We took delivery on our La Cornue Chateau 165 in early March. Now granted, we've only had it for a very short time and it works perfectly and we have no complaints. We've been in contact the people at Purcell Murray regarding questions and advice and have found them all to be extremely responsive and helpful. My wife spoke to Larissa directly (she's the woman on the video) and she's wonderful. There is nothing in the world like a La Cornue Chateau. As far as a hood, we didn't want the hood to be a focal point in the kitchen so we hid a stainless steel shell in back of the valence, installed two can lights and a 600 CFM Fantec fan which is more than adequate for this range. Please see the photo for what our kitchen looks like. Here is a link that might be useful:

Hi rxmitch! I also was able to visit the Miami Officine Gullo showroom while on a trip to the East Coast (I'm on the West Coast-nothing here yet, but I've heard plans are in the works for a showroom out here!). Ricardo was amazingly kind and met us on his day off (I felt so guilty!!)-the only time during our very brief visit that I could meet with him. I'm also totally smitten with the pasta steamer option (it seems to do several things which is great!) as well as the plancha and french top. The company offers to help with our kitchen design plan, which I'm hoping to be able to do as soon as we settle on exactly where our new kitchen will be in the remodel plans (grr...sigh..). rxmitch, which type of stove/range are you looking at? I'm probably going to get the Pro line, as the burners on the other model seem rather small for what I need, and the depth is better, but the DH isn't super keen on the fact that the Pro line has burners that either are always on or that you have to light to use (the user has either option). One of my big concerns is that the pictures show ovens with pretty window doors, but I was told that these weren't available here. At the price they ask, I want to know why, since these are custom made stoves. Second, I had asked about a light inside the oven and was told over the phone that that could happen, but when I came to the showroom, it seemed like this was a no-go. Was this your experience? Aside from this, the stoves were WAY better made and easier to clean (stuff can go in the dishwasher!) than a La Cornue, and the ovens came in many sizes , colors, and configurations. They were gorgeous and functional beyond belief, and built like tanks. It's my understanding that they make wooden as well as metal cabinets. On a side note, the Fhiaba refrigerators that they sell are also amazing-I had the chance to see them in person while in New York. Not sure if the "branded" Officine Gullo version is way more expensive, but the "regular" version comes in a little less than a Sub Zero. The convert freezer to frig function is pretty cool, as is the stainless interior.Anybody else have one of these? I'd love some input.

We have a "non standard" Cluny 1400 at 55 1/2'', but did design the layout such that replacing it with a 48'' range could be done by moving two floor cabs, adding fillers, and replacing two small pieces of countertop. More importantly, I don't anticipate needing to replace it! It's totally mechanical--not even an oven light, for crying out loud--built like a tank, and there is nothing that I would anticipate wearing out or going bad for a long time.

Even on a 30-y-o unit, a La Cornue should have electric ignition like our Lacanche ranges (another post on Houzz on a 1990 unit refers to this). Press the knob or a separate switch, and you get a spark at each burner. If that's the case, and this one needs to be ignited manually, then the ignition module is defective (not very expensive part and likely easy to replace before the stove is installed again) Otherwise, if "the propane must be hand lit" means that you have to reach for the matches or BBQ igniter every time you want to start a burner or the gas oven, it's definitely something to be aware of, and for you to decide if the low price / wow factor is worth it. All the best! Patrick