Hello Lindsey,

Thank you for considering Lacanche, although I am sorry to hear that the range you saw wasn't up to your expectations.

The storage drawer certainly shouldn't rub against the oven door, and most likely needs a small adjustment of the drawer face. The oven racks should slide relatively easily, even though they slide directly on the side supports (as opposed to sliding supports). Our ranges are in a way very "simple" and good-looking cooking workhorses, and this is why we always encourage Lacanche owners to contact us or Art Culinaire when something unusual happens, so that it can be rectified right away, most of the time with an easy adjustment.

It is also worth noting that our ranges have been upgraded in many areas since 2011: the bottom drawers are now soft-closing, the oven door hinges are much stronger and the ovens themselves are regularly updated to ensure better performance and heat retention, among other things. Telescopic oven racks are also under consideration for the North American market in the future.

A bientot,

Patrick

Bonjour dear Lindsey,

Our sincerest apologies your visit with an Ambassador was less than satisfactory. Given that each Range is made to order, finding the perfect Lacanche in which to connect a perspective client in a specific area is not always a true science. Sometimes these are older Ranges that might need a recalibration or other attention. In this instance it seems that the Range you met was a bit "vintage" and definitely needing a bit of love, to say the least. These features are not in fact normal.

We can echo Patrick's sentiments however that, since 2011 a myriad of upgrades and changes have been made to the Ranges, (drawers included) and if you like we'd be happy to connect you with an owner of a newer Range, should you be amenable to a phone chat down the line. We have numerous happy clients across the country, but its quite fair to say that should you one day be welcoming a Lacanche into your home, its features would not be that of a 2011 model.

Please let me know if I can answer any questions large or small, and I truly wish you the best of luck in finding your most perfect kitchen Range.

Merci !

Blair | Lacanche US

blair@frenchranges.com

@lindsay... That's interesting. I visited the NYC showroom in April with the wonderful Elisa and then had the opportunity to cook on a Chagny 1400 range earlier in the spring. It was lovely! I can't remember how old the range was, but I know it's been used regularly and the owner had no other oven in her kitchen. The drawers operated as they should. We cooked on the large gas burner, the induction hob, we broiled, we used the warming cupboard. It solidified my decision to purchase one and our Cluny 1400 arrives on Wednesday. We are NOT installing another oven in our kitchen remodel. I'm so sad for you that the experience was a bit of a letdown, but I would encourage you to perhaps try to see another one.

We only looked at a Bertazzoni online, so I cannot comment. As for the Ilve, I did consider this strongly before deciding on the Lacanche. The Ilve could not do what the Lacanche could do for me. The Lacanche was far more versatile of a range, imo.

I cannot comment on the Lacanche or Ilve, I have a Bertazzoni. I love it! I have the 36" Master Series Induction range. I love everything about this range. The cooktop is super responsive from ultra low to high sear temperatures. The oven temperature is even and bakes like a dream. The oven is perfect for larger projects though I also have a wall oven for small projects. I went more for the functionality than aesthetics though I am happy with the look of the range. Mine is SS not a color. I also researched service and found great reviews for service in our area though I have not needed service.

Hi Lindsay, I have had my Lacanche Chagny 1400 for 5 years and have not experienced any of the issues you listed. No buyers remorse here. My husband and I truly enjoy cooking on our range. I do not have a second oven in my kitchen. I also looked at the Bertazzoni and the Ilve and neither suited my needs. I feel I have a true work horse for a range. I will also add that the company and staff at Art Culinaire are wonderful and extremely responsive to my questions and have helped me experience the many options and cooking techniques possible with my range. I would purchase a Lachance range again without hesitation. If I can answer any further questions, please let me know, and if you are close to MA I would love for you to see my range and how great it works in my kitchen. Good luck with your range search.

Thank you all for the feedback and customer service. @Garderner2014 we were looking at the Chagny 1400 with the optional French top and one gas oven and the other oven electric. It’s comforting to hear stories of those satisfied with their Lacanche. I haven’t ruled it out, but my husband is pretty set against it. He feels if we’re going to spend so much to get the oven here it should work flawlessly. I totally understand the variables once an oven is brought into someone’s home and may or may not be maintained. We will not be installing a wall oven, so whatever we get will be it for me. I definitely don’t want to splurge on such a big ticket item and hear “I told you so” from my husband for the next ten years. Thanks to everyone chiming in about their cooking experiences.

I have two clients who have LaCanche ranges and they LOVE them. I'm looking forward to another one shipping to a client next month. They are gorgeous and reported to be the "best cooking experience" my clients have ever had.

I don't think I've ever seen such a prompt or courteous and helpful response from any other quality appliance manufacturer/importer as the two responses from THE FRENCH BARN - Lacanche Canada and Art Culinaire | Lacanche US above!

You certainly wouldn't see this from any other dealer or manufacturer I can think of. Certainly not Aga/Marvel/La Cornue/Middleby which is a comparable product in terms of quality and utility.

So I think their response would indicate, for me, that they will take care of their clients post-purchase? Dunno if that helps. I'd give them another BIG chance, if I were you. There is no other comparably handsome range on the market, imho. And I have a gorgeous old Aga which I love and cooks like a charm. :)

Can anyone that owns the Chagny or Chagny 1400 comment as to how they use their petite oven, and if there is a "learning curve" of sorts when using an oven this small? I've mostly only seen negative commentary regarding the petite oven, but I am very interested in these models, so I'd like to know what positive experiences owners have had with them. @Garderner2014, perhaps?

Hi Kayla Marie, I would say that if the baking dish fits I use the petite oven, It excels at roasting veggies. My husband makes cornbread in it. At our house it gets used all the time. The small oven gets very hot very quick, and will roast very quick. I have to sometimes turn the temp down 25 degrees or shorten the baking time as it is much more efficient. The range itself is a dream to cook/bake with. For me there was a learning curve because it is so powerful, and I had never owned a range like it before. Elisa was most helpful with tips on using the range which helped.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

One thing pointed out to me is the petit oven means the oven below it is quite low to access. @garderner2014 have you noticed any inconvenience with the location of the oven below the petite?

@Kayla, I don't have a petite oven (or the Chagny 1400, we have the Cluny 1400), but before purchasing I was invited to cook on a Chagny 1400. The hostess used the petite oven to broil tomatoes. I would imagine, as @Garderner2014 said, you would use it if your dish or sheet pan fits in that oven. Because it's so small, it does cook fast.

@Lacanchelust, I didn't pay attention to whether the oven below it was any lower than normal. The Lacanche itself is raised, so the oven is sitting several inches off the floor. All specs are on their website so I'm sure you could find that measurement.

I went from double wall ovens that were quite high up, so at first the oven below the petite oven did feel low to me (all the ovens did). Now I do not notice, nor does my husband. I actually find it easier to lift up from the oven. I think you would have to test yourself since we all have different needs. May I suggest you contact Art Culinaire and try to see the range in person, they are wonderful to work with and seeing, experiencing the range in someone's kitchen is the best way to judge if it is right for you.

Thank you for the replies, @Garderner2014 & @megs1030! I was able to visit an ambassador's home with the Chagny (the model I'm interested in...or the 1400 version) which was extremely helpful, as I do not live near a showroom. I think this model will suit my desires and lifestyle, but I have seen more negative commentary online about the petite oven over positive commentary, so I was becoming a bit worried about my choice.

I have been working with Victoria of Art Culinaire who has been very responsive and helpful, which has been great! Thanks again for the input.

I love my Lacanche. Nothing cooks like my Vougeot oven. The warming cabinet is a must. The beauty is timeless. I have been a professional chef for forty five years. Quirky? Yes but artistry is like that.

Gorgeous Croissants @Martin Markovitz !

Thanks! My Vougeot is a 2007 with dual fans. I hear that you have since changed to one fan and real convection ovens. Do they really cook any better than mine? That dual fan oven is the best I've ever used. I give my Lacanche half the credit for the beauty of those buttery, flaky and light pastries. Just look how evenly browned like burnished chestnuts they are. That's not me, its the Lacanche.

I'm serious now. Results like these are not an accident, nor does it come from just careful planning. It is the collaboration of the chef and her/his equipment. No matter the talent of a chef, without the capabilities of the kitchen equipment to give the results needed, the chef's efforts are wasted. The talents of the Lacanche seem to never be outpaced by my ambition. Whenever I challenge myself, I never have to worry that my kitchen won't keep up.

@Martin Markovitz, before purchasing my Lacanche, I read through all of the old, old threads about these ranges. Your feedback, along with viewing your range in your Italian kitchen, was one of the many reasons we ended up purchasing ours. So, thank you for all that you chimed in on. But what I really want to know is how to bake croissants like that??

Thank you. That's a beautiful thing! The croissants would only cook that well on a French range. I had to have something French down here with me. I can say, even though it can be quite quirky, we are very happy with our Lacanche. As for the croissant technique? Practice, practice, practice!

Incredibly kind words, Martin, merci !! There have definitely been a few adjustments since 2007, and we are always looking to improve with customer feedback, from our home chefs and professionals alike. I gather by your Lacanche hood the first photo you are not in the US Market, oui? CE Ranges vs UL Ranges are slightly different due to certain build-codes and restrictions, but our convections ovens now are truly as fantastic as ever ;)

@Lacanche USA Well if the new ovens are even better than mine, they must also do the dishes! Yes, I'm in Italy. I had almost bought a De Manincor but the Lacanche obviously won out.

@megs1030 What range did you settle on?

Wow, Martin those are beautiful croissants. Any tips / recipes to start to try to achieve that level of success? It’s great to know there is a potential to achieve the same results on my lacanche also.

I’ve read that in Europe that the butters have higher fat content. I just started seeing specialized butters with more fat being made available here in Canada.

Martin, this is so fabulous!!

It would mean so much if we can share this recipe to our clients; would you be willing to share any photos of your gorgeous Range and the croissants above?

I'm reachable directly at blair@frenchranges.com and would love to chat.

Merci Chef !!

Hello everyone, I don't know who gave us that great classic recipe above. As with many recipes, there are many varied methods of reaching our goal. The recipe I use is basically the same measurement wise but is different in technique. I have reduced the number of folds to exaggerate the layers and I never put the dough in the freezer. Most people get poorly formed layers from working with dough that is at the wrong temperature. Either the dough is too warm and the butter squishes out from between the dough layers or it is too cold and the butter does not flow along with the dough and the layers break. Temperature of the dough is essential. Gluten is another trouble maker. If you have to press too hard to flatten a rubbery dough, you can imagine what happens to those delicate layers. Do not over develop the gluten by kneading too much. Remember that when you roll, fold and stretch the dough, that will develop the gluten automatically. Make sure it is at rest before rolling. Also, I let the dough rise at least overnight to develop flavor before folding in the butter.

The day after you make the dough punch it down and refrigerate it for 3 hours. When the dough is ready, let the butter in the parchment soften for about 30 minutes again, depending on the ambient temperature. It should give easily when pressed with a finger but still be quite firm.

Roll the dough out to double the size of the butter. Place the butter on one half and seal it in. Roll it out into a long rectangle. Fold one end 1/4 of the way in and bring the other side the rest of the way so that they do not meet where the next crease will be. Working quickly, roll it out again into a long rectangle. Flatten out the dough and fold in half.

Let it rest in the refrigerator for one hour. If you must leave it longer, be sure that the butter is not solid when you roll it again. Roll it out to a long rectangle again and give it a three fold like a business letter. That is, fold one end of the dough to the center and top that with the other end of the dough. Stop. This is as many layers as I like and this recipe has fewer but more pronounced layers when compared to the classic recipe above.

Refrigerate again for one hour and be careful about hard butter if you go over that time. Roll and shape. Place on a baking tray with parchment paper and brush immediately with egg wash. Proof at room temperature until very light and puffy which is about double in size, about three hours. Brush them from time to time with the egg wash.

Preheat oven to 400. Give the pastries a last brushing of egg wash. All this brushing with egg helps maintain a crispy crust and not deflate into one of those soggy things that flatten out while cooling. Place them into the oven for five minutes. Turn down the temperature to 350 and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove them from the tray and cool on a rack.

Lindsey, I just noticed that this thread is posted in the Appliances forum, but you might also want to search through the archives of the Kitchen forum as well if you haven't already,

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/kitchens

Also, there used to be a multi-part LaCanche thread, full of happy owners and curious prospective owners. The most recent thread I can find is Part 45 in 2014, and sadly the earliest thread I can find is Part 36 (2007),

Part 45,

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2335559/lacanche-ranges-part-45#n=179

Part 36,

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2243906/lacanche-ranges-part-36#n=151

@Martin Markovitz, we purchased a Cluny 1400 in Chantilly.

@megs1030 Beautiful!

Another reason I love my Lacanche. The vertical warming oven. What other range will cook like this? Low and slow for six hours. Whole shank of Podolico beef.

so awesome! How do you regulate the warming oven

You just turn a knob.

As a veteran of the much-beloved LaCanche owners' thread back when we redid our kitchen in 2008, I feel compelled to comment as well. We have a Cluny 1400 and still LOVE it. And that's an old school model without all the upgrades listed above. No doubt you can make a no-brains decision and just buy a Wolf, or go trendy and get a Bluestar (and worry if the oven door will open). The Wolf will be all shiny, the oven racks will glide in and out, you'll have a dealer in your own city. And you'll have a kitchen that looks like every other kitchen in every design studio or contractor's model home.

Two things about the LaCanche. It cooks great. And it has character, dare I say it, soul, in a way that a "pro-style" range will never. Yeah, it takes some effort to slide the oven rack out with a heavy pan on it. And yup, there is no light in the oven. But I can cook anything on it. I know that Art Culinaire will stand by it if I ever need them. And it makes me happy every time I look at it or cook on it. I think you either get it, or don't. But if you get it, it's a wonderful choice.

@garderner2014 wondering if you still love the petite oven on the Chagny? I’m placing my order this week and struggling with the Cluny 1400 plus a convection oven and the Chagny 1400 with a regular microwave. I’m concerned about all the users I see that say it burns casseroles so they only use it for roasting veggies and making pizza. Do you find value in the petite oven?

Art Culinaire. Sorry to put you on the spot but, why doesn't LaCanche just fix the simmering problem. Customers have been complaining for years.

Hi Martin, Great question. If you are in the US, please feel free to call us to discuss. If the range configuration doesn't come with a French Traditional Plate, then it will come with a very handy Portable Simmer Plate that is used to diffuse heat and house several pots at one time for things like soups, stews, sauces, and keeping things warm. The Portable Simmer Plate sits over the grates over two of the side burners. I also simmer on the back 5K BTU burner and stir every so often. If users don't like both burners being covered by the Portable Simmer Plate, we do have diffusers that are for use on one burner. I hope this is helpful.

Thanks for getting back to me. I'm in Italy and I do use the portable griddle to simmer and I have diffusers so I can work things out but that doesn't really answer the question.

I so love Italy. Hope to have a long stay when I finally retire.