About to order my LaCanche... Need help with cooktop configuration

7 years ago

I am finally about to order the Cluny1400 in Griotte for our new build. I am having difficulty making a final decision on the cooktop configuration. Right now, I am thinking the Traditional configuration with an extra set of 15 BTU burners over the warming cabinet. That would give us 3-15BTU burners. Is that overkill? Should we go with an extra pair of 11BTU burners instead? We cook a wide variety of foods, but we do sear meat several times/week. We also love cooking things low and slow and making sauces. My husband wants the extra 15BTUs because he likes cooking with high heat, but I worry about it not being as versitile as the 11s. Am I going to regret having too many high BTU burners? Help please!

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Comments (4)

gardener2014
7 years ago
Hi Maggie,

Yes it is hard to chose when there are so many great choices. Great color choice Griotte.

I have the Chagny 1400 with the Traditional top. Added 2 15- BTUs over the warming cabinet. I now think that 11-BTUs would have been fine. The range really puts out cooking power. You can always adjust the burners down, but if you go with the 11-BTUs you can't go higher. So I think it would depend on your cooking style. The Traditional top is great for slow cooking for one large pot or a couple of small pots at once. Plus you can use the center cast iron ring on the Traditional top as a reducer on any of the other burners for slow simmer.

BTW, we truly enjoy cooking on our range. Good luck with your choices.
MaggieB thanked gardener2014
PRO
Deck The Halls
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Congratulations on your new Lacanche! I also have a Cluny1400. I have one 15000 BTU burner and I don't use it very often. I most frequently use my four 11000 BTU burners. The 15000 just burns too hot for most of my everyday cooking needs. When I do use it, it's mostly use for it is with my portable French Plate over it, so that I'm using it to simmer (slow cooking) or hold a dish at a temperature before serving. I love the portable plate because it allows me to also use the burners for other purposes as well, such as searing meat on the 15,000 BTU.

I find the 11,000 BTU's to be high heat even when using my cast iron cookware I have to really watch stuff to keep it from cooking too quickly or burning. I think 4- 15,000 will limit what you do on a daily basis.

My configuration is 4 11,000 BTU's starting over my warming cabinet, the classique burner, the my 15,000 and 5,000 BTU burners over my electric oven.

We love cooking on our range! Keep us posted as to what you decide!
MaggieB thanked Deck The Halls
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MaggieB
Original Author
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Thanks for the help! What types of food do ya'll cook on the different burners, meaning 11,000BTU vs 15,000 BTU? Can you boil water fairly quickly, saute, and sear steak on the 11,000?

What's really funny is that we have a cheap electric range that we make work (albeit with great frustration), so I don't know why I am agonizing over this!
PRO
Deck The Halls
7 years ago
Hi Maggie, You are welcome!

I sauté meat, chicken and fish on my 11,000. I cook dishes like jambalaya, bolognese sauce, curries, etc. on it. I cook everything from the onions, garlic, other vegetables to the meats needed for these dishes on these burners. I then keep the dish on this burner while the more liquid ingredients are added and until the dish is fully cooked. I use cast iron Dutch ovens most of the time for these dishes and move them to the portable French Plate with the 15,000BTU burner to keep it at temperature until needed. I have stainless steel cookware, but I rarely use it anymore because I find most things burn or stick to the bottom fairly quickly. I do use my stainless steel stock pots to boil water though.

We also cook scrambled and fried eggs and bacon on the 11,000. We basically use it for just about everything. You can boil water on it, I boil water for poched eggs on this burner. But, if I'm boiling a large pot for potatoes or pasta, I usually will use the 18,000 Classique burner which I also use for stir fry.

We aren't big steak eaters, but I have seared meats on the 15,000 BTU burner before I have put them in the oven.

It's normal to agonize over this decision. It's a big purchase and you want to get it right! If I could do it again the only thing I would do differently with the burners is change the configuration. Both my husband and I cook and we sometimes cook together. It would be great to have had one set of the 11,000BTU burners on the other end of the range so we could each have our own side.
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About to order my LaCanche... Need help with cooktop configuration

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