It has been just about 6 months since I fell head over heels in love…
and I remember it like it was yesterday.
It was a hot summer day and my tank top, sandals and denim shorts game was strong.
I was working outside in the garden, then fluffing pillows in the greenhouse and getting things set up just right for a photo shoot later that evening.
And I was secretly keeping one eye open for a big old truck that would be coming down the road
with a special delivery from France.
Around 2pm in the afternoon- we heard it.
That rumbling of an engine and the rattling of metal doors as a truck made it’s way down our dirt road. And after a few minutes of small talk, as the driver opened the back door- there it was.
A chunky wood crate with my new French bebe safe and sound inside.
There was over 500 lbs of gorgeousness just waiting inside that box-
and unboxing the crate was a little bit like Christmas.
Though I had been to the NYC Lacanche showroom and had a new BFF Elisa who showed me all the details and amazing things that are all things Lacanche.
The color I ordered was brand new-not even seen in the U.S. yet.
and unboxing the crate was a little bit like Christmas.
Though I had been to the NYC Lacanche showroom and had a new BFF Elisa who showed me all the details and amazing things that are all things Lacanche.
The color I ordered was brand new-not even seen in the U.S. yet.
So, as excited as I was, I was worried if I would like that duck egg blue/gray/green color that I liked on the 4″x4″ chip.
But when the wood crate came off and the light hit the front of the range with those brassy knobs and pretty details and dreamy duck egg blue color- it was all love all the time.
And the love has continued.
I am not ashamed to admit that I talk to that pretty range in the kitchen while cooking- and yes, sometimes I stop and stare and simply admire her beauty when walking by the kitchen.
But- after almost 6 months of sauteeing, baking, cooking Christmas dinner and heating up water for tea almost daily- how has that beautiful range performed?
It is a question that I am asked all the time.
Does it function as much as it looks good?
And I am the first to admit that I do have chairs in the house that are merely beautiful and not necessarily functional. But an appliance really does need to be more than just a pretty face- and this one is.
So today it is all about your most asked questions.
1. Can you actually bake a full sheet of cookies in those small ovens?
Absolutely.
The Cluny has 2 ovens side by side- and they are smaller than a single oven type range- yes.
So a sheet of cookies won’t fit the wide way in this model- but – it has plenty of room to bake by turning the sheet the long way.
The ovens are deep and tall inside.
2. Can you bake something in a large casserole dish or a large pizza?
Yes indeed- and have done both.
Surprisingly- there is enough room for a large pizza width wise.
The only size pizza I do not think would work is an extra large- (more than 16″)
it would touch the sides.
3. Does the oven have a ‘keep warm’ feature?
I have used the ovens on very low to keep warm-
though they don’t specifically have a ‘keep warm’ setting on my model.
There are some models that have bread warmers, etc.
4. Can you broil?
The way that we ordered our range configuration- no.
We have both of the ovens in gas- and in order to have a broiler you need to order one in electric.
It is an option- but we did not go with it- and honestly- we haven’t missed it.
5. Are the burners powerful?
Indeed.
We have been amazed at how quickly the water is ready for tea or the pan is heated up.
The burners and the amount of them to be cooking up a storm are fantastic.
6. How much do they cost?
It really depends on which model and how you specify the customizations. My range is the Cluny model- though my dream model is the Sully- which looks like this but is larger.
The Cluny starts around $8500.00.
The Cluny starts around $8500.00.
7. Is a Lacanche easy to keep clean?
Absolutely. I don’t use any special cleaners- and the enamel is a smooth enamel so it wipes clean easily. The cooktop grills come off for simple wipe downs to keep any stray bits off.
8. Why did you choose a Lacanche range?
I love that it is French of course- and hello- it is gorgeous!!
But my husband loved that it was all manual.
Meaning-there are not electrical motherboards that decide to go out.
Our previous range was a mid price highly recommended brand that had the motherboard
go out 3x in just a couple of years.
go out 3x in just a couple of years.
Which meant we were baking in a countertop convection oven for awhile.
I think in some things- less computer technology and more simple construction is better.
9. How long did it take to arrive? Can I go to a local store and pick one up?
The Lacanche is built when you order it.
It isn’t a big box store item you can just pick up.
Ours was built and shipped and arrived in about 4 months.
10. How do you keep the brass clean?
It is a living finish- meaning – the brass in unlaquered.
I like patina -so am enjoying the patina that comes with using it.
But you can use a brass polish to shine it up again if you wanted to.
11. Why did you chose a Lacanche vs La Cornue? They are similar in price.
It is totally a personal choice.
I am one of those people who like high end elegant beauty
mingling with everyday simplicity – if that makes sense.
mingling with everyday simplicity – if that makes sense.
I don’t want something to shout for attention- I want it to have a presence that speaks for itself.
For me, I prefer the less is more approach to the style.
While I love the abundance of brass and gorgeous details on the La Cornue-
the simple elegant look and style of the Lacanche spoke to my design sensibilities
for our kitchen.
12. What color is your Lacanche?
It is called Vert Silice.
Which the name suggests green-
in my own home it appears very blue/gray most of the time.
Though in strong morning light – it can lean white
and in the low evening light- more of a duck egg green than blue.
My husband says we have several colors of the Lacanche
in just this one. haha.
13. How did you choose the color? There are so many options!
Right? The hardest thing about buying the Lacanche was choosing THE color.
I knew that I was leaning towards something that was classic- so black and white were on the list.
But part of me wanted to jump in and go with color.
And color for me- well you guys know I am not a bold and beautiful bright color kind of girl.
I loved the blue and aquamarine ranges I had seen- but I wanted something more subtle.
And this chip of dreamy duck egg/blue/gray beautiful color seemed to be the one
I kept coming back to.
Truth be told- it took me a bit of time to finally hit ORDER on that color.
But once I did- I committed to it and when it arrived- I absolutely loved it.
14. After using it and cooking, baking with it- would you buy one again?
Absolutely- as I mentioned, my dream range I.need.a.bigger.kitchen is the Lacanche Sully.
I absolutely love using this range everyday and I love simply staring at this gorgeous girl in the kitchen everyday.
She is timeless and classy and won’t ever go out of style and when investing in a second home- or maybe even out in the cottage-
I will definitely be looking at bringing another Lacanche home.
I will definitely be looking at bringing another Lacanche home.
15. Where can I find more details and info and buy my own Lacanche?
Right here- www.frenchranges.com
I hope that answered some of your most asked questions!
Happy Wednesday everyone.
Lucky you! I have side-by-side ovens and bought smaller cookie sheets. I used to have a gigantic oven, but it took forever to preheat and seemed so wasteful when it was just for something small. I LOVE having two ovens.
A stove like this is known as a "piano de cuisson" in French, which I think sounds lovely.
Enjoy!
Beautiful range Courtney! I have the Sully in Delft Blue and I love it! Your story of waiting for the truck to arrive hit home with me for sure 🙂 I really like the double smaller ovens on the Sully compared to the 36 inch pro range oven I previously had. It took forever to heat up to temp. I really enjoy the multiple cooktop configuration. I would buy another Lacanche in a heartbeat. I do like the La Cornue, tested one out in Burlingame, but they were double in price for the same size range, and like you, the Lacanche fits my french cottage style better. Happy cooking!
Your range is beautiful, Courtney. And I does read more of a duck egg blue on my computer. I love the color! You are very fortunate, and I think the best recommendation is that you obviously enjoy using it. 😀
Thank you!!
hi courtney, i for one will never tire of your posts about bebe, no matter how many you share:)
I love this range so much, and immediately started searching when you introduced it. I love everything about it, and looked up the other range you mentioned, that while pretty, I'm not nearly as smitten as with this. Can you believe all those questions you answered, and I've got another. Did you also get the hood from Lacanche? Also….is shipping additional? Such a long journey for such beauty. I just don't know why all ranges don't have such graceful knobs….
Cassandra E
No worries at all!! I am happy to answer questions!! I will have to do a post about the range hood- but it is a wood range hood that we ordered unfinished from a woodworkers supply- and we cut the height to size. It was a great price compared to a custom hood – the one I wanted was not going to arrive in time for my book photos so I did some searching and found this one. With the range- the shipping is additional- but they have an option that takes about 6 months that is less expensive. I think the shipping was around $500- 600 so not as crazy expensive as you might think considering it is coming all the way from France and is delivered right to your door. It is definitely a gorgeous range- I think you would love it if you decide to order one!
I LOVE your range and am so excited and happy for you! What a beauty!! And I second the info on the hood!! I would love to know more as we are seeing a kitchen remodel in our not to far future. ❤️
Will do a post!! Thank you!!
I've had a bit of oven/range envy ever since you had it installed. It is absolutely the most gorgeous oven I've ever seen. I'm glad to hear it works so well for you. I'll put it on the dream list for someday, maybe… Thanks for sharing more about it, Courtney!
Oh Courtney this is beautiful. I have one question. My husband is a chef and we have a Viking range. It is a real pain when it comes to repair.The parts are very expensive. How do you find servicing for yours and will the parts be expensive? For us, it is even hard to find someone to service the Viking.
I haven't had to have anything repaired so can't say for sure- but I do believe they have repair folks in the US who specialize in Lacanche.
I absolutely loved reading this! Buying one sight unseen was soooo scary for us. Not only do I look at ours and love her more everyday the customer service and company alone have been so remarkable. Talk about being treated just so well by them consistently, every time! So along with you.. we’re so happy we hit the purchase button!!
Me too!! I saw them in person in the NYC showroom and it definitely does help to know what they really do look and feel like. And yes, Elisa and team have been absolutely incredible. They are an amazing company!
I would consider myself "queen for a century" if I had that in my kitchen. I am so pleased for you…ENJOY
Bonjour chère amie,
Je suis heureuse de découvrir que vous aimez cuisiner sur un "piano". C'est ainsi qu'on nomme en France ce genre de cuisinière.
Très jolie publication…
Gros bisous ????
I will never get tired of reading your experience via posts. I love it!! A loootttt
PS
You're pictures always look good and whats the secret behind it? such wonderful pictures could only be delivered with the awesomeness only from you
I don't believe they offer kitchen design services- I think that would more fall under a designer or architect. We didn't have any special modifications to hook ours up to our propane line-when we ordered the range we specified what type of gas we have, etc. and they built it for that. Our delivery did not include hook up- but with a dolly and 3 of us we were able to get this beauty into the kitchen and hook up was easy. I think you could ask them to recommend a service person who could come and help you install your range when it arrives. 🙂
It looks stunning.
We have a store here in town that sells the Cornue…..never saw this brand. The thing that worried me looking at the cornue….was that a good size turkey would never fit…..
funny though…lately I don't even cook the turkey in the oven….I use a roaster so my oven is free to cook other things….
I heard that those ovens are always on?? Maybe that's a different brand….
If only I could redo the kitchen again….LOL….
Nancy
wildoakdesigns.blogspot.com
It is indeed a different brand- this one is not on all the time. 🙂 I believe that is the AGA that is always on.
I loved watching ALL the videos about this oven. What a beautiful piece of art for your kitchen. I want to go back & look at the videos again so please post the site to do that when you do the new posting. We have a small oven in the home we purchased & I have wondered what to do when it dies (it is over 25 yrs. old) but w/some slight renovations this may be a potetial fit. Can you give the measurements? I am fearful of repairs/etc. as we are in Texas in a small town. Any posts welcome on this bebe.
They come in many sizes. This one is just under 40" wide- but they do have smaller ones that would fit the average opening in a kitchen- and larger dream sized ranges as well. Best thing to do is look at them on the website. 🙂
I can sure see why you love it…she's a beauty!!! =)
I just got an email last week that my Citeaux is on her way from France!! I can hardly wait! Your Cluny is beautiful!
What a wonderful post! Your Lacanche is beautiful! I've had mine terra-cotta Cluny1400 for just over 2 1/2 years and I still in love! Not only is it a beauty it's the most amazing range I've ever used. I'm trying to talk my husband into a second smaller one for our basement. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your beautiful range, I love reading about others who also gush over their Lacanche!
Your range is amazing Courtney! I dream of having one one day possibly in the blue they offer.
The new range makes your kitchen even more beautiful! How do you clean the oven? I think we are all so used to self-cleaning ovens that to have to clean an oven would be strange. I'm so happy for you!
Hi Courtney! Your Cluny is breathtaking! Love the colour. We are on the verge of ordering ours but I am still stuck on what type of ovens to go for. I see you have two gas ovens. How have you fared? Has your baking turned out well? I've had a few people tell me to get electric ovens and stay away from gas as it's tricky to get right. What has your experience been baking/roasting different kinds of things? Thanks! Lindsay 🙂
Hi Lindsay, thanks so much for your note! I love the gas ovens and haven't had a problem with them being the right temperature. I have heard the same about doing one of each but we have been happy with them both being gas.
This is beautiful! I am considering one myself but am a little scared to pull the trigger. I've been searching online for reviews and have seen either really great or really bad. Have you had any bad experiences with the burners and/or uneven cooking in the oven?
Hello where is your kitchen island from? I really hope you see this! We are in search of what looks to be similar to what you have there in a few of the photos thank you!! [email protected] -xx Lotta
Love the color! I have a Chagny in portuguese blue, the star of my white kitchen, and have been loving it for seven years now. I still think Lacanche makes the most beautiful ranges in the world.
That is such a gorgeous color and I can imagine in a white kitchen- beyond beautiful!! Lacanche is THE best- I love them!!
my husband and i have been OBSESSING over the lacanche ranges for about three months now. we have been in contact with the rep in our area and now that it’s getting real i’m starting to get cold feet! I love to bake and i have read some NEGATIVE reviews that scare me. i know that the internet is for complainers but its such a big expense to not love it.
a year and a half later do you still love it? anything i shoudl know before pulling the trigger?
Aww congratulations! We absolutely love our Lacanche and have no complaints or issues with baking or anything else. It is a fantastic range in my opinion and it completely gorgeous on top of it & it makes me happy to see it in the kitchen even when we aren’t using it. Hope that helps!
Hi courtney. My Fiance & i are about to start building a house, and we have bOth fallen in love with the Lacanche ranGe. We are considering the Saulieu whuch is 43”, has an oven, and vertical convection. As you mentioned, my dream is also the Sully, but it is 55” and would take up more of our countersPace which is already faIrly limited. Its just the 2 of us, so we are cooking smaller meals most of the time. However, we both come from larger families & Love Cooking/hosting for holidays, parties, etc. We will not have any other wall ovens. do you think A 43” is fine for us?…or would you still recommend the larger sully?
BY the way, gooD for you for going for thAt color… its beautiful!
Hi Rachal! I am not familiar with that model- but I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the Lacanche styles. I haven’t had any issues hosting Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners and having enough space for cooking with our range. We can fit full family size pizza, casseroles etc. and with 5 burners on top- plenty of space for cooking even in large amounts so I would say you would probably be just fine. I would advise to go with what fits your space and needs best- if you don’t find need for a larger oven/range for everyday living- I would think the smaller one would work great for you if it fits your space better.
Can I just ask where you purchased your pot rail that is above the stove? What finish is it? Thank you.