AGA Aga Rangemaster

LONDON—Whirlpool Corp. has approached AGA Rangemaster Group PLC, the iconic British maker of cast-iron ovens, over a possible cash bid, turning up the heat on Middleby Corp., which agreed in July to buy AGA for £ 129 million ($198 million.)

The U.S. consumer-goods giant gave no further details in confirming the approach on Tuesday.

Shares in AGA--based in Leamington Spa, England and traded in London--shot higher early this summer after Elgin, Ill.-based Middleby Corp.--a Nasdaq-listed maker of commercial and residential cooking equipment--said it had agreed to buy the company.

While AGA is small, its hulking and expensive stoves, dating back to 1922, have become one of Britain' most quintessential brands in recent years.

The stoves are made of cast iron. Instead of being switched on an off, they are heated by a constant source—at one time coal, but more often these days natural gas or heating oil. The company has benefited recently from new interest in authentic, home cooking. The oven's popularity also tends to dovetail with booms in high-end real estate in and around London, with many buyers more willing to pay for high-end fixtures.

Fans—some of them British and foreign celebrities—swear by the oven's slow-cooked roasts and baked goods, while the constantly running oven also can help heat a room or a home. The company has positioned itself as a brand at the center of traditional English country kitchen life.

AGA touts famous backers including British chef Jamie Oliver and Mary Berry, a judge on the British Broadcasting Corp.'s popular "The Great British Bake Off."

The Aktiebolaget Gas Accumulator was designed by Swedish scientist and Nobel prize-winning physicist Gustaf Dalen in 1922. According to AGA, he was confined to his home after an experiment rendered him blind and sought to build a better stove for his wife. His creation was a cast-iron cooker that included two enclosed ovens and two large hotplates—similar to many of the company's current models. The company started rolling out ovens on a commercial scale in 1929.

AGA said any deal with Whirlpool would be subject to a number of conditions, and has granted Whirlpool due diligence access. It cautioned there is no certainty a deal will be struck.

AGA said it will continue to proceed with the Middleby deal, and recommends shareholders vote in favor of it at a meeting on Sept. 8. AGA and Middleby agreed to an 185-pence-a-share offer on July 15.

AGA shares midday in London were trading up 17.50 pence, or 9.55% higher, at 200.75 pence, having peaked at 208.2 pence earlier in the session. They are currently up 34% over the past 12 months and 8.6% above Middleby's offer price.

Write to Ian Walker at ian.walker@wsj.com

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 01, 2015 07:15 ET (11:15 GMT)

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