trying to decide on 48" range ...Lacanache, ILVE, Bluestar, Capital?

8 years ago

We are finally ready to do our much needed kitchen remodel and I am trying to decide on a 48" range (or a 40?) I see quite a few threads for Bluestar, but not much Lacanache and not very recent. Also, Has anyone gone with the Cornu Fe from Williams Sonoma or is it lame? Anyone gone with a Viking since they were purchased by Middleby? I want a traditional look (old Victorian farmhouse so Modern would look weird). Any thoughts out there?

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PRO
Joe Henderson
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
The cornice is a decent range that we sell about a dozen a year. Decent fit and finish and decent price point. Not the most powerful burners and ovens are on the small side. Also the size is rather odd at 43" wide. There are a few users on the appliance boards but not many. You can buy the cornufe from many dealers besides Williams Sonoma.

Lacanche has active members in the appliance board plus their US reps are on the boards. Worth looking into as the reviews seem excellent. Never seen one myself. Drawbacks seem to small ovens. But you can configure the top almost any way you want.

Capital and Blue Star are different animals entirely. Capital will come in a little cheaper and offer sealed burner options at a solid price point. The ovens on these are ENORMOUS. You can get them in a custom color to try and make them look a little less professional. Bluestar is all about the open burners and easy disassembly. You can take apart the entire top in about 15 minutes. Great for really thorough cleaning…not great if you hate having to clean it thoroughly(sometimes).

Viking…EH. Results have been mixed with customers since the buyout. The Tuscany is beautiful and really is not a viking (middle by owns a semi commercial italian range company …hence tuscany) But it's new to the market and expensive. Worth checking out though if you have a dealer in your neighborhood and aren't scared off by a 15-18k price point. high powered sealed burners, 2 ovens made of stainless steel and fit and finish above and beyond almost anything on this list!
PRO
Deck The Halls
8 years ago
If you do a google search you can find threads going back years on the Lacanche. I believe I typed in Lacanche Part 41, 40, etc. to pull them up. They go back before the site was even Gardenweb.

I bought my Lacanche based on the many positive reviews from owners who came back to rave about their range even after years of ownership. I have a Cluny 1400, I've been using it for about 3 months and I love it! It cooks wonderfully. The ovens are small, but they heat up faster and I believe cook better because of their size. I've not found the size to be an issue.
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huruta
8 years ago
We looked at many ranges and decided on the Lacanche based on the solid reviews, the top notch customer service and helpful staff. We've had our Lacanche Volnay for just over year and I LOVE this range. It is solid, cooks beautifully, and is gorgeous. I would get another Lacanche in an instant. We also got a Gagg combi steam oven as a second oven. It's fine but I don't have the love for it that I do for the Lacanche...not actually sure why. Well, I do really like the simplicity of the Lacanche.

The ovens are smaller than conventional ovens but the small size is one of my favorite features. Food just cooks up so well, the oven heats up fast, and I would never want a full size oven again. I actually think its a strength of the Lacanche ranges even though some think smaller is not as good. Lacanche ranges are still made in Burgundy France, which I like. I think I heard the Cornufe ranges are no longer made in France, but that's worth investigating.

I wasn't a big fan of the fit and finish of the Bluestar or Capital. Bluestar owners rave about the high BTUs that Bluestar ranges have but in the year that I've been using the Lacanche, I've never wanted more BTUs. Food cooks evenly and beautiful and I find the 10-11k burners are my default. 15 and 18k on the Lacanche pack a LOT of punch. But I don't stir fry much so maybe my view is biased.

Like Corie said, there are lots of Lacanche threads that have loads of information. The frenchranges.com website is great and those selling these ranges are very easy to talk to and extremely knowledgeable. They are more $ than some, but I think the range is a worthy place to splurge, IMHO. Anyway, good luck with your search!
jml248
8 years ago
We bought the 48". RNB bluestar with griddle. We bought that layout because I found it for a song on EBay . I was a bit hesitant at first because of the mixed performance reviews with parts and warranty, but we did have a issue with some igniters and BlueStar was fabulous.

As far as functionality, I bought it for high heat cooking as well as canning/processing, and I do a lot of cooking/baking in batches so the 2 ovens was a must. The primary reason I was attracted to Bluestar was the simplicity. No fancy settings or electrobics to break! The top is cast iron, all easily cleaned. I love cooking with it so far, definitively an adjustment from 9k btu range we had previously.

As far as cons, I don't find the convection really works thst well when baking, definitively some unevenness in heat and the oven knobs also get quite hot when baking.

trying to decide on 48" range ...Lacanache, ILVE, Bluestar, Capital?

Comments (4)

Joe Henderson

Deck The Halls

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huruta

jml248

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