard 600mm worktops and you do not need a colour, Falcon makes more sense. If you want a coloured range with the best finish the group makes, and can allow for the depth, Mercury is the one.

For the official installation and warranty details, check the AGA Rangemaster Group site for your model before ordering.

Frequently asked questions

Are Mercury range cookers any good? They are among the best-built domestic ranges sold in the UK, with a 5kW wok burner, catalytic oven liners and three years’ cover. The drawbacks are a 638mm depth that sticks out from standard worktops and no timer on any model.

Who makes Mercury range cookers? Mercury is a brand of the AGA Rangemaster Group, the same group that makes Rangemaster, Falcon and AGA. The ranges are built in the UK.

What colours do Mercury range cookers come in? Seven: stainless steel, Oyster, Snowdrop, Liquorice gloss, Ash Black satin, Blueberry and Indigo.

How deep is a Mercury range cooker? All current models are 638mm deep, compared with 600mm for most worktops, Falcon’s Deluxe ranges and standard built-in units.

Do Mercury range cookers have a timer? No. None of the six current models has a clock, minute minder or programmable timer.

How long is the Mercury warranty? Three years’ parts and labour, provided you register the cooker within 30 days of delivery.

Specifications taken from Rangecookers.co.uk’s listings for the Mercury 1000, 1082 and 1200 in dual fuel and induction, 14 November 2026. Check details with the manufacturer before you order, as specifications can change.