Hi, I use my gas oven mostly for cooking meats and I use the electric oven for all baking and everyday cooking. If I had to give up one, I'd give up the gas. I love my warming cabinet and I use it for many things, just like Megs mentioned. I have a friend who bought a Cluny and like you, really wanted a warming oven, but she couldn't fit it into her kitchen plan. She learned that the drawers could also be used to keep food warm. I know my drawers do get warm, but I've never had a need to try it as the warming oven can hold a lot of food. But, I do know that my friend uses her drawers to keep food warm. I don't think they would work for making yogurt, slow cooking, ect. since you can not control the temperature. Perhaps that would be an option for you?

Thanks, megs1030 and Corie! It's just two of us so day-to-day cooking won't require anything high capacity, but we do hope to host smallish events (4-6 people) once social gatherings are a thing again.

I love food, but I'm still learning about home cooking -- for instance, I am only now learning about the differences between gas and electric ovens! If anything, I'm more of an aspirational cook in that I see all these cool features and get excited about the prospect of making delicious foods in the future. I would love to use a warming cabinet for slow cooking and yogurt, and I've recently gotten into bread baking so having a warm place to proof dough would be great.

Sorry but I have another question - for the gas and electric ovens, how low does the temperature get? Does it bottom out around 250 degrees Fahrenheit, or can it get low enough to use for some reverse searing/warming functions?

Hello Michael,

There is a lot of great information for you already, so I'll simply comment on the temperature of the ovens. By their very nature, the electric oven is more suitable to low temperature use, and will be much more accurate than the gas oven at temperature of 250F or less (the electric oven goes down to ~150F). The gas oven in the other hand is best suited for cooking at 300F or above.

As noted, the warming cupboard is also ideal for low-temperature cooking, proofing bread, slow-cooking a roast...

If you have always used electric, and you're not 100% set on trying a gas oven, I would go with electric again!

Welcome to the Lacanche family!

Thank you! I searched up the Vougeot manual online, and it looks like the warming cupboard goes from a temperature of 86 degrees to 230 degrees Fahrenheit. If that's correct, it seems that there's some temperature overlap between the warming oven and the electric oven, i.e., I could use the electric oven for low-temperature functions in the 150-250 degree F range? Recently, we've been really getting into reverse searing meats at low temperatures (200-225 degrees), so that's a must-have for the kitchen, but it looks like the electric oven might be able to do it.

After reading these very helpful comments, I am now back to thinking about the Cluny! It seems like people prefer roasting meats in the gas oven, and I'm not bothered by the smaller size of the Cluny ovens since I'll have a larger oven in the spice kitchen to handle big stuff like turkeys. My current AEG wall oven can get down to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, which I think could mimic a warming cabinet setting. On the other hand, a Vougeot / Volnay would mean giving up a gas oven entirely for the house, and I would love to have that gas cooking option just in case. :)

One other question -- between the static electric oven and convection in the Cluny, I know that the static electric is recommended. Is this due to the oven-space issue, or because of the fact that there's no toggle switch? Where is the heating element in the static oven? Does the heat still circulate throughout the oven, and would I need to rotate pans/etc midway through cooking in order to make sure that everything is cooked evenly? Thanks!

Hello Michael,

You're correct that there is some overlap in the temperature range of the electric ovens and warming cupboard, and the electric oven would work just fine for your intended use.

We do recommend going with the static electric on the smaller ovens, because as you pointed out the convection fan takes up about 2" of space at the back and reduces the usable volume of the oven. Some larger roasting pans that would fit "length-wise" in the gas or electric oven may not fit in the convection oven.

All electric ovens have 1 heating element at the bottom, and 1 at the top (+ broiler). The convection ovens have an additional circular element at the back around the fan.

The best way to ensure that your dishes / pastries are cooked evenly, with or without convection, is to preheat the oven enough so that the inner walls also reach the desired temperature. This helps tremendously to achieve uniform cooking. We often bake small pastries (24 pieces at a time) in our large oven (Chassagne) at home, in static mode. If we put them in too soon, those on the outside will clearly be ready before those in the centre. A few more minutes of preheat eliminates that and ensures a consistent result throughout without having to turn the pastry sheet halfway through.

It seems that a Cluny with 1 gas and 1 electric oven would be just right for you!

Thank you! Now that we are more set on the double-oven set up, I am also trying to decide between the Cluny and the Chagny. As I understand from researching various Houzz threads, the Chagny's petite broiler oven can serve as a full-temperature low profile oven but the reviews here seem to vary regarding its usefulness, with some people saying they absolutely love it for baking pies and roasting vegetables, while others say that it seems to burn things very quickly due to the small size. I have a few questions:

(1) What is the temperature range for the broiler oven? Is it also 150 degrees to broil, or a narrower temperature range?

(2) Given the small size of the petite oven, would baking temperatures or times need to be adjusted versus the standard ovens? Does it really cook everything faster and is there general guidance on how to make adjustments?

(3) How easy or hard is it to clean the petite oven? I know that Lacanche is all manual cleaning, but I can imagine that broiling is especially messy business with all the oil spatter, and I wonder if the small size of the oven means less space to maneuver with sponges, scouring pads, cleaning solutions, etc. How do people clean these ovens and do they need to use certain oven cleaners?

(4) Lastly, back to the warming cupboard functions, are there particular recommendations for what temperatures people should use to keep food warm and for slow cooking? I know that 150 degrees would be too hot for making yogurt or proofing bread, but I'm curious as to what temperatures people are using for the other functions and whether it's mostly below or above 150 degrees.

Sorry for the glut of questions! Given the long lead-in time and customization process, and the fact that we are likely going to buy this range sight unseen, I definitely want to make sure that we are considering everything and leaving no stone unturned to make sure we get the best configuration for our needs. All the help is much appreciated!

Hi Micheal, I also considered the Chagny, but ruled it out due to the reviews I read online about the small oven. As for your warming oven questions, I make yogurt in my warming oven overnight and I set it about 115 degrees for about 10-12 hours. Sometimes it takes longer, I believe that is mostly due to the culture not being exactly the same each time.

When I slow cook in it, I keep the temperature around 200 degrees if I'm cooking something all day and a little higher if I'm in more of a rush.

Thanks, Corie! That is super helpful to know. Given the limited space that we have in our kitchen, slow cooking and warming seems doable in the electric oven, especially if sacrificing a warming cupboard means being able to have two ovens in the tight space we have. Btw your post from a few years ago about making Thanksgiving dinner with your Lacanche is a real inspiration. I know that occasions like that won't come every day (especially since we don't have children or a big family), but I can only imagine how great it'll be one day to have a bunch of people over for Thanksgiving, with different pots and pans on the hobs and the ovens full of turkey, roasted vegetables, puddings and pies. I can hardly wait to get our hands on one of these ranges-- it is going to be a very long wait indeed!

Hi Micheal, I have the Chagny with the petite broiler. We use it all the time. yes temp range is Low, to broil.. I really like roasting veggies in it. The oven is small which means it is very efficient. I did have to adjust my cooking times and baking temps. Usually temp by 25 degrees, and maybe 5 minutes less. Depends what is being cooked. I learned very quickly how to adjust. As for cleaning, it is not to bad, there is a steel sheet at the top that comes out, same for the bottom. Some people put them in the dishwasher. I clean in my sink. Usually I take as much out as possible, which leaves the back and sides, the oven brackets also come out. My go to for cleaning is baking soda, dish soap and vinegar, I make a paste, let it set (sometimes over night) and then wipe it out. Also the oven doors are easy to remove and this helps. If you have any more questions, please let me know. Also the staff at Lacanche are wonderful at answering questions. They were so helpful and understanding. By the way I have had my Chagny for over 6 years. For us it was the perfect choice for our cooking requirements.

Thanks! I'm glad that it sounds relatively straightforward to clean. I didn't realize that the top of the oven has a steel sheet to help protect against spattering!

The more I think about it, the more I really like the idea of multiple smaller ovens rather than one big one. Right now, our AEG 24" wall oven is only incrementally larger than a Cluny oven, and even though I was worried about the small size when we bought it (and we had to put away a lot of our larger baking sheets), it has been more than big enough for us. And I absolutely love how fast the smaller ovens get to temperature. That said, having only one oven makes dinner parties difficult/tricky, especially when trying to roast and bake multiple items at different temperatures or keeping things warm while cooking other things. That Lacanche is able to cram as many as three ovens into a 39.5" range is impressive to say the least.

Micheal, I also worried about the smaller ovens of the Lacanche, even though I had just returned from living in England with an Aga, which has even smaller ovens if you can believe it! From my experience over the last 6 years, I can assure you that the ovens have pose no issues with everyday cooking or entertaining large groups of 20-30 people with full course meals.

When we were building our house and I decided on the Cluny 1400, fully intended to add a wall oven, I even left space for it because I didn't want to buy it right away because I wasn't sure what I wanted to add. Six years later that space still holds my microwave, and I've decided that a third oven is not necessary. We are now planning to finish our basement into a guest apartment, we have family who come from Europe each year for long period of time. So eventually we will have another range down there, but I really don't think I will ever need it for entertaining. I'm dreaming of a smaller Lacanche! Now, if they'd only make it available in full induction here in the USA, I don't trust my elderly family members with gas!

The key to entertaining, I have found is the warming oven which keeps everything warm!

Hi Corie - How exciting that you'll have another kitchen to outfit! A Lacanche range would be so beautiful, but I agree that gas can be risky especially if with a big 18K burner. Our current cooktop has one 17.5K burner, and I rarely use it since it gets so, so hot already, and induction is so much safer. Your Cluny 1400 is really gorgeous - I wish that we had the space and budget to get a 1400! The one downside of having a spice kitchen is that our main open kitchen won't be that big, and our range wall is only 7.75 feet (and has to accommodate some cabinets).

It's timely that you bring up the point of not needing a third oven since I've been back to that decision point. After a lot of thinking, I'm now seriously leaning towards the Vougeot again. I often find myself wishing that I have two ovens: one for a main dish like a roast and one for sides or dessert. But as the primary/sole cook in our household, I can't imagine running around keeping track of everything on the cooktop and across 3+ ovens, which would be the case if we went for the Cluny or Chagny. In our case, I think it makes more sense to have two ovens for cooking, and then a warming cabinet where we can move things to after they are done cooking.

I also think the spice kitchen is where I would be doing most of my everyday cooking. It feels almost blasphemous that we're planning to get a Lacanche and not use it as our primary range, but really my partner is motivated by the stunning beauty of Lacanche (who isn’t??), and as such wants to have it as a showpiece in the main open kitchen, which will be used mostly when company comes over. For dinner parties, I like to cook as much as possible in advance, so the warming cupboard would be especially useful for keeping all of the pre-made sides plus potluck dishes from friends, rather than having a gas oven. (We have had far too many dinner gatherings with cold dishes because of timing issues and the fact that we only have one oven!) I have also begrudgingly realized that, notwithstanding all the conventional wisdom that gas is better for moist heat, I would roast most of my meats and other high-heat foods that spatter in the wall oven, since it'll be self-cleaning and I would love to minimize scrubbing down an oven.

Just last week, we went to an appliance store, and I was struck/mildly dismayed by how large the 30” wall ovens are. We are planning to upgrade our current 24” wall oven for potential home resale value in the future, but the 30” wall ovens seem to be such a huge amount of space for day-to-day use. I also peeked into a few of the ovens on the 36” ranges, and I just kept thinking – who would ever need something that large?!

Hi Michael, I agree, in my six years of with my Cluny, I have never wished I had a bigger oven. And, now I know realize that my old, American sized ovens were never that useful. Even during events like Thanksgiving, it was challenging at best to cook sides along with the turkey, since most don't require the same temperature. What every you decide, I'm sure you will absolutely LOVE your Lacanche. Not a day goes by when I don't look at mine and think about how thankful I am to have discovered this wonderful brand, by reading this site; which at the time called Garden Web. Brand loyalty is the best advertisement! I hope you let us know what range and color you pick and share your experiences with your new range and kitchens!

Hi all - Could I trouble you all with another question? So I know that the Lacanche ovens aren't super tall (I think the interior of the Cluny/Sully ovens are about 12 inches or so), and they are outfitted for three rack positions. Do you usually cook with just one rack of items, or can you comfortably fit two racks of pans at the same time? For instance, if I have two large casserole dishes, would I be able to put them both in the oven on different racks? Would it be possible to squeeze three racks worth of stuff in the oven or would that simply be too tight?

On a related note, I know that the Cluny ovens will fit a pretty big Dutch oven. Is it pretty easy to get one in and out of the Lacanche without too much wrangling/hitting hands on the sides of the oven?

Thanks in advance for all your help!

Mike, may I ask what is a spice kitchen?

Of course! A spice kitchen is essentially a smaller, well ventilated kitchen attached to the house's main kitchen and outfitted with cooking appliances so that you can use it to cook smoky or pungent foods without smelling up the whole house. They are especially popular with Asian and South Asian cooking, although we have also noticed that one of the smokiest things we cook is a nicely seared ribeye steak!

Mike, I regularly use two racks in my Cluny ovens at the same time. The only time I really need to remove a rack is when I use my large Lodge Dutch Oven or I cook a large chicken or turkey. For example, yesterday I used my gas oven for my 16 lb turkey and I cooked my sides in the electric oven two at a time. I cooked roast potatoes and parsnips along with roasted carrots and Brussel sprouts. Then I baked the Yorkshire pudding and my daughter's sage and garlic rolls. Everything moved to the warming oven as it finished cooking. At one point I had the turkey, the sweet potatoes, the roast potatoes, parsnips, carrots and the Brussel sprouts in the warming oven and there was still extra room if I had needed it!

My large Lodge Dutch Oven (I think it's 6 quarts) fits extremely easily in the Cluny ovens.

Thanks, Corie! That is very helpful to know. So did you manage to fit your turkey in the warming oven as well?!? What size roasting pan do you have? I am beyond impressed by the capacity of that cabinet. Btw happy belated Thanksgiving! It sounds like you had a wonderful celebration!

I have the Cluny 1400 as well. A large All Clad roasting pan fits in the oven. I haven’t ever tried it in the warming cupboard, but my gut tells me it’s too wide to fit in there. If I have something large like that to move to the warming cupboard, I simply would carve the meat and put it on a serving platter to be placed in the warming cupboard.

Hi Mike, Yes, we even put the turkey in it's roasting pan along with all the sides! And, most of the sides were in large, rectangular, pyrex, dishes, so it definitely holds a lot! Our first Thanksgiving with our Lacanche was the first time I've ever been able to serve all my food hot. Happy belated Thanksgiving to you.

Hi Corie and Megs - That all sounds so wonderful! I just ordered an All Clad roasting pan (the slightly smaller 11x14 size) which will be perfect for our needs and sounds like it might even fit in the warming cabinet. I've read great things about slow roasting turkey, and a warming cabinet might be just the place to do that.

I'm happy to report that we are putting in a deposit for a Vougeot with electric convection oven in armor color with nickel trim. We probably won't get it delivered until early 2022, but I cannot be more excited about the purchase. Thanks again, everyone, for all your help!

So excited for you Mike! I will say that the larger All Clad roasting pan fits, just have to make sure you push the oven rack all the way to the back. Enjoy your range when you get it... the Armor color is dreamy!

Congratulations, Mike! That sounds like a beautiful combination of color and range. I'm sure you will love your range every much as I do! I waited for my Cluny for over 9 months, we were building a house, I recall being so excited that I kept reading this site and searching the internet for any information I could find on Lacanche almost everyday till it was installed. Thanks for checking in with us.

Our kitchen renovation isn't complete yet, but so excited to say that, after nearly three years, our Lacanche has finally arrived and been installed!

Long story short, we ended up scrapping plans for our renovation/rebuilding project and bought another place instead. Since the kitchen at the new place was mostly done, we just switched out the existing stove with a Lacanche, meaning that we only had enough space for a 36" range. Thankfully, the Vougeot hadn't been produced yet, so French Barn was kind enough to change our order to a lovely little Beaune. Even at 36 inches, it's a LOT more space than I'm used to. We went with anthracite instead of armor, since it's a better match for our color scheme.

After all the wrangling about gas and electric ovens, we went with two electric ovens in the Beaune and I'm very happy about that. The range we just replaced was an all-gas Bertazzoni, and after using it for a few months, I have realized that I am just a lot more comfortable cooking with electric than gas.

We still added a Miele CSO XXL to our setup, since I like precise temperature controls and was a bit hesitant about only having two traditional (i.e., non high-tech) ovens. This means we now have oven space galore. I love the flexibility of the Beaune. The Cluny oven is the only one of the three that can squeeze in a half-sheet pan, but we have accumulated a lot of quarter-sheet and jelly roll pans to use in the other two ovens. The vertical convection oven is really capacious, and it goes low enough for me to use as a warming cabinet for food (based on my oven thermometer, it actually gets down to 100 degrees or so, although perhaps not as reliably as a true warming cabinet), while still being able to broil and roast at high temps. I'm looking forward to experimenting with more slow cooking in that oven, since I no longer have to worry about tying up an oven for a single long-use.