For porcelian I reccome d barkeeprs friend and a microfiber cloth.
For stainless I use a steel scrubby and scrub it good.

jdoenumber2: I will definitely try the barkeepers friend and microfiber cloth on porcelain -- thanks!

That happened with my Frigidaire too, which is a pity because in all other respects it's a GREAT range. Elbow grease and barkeepers works but it is a lot of effort as the metal under the porcelain is rusting. On older stoves they kept this from happening because they had metal (chrome?) burner liners that at the end of the evening you could just take off the stove and put in the dishwasher and then the next morning you put the clean liner back on the stovetop and had a beautifully clean stovetop again. These burner liners were not "sexy" and are impossible to find these days as they are not made for most of the models on the market. But you should not presume that this is happening because it is porcelain, there have been numerous reports of stainless steel rusting, corroding, or otherwise becoming yucky too. I think that it really has to do with the quality of the metal used and the types of environmentally friendly coating they may use on it. Not even Lecanche covers enameled panels in its warranty. I would definitely read of the warranty and try to find owners of the stove that you are thinking of buying, hopefully, another owner's experience will be the same as yours and the manufacturer didn't change things at the factory in the meantime.

practigal: Thanks very much for your input. I can see that quality of finish, not just TYPE of finish, can be significant. I'm also thinking that sealed burners require specific vigilance, as where the cooktop joins the burner is a natural area for gook to burn on. In the Lacanche, there is no such "join", just a little collar or standing neck, and the burner parts can be removed and rinsed in the sink if they are soiled. So the sealed burner cooktop surface has to be worked over more to remove soil around a sealed burnerâ¦

Before the Frigidaire, before the Lacanche, I had a (now 20 yo) Viking gas range with open burners and a drip tray below⦠My point is that I have never had a range with sealed burners before, so it, and its specific issues, is new to me!

If the open burner can be EASILY cleaned...and can really be used from high to low BTU output I would seriously consider it. Have you tried induction? It is reportedly both the most responsive and the easiest to clean.

Practigal,

Thanks for the nudge that direction; I am very seriously considering induction, but I keep going back to wishing I could purchase a range, rather than a 36" cooktop and two ovens. The kicker is that one cannot purchase a range larger than 30" with induction, and I do want a little more room than 30".

I understand some brands are on the verge of offering one, or offering a partial induction / partial gas on a duel fuel range larger than 30", but the options may not be available when I need it, as we are one to two months from beginning construction on a home. If _I_ were "practigal" (or perhaps just smarter or less influenced by emotion!), I would go with the induction cooktop and separate ovens for certain, as that means the fewest compromises!

To be honest: I realize now that my former Lacanche had the easiest to clean top one could have, short of going with a smooth surface, as in induction. And I did not like to pan sear very often, as cleaning the range top was still a 20-30 minute job to both degrease and polish w/ SS cleaner. (I mean if you browned meat, not just sautéed veggies, and there was considerable splatter.)

So if I learn from my past experience, I will go with induction no matter what (cooktop/ovens OR range), which would be entirely new for me. At least I am not in love with fire, as some cooks are. I know some people really just don't adjust to induction, but I don't think that would be the case for me.

If you could have a 36" cooktop with two wall ovens especially where the main oven is at a great height for your back, I would definitely do that....

Our Lacanche replaced a 1950s enameled electric range and the gunk that collected around the coil top burners, which was a never ending battle (I lost). I do find the single stainless piece on the Lacanche easy to clean and because of that I think it the range IS actually cleaner. In terms of your question, if Bar Keepers doesn't work, I'd give some diluted Simple Green a try.

Also a new poster on the Lacanche thread said they are coming out with induction Lacanche ranges in the Spring. I don't know what sizes but might be worth a look.

That was me! I emailed them and they said full induction ranges like they have in the UK will not be available, but they will have an induction module available for the larger ranges as a "range top option". So you'd have gas and induction!

Kitchengirl - do you know of any other brands that may be offering this sort of function soon? Either 36" induction range, or combo gas/induction range?

ButternutAigreDoux,
I know of one, but the date of release and announcement that it will be available, have not been made public. It is larger than 36" and is generally considered a stylistic competitor to Lacanche. I was told this 4-6 months ago, but haven't been able to obtain further information (that is why I am not being more specific, but you can email me), so I'm still looking at all options. Truthfully, I would prefer the simplicity of one option or the other for the cooktop.

Thanks! That's interesting. You're talking about another French company, then?

I wonder if any of the big pro range makers will make an induction range. Viking makes one that looks nice but still only 30". I would consider a 36" Wolf/Thermador/Miele induction rangeâ¦or even a 36" semi-pro Electrolux/Kitchenaid/JennAir or whatnot.

I'd totally get this Induction Volnay if I lived in the UK.

Here is a link that might be useful: Induction Volnay

This post was edited by ButternutAigreDoux on Sun, Feb 1, 15 at 13:19