Your French Range (& More) Feedback
I got SO many responses from my Instagram request for feedback on French ranges, and SO many of you wanted me to share what I heard here – so here is a quick recap of the feedback I heard. PLEASE leave a comment with your own feedback so people can review and make their own assessments though!
LACANCHE
This is the range I am most drawn to appearance wise. Many of you like this range but said that it was hard to install/ installed improperly by builders because it’s more complicated and that the small ovens were tricky unless you have a separate large wall oven (which I plan to do). Repairs can be tough as there are not many authorized repair people and I can’t find a single retailer in New England for them, which makes me personally nervous. But those who LOVE this range, really love it. A few people said they regret it – I know one designer who says it’s a HUGE regret of hers, but I have a girlfriend who has one and absolutely loves it. Can configure the cooktop to be just about any mix of things, including induction burners, which is awesome. A very long wait to get as well (what isn’t?), and very expensive. Odd sizing from standard American ranges.
LA CORNUE
Higher ratings than La Canche for reliability, ease of repairs and overall performance. Very few people said they regretted this range. Sold by more appliance places than La Canche, which says something. Smaller ovens, again, and the doors open to the side which can be a little tricky, but again- if you have a wall oven as well, the smaller ovens are supplemental. They do have an all induction top option which is interesting/better for the environment. 43″ wide, which is odd and so replacing with a standard 48″ would be very tricky with cabinetry.
BLUE STAR
This brand is new to me and gets rave reviews by our preferred appliance vendor. Many of you suggested it too and said it’s awesome. It’s a “chef’s range”, and made in the USA with shorter lead times than lots of other ranges right now. You can choose from SO many colors and add brass accents- but have the functionality of a Wolf-like range. Only issue for me is the ovens are ONLY gas. I wish they had an electric option.
WOLF
The classic go-to, but right now the wait times for these are astronomically long. Tons of great reviews, kind of boring looking, in my opinion. You can get other color knobs, but I still find it a bit utilitarian. That said, the range top we currently have is Wolf and is 18 years old and still works great.
THERMADOR
Mixed reviews from you guys on this one, mostly good, a few not so good. Comparable to Wolf in looks, a little more detail. Not a ton of you have this so I don’t have a ton of information.
ILVE
Ilve is intriguing to me. Lots of good reviews, some said it feels a little “cheap”/ not a heavy as the French ranges, which isn’t surprising. But the price is good, the wait is shorter and the style very comparable to the French ranges. They also have an induction option. Curious to hear from more of you about this one! There are two lines Majestic (shown) and Nostalgie.
BERTAZZONI
Almost comically bad reviews, minus a couple people who like their older models. I’d stay away completely.
CAFE & Monogram Professional
No one mentioned either of these brands which I wonder about. Anyone???
Browse:
Any feedback on Hestan brand interior range? (Not the exterior bbq etc)
We actually really like our Monogram but we are sporadic chefs!
I have the Thermador range and I love it! I live in La Jolla, (San Diego, CA) and it’s quite popular here on the West Coast. I’ve had it for 17 years and have had only had 1 repair. Highly recommend it!
I have a Thermador in my city apartment and Wolf in my vacation home. According to my husband who did all the research on the ranges, the Thermador is “better” because its burners have a broader range of heat. As the primary cook however, I find Wolf easier to control and cook on. The Thermador’s range is so huge heat-wise that just the tiniest turn of the knob on the range can make a huge difference. My Wolf has double burners where you can light a second burner for lower heat. Having said all that, I do like both and would probably just get whichever was available first in this environment. The metal quality on the Thermador is also better than my Wolf and doesn’t scratch as much. My Wolf is 36″ with a griddle in the middle, and I LOVE that feature! Both are gas ovens; an unfortunate restriction that I think was due in both cases to the electric capacity of both bomes.
Over the years on the west coast, I’ve cooked with gas ranges by Dacor (horrible temp control), Miele (a 48″ duel fuel [gas oven and electric speed oven] rock star, but hard to clean the cooktop) and Wolf (a 36″ rock star with an easy to clean cooktop). In our latest home, we purchased the 36″ Wolf gas range with the Miele electric speed oven and we feel like we finally have it all! My only regret, not buying the Wolf induction. My family thought the gas was sexier and will resale better. We will definitely go induction with our next house and we will never give up the Miele speed oven.
I have had a Bluestar 48 inch range for about 15 years and love it! I did research and the lifespan of some of these ranges was 5-8 years. Bluestar is excellent for cooking and only a few replacements of igniters which my husband was able to handle. These ranges are a big investment and this one is simple to repair and still going strong!
I have the Monogram and it has been nothing but problems. I always wanted a La Cornue, but now I’m not so sure. I think I’d rather just have something more functional. Those little ovens would get on my nerves no matter how cute it is.
When I did my current house almost three years ago, I did all my appliances in GE Cafe, and have had Zero Problems. They work well, the price point is terrific in comparison to the Big Names, and I purchased through Costco, which doubles the warranty time. I’ve lived with all the major brands, hated Thermador & Wolf, but SO miss a SubZero fridge–they are woth the money, but this go round I didn’t have the space. Thanks for a great post.
We have had the Cafe cooktop and double wall oven and are quite pleased! Still waiting on copper knobs for the cooktop but all said and done very happy with the purchase.
We have a thermador which is now 22 years old. Electric oven, gas range which we love. But now parts are hard to come by or no longer made and oven can not be repaired. (Stovetop still going.) Hence the interest in your post. But 22 years is not a bad run.
Thank you so much for this post! We are currently designing out our kitchen and have been going crazy on which range to pick. This information was fantastic.
I have a Thermador gas range/oven that our builder put in – the oven, especially the convection bake setting, is great. If I had been able to choose I would have gone for La Cournue, but the themador does the trick and we swapped out the knobs with blue ones, which makes it a little more fun. The “griddle” is great for making kids grilled cheese and quesadillas. I used to have a Wolf, and I’d say the Thermador is exactly the same in terms of how it cooks! If there’s a short wait time and you are undecided, I say go for it, but it’s not as fun as pretty as some of the others.
We have a 23-year-old DCS range—gas stove with high/low rings of gas jets (absolute necessity for delicate sauces and warming). Four burners and a fabulous grill in the middle, which you MUST have for making chocolate-chip pancakes during kiddo sleepovers one day. Trust me on that. We chose an electric oven with convection and have loved it. We cook at least twice a day, and the gas/electric combo has been the absolute workhorse of our lives.
Now a warning: Never, ever, even if it is the only item in stock for the next year, buy anything from GE Monogram. We had their highest high-end fridge, and it was a stinker. Everything broke, repeatedly. The customer service was dreadful; they didn’t stand behind their product at all, which cost us a small fortune in repairs. I will build a fire in the backyard and cook my gruel on a spit before I buy Monogram again.
I just wanted to comment on the issue of having to do a ‘safety’ start on the gas cooktops. I know it sounds like a pain but I wish my stove/cooktop had that. Multiple times I’ve leaned forward to scrub the backsplash and leaned against the knobs and they are so sensitive that they instantly light and flare up. I have to be super careful not to set myself on fire.
I’ve always wanted a gas cooktop and finally got one three years ago. I worried that with induction I couldn’t ‘see’ how hot it was, but now I think that it would have been worth learning to adjust to a new heat source. I hope I don’t have to replace this stove for many many years (because I have no idea how we will get it out from between the countertops – they are absolutely squeezed up against the edges of the stove. I question how anyone will get enough leverage to pull out something that weighs that much) but when I finally do, it will be with induction.
Not sure if you’re still reading all of these, but I loved my Lacanche french range. No problems with installation for me, but you’re correct that it’s difficult to find service people, but I live in a major metropolitan area (like you) and there was a company that was qualified to handle any issues. They are gorgeous and sturdy, built like a tank to last a generation or more. I LOVE that there are no electronic components because I think those are the first to go out on appliances. The simpler, the fewer things to go wrong. I had the gas and could light it with a lighter if the power went out. I also had double wall ovens so I didn’t use the oven that often but it was great on holidays, and the warming cupboards were really nice. Would have done again if it had been in the budget. I upgraded to the glossy black finish and it was really gorgeous.
I’ve had the 36″ Thermador for 10 years now and just LOVE IT. The burners are star shaped which really helps to evenly heat pans. It’s not the most beautiful, but it is a workhorse. Also, I got the blue knobs which I still love.
Current Residence – La Cornue – Grand Palais 180…best of the best, albeit a bit quirky and has a learning curve.
Summer Home and a previous home – Wolf always a winner, reliable and newer versions are quite improved over ones 10 plus years old
Another home has the Monogram which surprised me. It needed a service to bring up to speed when we purchased the home, but is quite efficient and more industrial looking than some of the others.
We have a Blue Star and have loved it. No problems. The only thing I would say (and as at least one has already mentioned) you’ll need a good hood and need to ensure it’s installed properly over the range. We have an excellent hood but our builder did not install it properly (or maybe the cabinet maker is at fault); either way, the cabinets need to be fabricated so that the edge of the hood extends the entire width of the range. Our range extends about 4″ out from our cabinetry (including the hood), which doesn’t seem like a lot, but it makes a difference when you are cooking with such high heat! No complaints at all with the range; it’s excellent and I love how fast it will boil a pot of water for pasta!
Meant to say that the cabinetry needs to be fabricated so that the edge of the hood extends the entire DEPTH of the range, given how far the range will stick out from the cabinetry in the front. (Hope that makes sense.)
I will add… they are very hard to bake/cook in. Casserole pans don’t fit in most… most cookie trays don’t fit… the baking space is tiny. We tried to do thanksgiving with the Lancanche and it was a disaster! Just a thought if you like to cook…
We just built a house 2 years ago & put a 60” Thermador range with 6 burners & a 24” griddle (it has 2 full sized ovens). We mainly went with Thermador because it’s one of the few ranges that has a cast iron griddle, which was a big necessity for me (we live in the South & griddle all kinds of stuff). I can tell you it is my favorite appliance in my house. We’ve had zero problems with it & I could not love it more.
As others have mentioned, I have to disagree with some of the LaCanche comments. The Sully is perfect- two regular size ovens that can hold huge turkeys and full size cookie sheets, with one electric convection and the other gas. No need for a wall oven with a Sully and you can do induction or any combo of burners. You should go to the NYC showroom if you want to buy one, but they actually manufacture all of the enamels for LaCornue…and LaCornue is way more expensive due to their more expansive marketing and showrooms. We have never needed a repair on ours in 10 years, but they are so simply made with no electronics that any good appliance person could likely fix it- but the company will likely find you someone in any case. And the installation isn’t hard, they explain it all very clearly. Really you just hook up the gas and slide it in. You just have to make sure there’s room to properly vent it and that the cabinet depths around it accommodate the space for the vent. Or you can do a zero clearance install without the vent space too, but just have to make sure the wall behind has been properly treated for heat protection. We have a wolf in our vacation home and I hope we can replace it with a Lacanche some day!
I have a La Cornue (In Tiffany Blue with brass trim) for about 15 years. Not sure what you mean by the oven doors? Is that the cheaper version they came out with a handful of years ago? My oven door is built like a safe, its so heavy. As a previous post mentioned the cookie sheets slide right in which I love but I have to get the large french ones to fit. La Cornue has been incredibly responsive with any issues. I am extremely satisfied and can’t imagine owning any other stove.
We have the 43” la cornue and it is the star of our kitchen. It is so beautiful and feels so substantial and well made compared to any other range I’ve ever had. The oven cooks much better than previous ranges I’ve had. It has a very tight seal and I think it keeps the moisture in somehow so food doesn’t dry out. Using one smaller oven saves time in heating up, but I’ve had no trouble with the size of the oven. In fact, I prefer having two smaller ones. One burner ignition switch went out recently and it was still under warranty and no issue with getting someone out to service it.
We have a nostalgic Ilve in black with brass and it is dreamy. It works hard and it’s beautiful to look at :)
We’ve had our 6 burner Wolf range (gas top, electric oven) for 7 years. I love it–very reliable, even baking and very precise temperature control on the cooktop. I replaced the red knobs with black. The oven is big, bigger than my wall oven, so I can easily fit the Thanksgiving turkey. I cook and bake daily so a reliable, easy-to-clean range was a must.
We just finished a renovation and installed the whole line of cafe appliances and so far, we love them! They are less expensive than the other options you’ve reviewed. We have the matte white and they are so beautiful and work so well. We did run into issues with delays and I think they are even longer now, but beautiful and no complaints.
We have a new Thermidor range and I really dislike the fan noise from the oven. Puts out a lot of heat, very noisy and takes forever to cool down. Literally fan can run for 30 minutes even if you only bake for 10!
We have nearly 20 year old monogram wall ovens and a separate cook top, when we re-do our kitchen we have every intention of using the above monogram product you mention. Knock on wood, they both still work well, and there are plenty of repair options, which is important to us.
Can’t speak to Monogram ranges, but have a full suite of appliances from them – no complaints. We have a 36” cooktop, wall oven and the advantium microwave. We plan to get a 36” range in the future bc the BTU is higher than the French ovens and bc made in USA, easier to replace (our oven door sorta fell apart in the first year of our house and we got a repairman to fix it – no issues since, and bc of the warranty, have a spare oven door hanging out in the box in our garage for when the day really comes!).
I’d also look at Fiaher and Paykel— they have a large induction range that is lovely. We have F&P appliances and have been O happy— planning to get the induction range when we do our kitchen
We have a Lacanche and the bigger oven they offer is perfect. All my pans fit that I had been using with our old American oven, and I’m finicky about pans. I’m not sure what issue people are having unless they are choosing a model that doesn’t have the larger oven. The small oven is great too and I use it a lot. The only reason I would want a wall type oven would be to have the glass door for peeking. Re: Lacanche vendors, they have only one authorized vendor in the US and only a handful of showrooms, so that’s why they aren’t carried by more places. No regrets here! It’s gorgeous and works beautifully.
Really wish I had read these reviews seven years ago when I bought my bertazzoni. My dual-range isn’t all terrible. The gas cooktop is amazing. Love, love, love it. The electric oven though is so unreliable. It’s okay for roasting and things that don’t require precision, but I had to add a wall oven to handle baking.
We have the Lacanche Cluny in Anthracite. It is gorgeous. It did take forever but so did the rest of our renovation so that was fine. In the end, I wish I had sprung for the Sully. Those two ovens are normal-sized and could fit regular pans. None of my sheet pans fit in the Cluny. It’s just too small. The price of the Sully was too high for me at the time but maybe if you’re also considering wall ovens you could justify it? Other than the ovens being Barbie-sized, it’s beautiful, works like a dream, and I love it.
Viking?? Has it lost favor? I’ve never had a day of trouble with their gas cooktops and ranges in 25 years
I have a Wolf 36″ range that was installed 16 years ago and love it. My only repair has been once to the front burner when the pilot switch needed to be replaced, but it’s the burner I use the most, so it makes sense. I love the gas oven, but it’s big for daily use and does take a bit of time to heat up. I have a small 27″ Miele wall oven( sadly no longer made) that I use all the time. I find a small oven very handy, and we are a family of five. I will say that my son is a professional chef and loves the big gas Wolf oven and used it a ton since our kitchen was his culinary training:) I have four burners and a griddle in the middle. I do not use the griddle a ton now, as we are empty nesters, but when my children were younger, I used the griddle all the time. I cook a lot and never found I needed all six burners. I do have the red knobs and personally like them. They are my one pop of color is an all white kitchen.
You didn’t include Aga ranges (the Elise series). I bought a 36″ one because of the large oven and had the handles and knobs plated brass. I am very pleased. I also have a 24″ Miele in my island. If I were to replace that I would think about a speed oven/microwave. Incidentally the Aga Elise is made in the same factory as the LaCornue ranges. I was replacing a Viking range and wished I could have gone for the 42″ but that would have thrown it into a full kitchen re-do which really wasn’t necessary.
Love mine too, but no one knows about them?
The LACANCHE looks like a stove for someone who likes to look at their stove. I can’t fathom not being able to peek at my cookies & cakes rising without having to open the door, hence letting the heat out.
I have a LaCanche. I literally have never thought about the window issue. Maybe bc the ovens I previously had you could barely see through anyway so the window always seemed pointless? I always had to crack to see the actual color of the cookies… The REAL issue with LaCanche is that the range top gas doesn’t go low enough. Even on the tiniest burner your sauces are over-simmered. Wolf has a setting where you can get the burners super, super low. Not sure about the others. That said – I wouldn’t have bought a Wolf bc I live in a house built 1732 and it would have looked ridiculous. The LaCanche just blends.
I was thinking the same thing! I love my wall ovens for that reason! I also don’t want to be down on the floor peeking in or stooping so low to take something out. I bake very often and that would be not a practical option. Lol !!
I have a Thermador dual fuel range and dishwasher and I think their products are great. Thermador is manufactured by the same company that manufactures Bosch so I think they have very high quality products. We have a Bosch refrigerator that matches the Thermador appliances and we love that as well.
I have two lacanche ranges, and love them. I find them much easier to clean than the cheffy styles with similar performance. They’re also quite a bit cheaper than lacornue. The lead times are long, but both of my renovations were delayed to the point that it ended up not mattering (ugh).
Definitely go to the showroom in NYC if you can. I don’t know why more people don’t measure the ovens before they buy them. Some of the ovens are normal sized. They just don’t tend to be symmetrical ones you see most often. One of my ranges has a big electric oven and a small broiling oven. And the other one has one gas oven and one electric oven. I love the option of having both kinds (gas for roasting, electric for baking).
You don’t see them at appliance stores, because Art Culinaire has an exclusive distribution deal in the United States. But I’ve never needed a service call (I have spoken with them on the phone, because my contractor set the burners too low and they would sometimes go out. It was an easy fix with a screwdriver.)
We just built a house and I took a chance on the GE Cafe 36” range. I love it! I have had a Dacor, Viking and some commercial brand whose name escapes me, and this range beats them all hands down. It’s substantial and good looking. It has the lowest simmer I’ve ever encountered. You have absolute control over the heat. Oven is generous and works great. Five star for me.
You left out Viking. We had a Viking 48″ 2 homes ago. We absolutely loved it! We only ever had 1 small fix and found a repairman immediately. Our next house we got the GE Monogram 48″ (to save $). We HATED it. The burners didn’t heat evenly, the BTUs weren’t hot enough, after only 5 years the motherboard had to be replaced. Would NEVER buy it again. Also had Cafe fridge…HATED it. Our lettuce always froze! We were used to the king of fridges (SubZero), but again tried to save $ – bad choice. This home we went back to Viking and decided to give the Frigidaire columns a try. We haven’t been disappointed at all.
I had a Thermador range for many years and absolutely loved it. Mine was dual fuel so burners were gas and ovens were electric, with one small oven (included a proofing feature) and one larger oven.
Such a fun topic! We are serial home renovators and we have done a number of these brands, but this house we went with a Cornue and I lurve it. I’d absolutely do it again for the cooking and the aesthetic.
We have a Thermador. We LOVE LOVE LOVE it! We call her Lola (she is a showgirl 🥰) my family, friends, church family, neighbors, employees all gather at our home for holidays, birthdays, pool parties, baby showers, church meetings, employee appreciation, you name it , we celebrate it!!!! I’m the “chief cook & bottle washer” and “Lola” hasn’t failed me yet. From super boil to simmer burner, she keeps up and gets it done. We only have her, no wall ovens. We opted for the griddle because we have and outdoor kitchen. I would highly recommend my Thermador to anyone without any hesitation! One of my favorite features is the exhaust vents when baking, makes our home smell like a bakery.
Two years ago we remodeled our kitchen and I had my heart set on a La Cornue. Then I went and looked at one in person and it felt cheap to me. The material used on the cooktop felt flimsy and not substantial. A friend has one and she absolutely hates the ovens, says they burn everything so she only uses her wall oven. And the 43” width scared me; what if I hated it and wanted to replace it? There is not another range that size. My builder warned us to stay away from Thermidor because he had many clients who had so many problems with theirs. I did consider Miele, but they don’t have a service team nearby and that scared me. I ended up with a Wolf range top and Wolf wall ovens and am so glad I went that route. Not as stylish, but I cook a lot, especially since Covid, and they are work horses.
I have the Monogram Professional and the burners and covers are terrible to clean! Works lovely but otherwise, if you are a type-a clean freak, avoid it.
I have had clients that have Cafe stoves and they love them! I’ve had quite a few with Wolfe and Viking that are not happy. Constant service calls. I put an Ilve (nostalgie 36” range in blue) in my sweet little house that I sold last year just because it looked so dang good and the price point is awesome. While one of the big burners seemed to be a little bit tricky to light, that was the only issue. I absolutely loved the way it looked, it felt very functional and at half the price of any of the high-end stoves, it was totally worth it
I have a Thermador Pro Grand Steam Range (looks exactly like your picture) and love it, we’ve had it 7 years and have had zero problems with it. My husband is the cook in the family and uses the steam oven at least a few times per week and wouldn’t want to cook without it. I highly recommend it.
Oh, i had a Bertazzoni at my last house, and I liked a lot too, though definitly not as high end / heavy as a Viking, but was fine at the time.
I have a Viking Tuscany (looks like a French range) and love it. It’s super high quality, boils water crazy fast, heavy. I was going to get a LA CORNUE or LACANCHE but the wait was much longer, and very pleased w/ purchase (beautiful too)
Hi Erin
I just went through this as well and it is a tough decision. I went to New York to look at the LaCanche as I wanted to see in person. They were beautiful and I was sure that is what I was getting. However the lead times are crazy. But I believe Bespoke in Winchester has one and is a rep for them. I looked at the L’Atelier range and it is stunning as well . They have one in the Boston design center. But in the end I went with the LaCornue, it was just delivered a few weeks ago. The lead time on this range was much longer than expected but it is beautiful and worth the wait.however it feels small compared to the wolf range I had in my old kitchen ! I do think you would need a second oven . But as far as repairs I have had them reach out making sure I am happy with my range thus far. I will keep you posted once the cabinets are installed and how the range does. Good luck.
Get a Miele 48”. The best! It has the electric option you want for the oven.
I love my Miele. They have a dual fuel option and it is German made, so no reliability issues. It’s not as pretty as the French and Italian stoves, but much better looking and comparable to the Wolf/Viking.The gas cooktop clean up is a breeze compared to my other gas cooktops.
I adore my Monogram appliances. Had them for 10 years at our first home, built and moved into new home 2 years ago and never looked at anything else. Did Monogram and love it still!!
Our Monogram fridge is 24 years old and still going strong. Only had to replace the fan three times. Hope it will hang in there until we do a home remodel down the road in a few years.
Here to chime in on Thermador (which we have in our city house) and Cafe (which we have at the lake house.) I wouldn’t recommend either. Our Thermador is crazy, crazy loud when the oven is on. So much so, that it’s hard to carry on a conversation in the kitchen when the oven is on (all temperatures, and not convection.) It stinks when you are trying to entertain. I’ve had multiple repair people tell me it’s just normal (meanwhile, I’ve never heard sounds like this from friends’ Wolf or other brands.) Do a search on Thermador range noise, and you will see I’m not alone in this. Ours is only 4 years old, and I would love to replace it with another brand. The Cafe is cheap and we are already replacing the mother board after using it a handful of times. I think it is not well-made. Currently, if you are trying to use both ovens at the same time, and open the door to the other oven, one or both ovens just turn off. We discovered this on Thanksgiving, which made for an interesting turkey cooking experience.
I commented previously about how much I love our Thermador range but you’re right about the noise, I forgot about that. I recently read that if you open the oven door a bit after cooking is complete, it will air out/reduce the temp in the oven right away, thereby causing the fans to turn off. I’m amazed at how well that works! Within about 2 mins of opening the door, the fans turn off and remain off permanently (i.e. you can close the door and the fans don’t come back on). I recommend trying it. The fans did used to drive us crazy, I don’t know why they have to be so loud!
We have a Bertazzoni induction range and it is fantastic! No complaints.
I have the Ilve dual fuel double oven and agree with the other comment about difficulty of turning on burners, cleaning, and reading the icons. Also can’t generate enough heat to broil something like a steak in the oven. And one other drawback is the gas burners won’t hold a simmer. Too low and they go off so I have to resort to multiple simmer pads. All said though it’s so pretty that I’d probably still buy it again, especially since the combination of price, size, and availability was the best I could find
So glad to hear you’re considering induction/electric!
Just read this NYT article and was shocked:
Brady Seals, a manager at RMI, a nonprofit focused on sustainability, and an author of a study examining the health effects of gas stoves, said indoor nitrogen dioxide levels can spike quickly, reaching hazardous levels in the amount of time it takes to bake a cake.
“For children who live in a home with a gas stove, the increased risk of asthma is on par with living in a home with a smoker,” she said.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/11/dining/induction-cooking.html
We had a Blue Star and it is in fact awesome. I didn’t love the gas oven for baking (it was great for roasting, braising, etc.) but if you have a separate wall oven I think you’d be ok? I am not a great cook and at first, the power of the burners was overwhelming and I burned a lot of stuff! But I got into a rhythm and it would heat up and cook whatever on the stovetop so fast. We’ve had Wolf in our last two kitchens and it feels a little better geared to my cooking abilities, their customer service is awesome, and since we tend to move a lot they have been good for resale.
PS. My dream kitchen has Gaggenau appliances!
Just finished a kitchen remodel and after waiting 8 months for a wolf range that then got delayed 6 more months we ended up going with a 36” Miele dual fuel range. I really love the dual stacked burners and the simmer option works so well I can melt chocolate on it. We stayed away from thermador because the simmer function is the flame turning on and off so you always hear the clicking. The Miele oven is also a steam oven which is amazing for baking but also roasting meats and veggies.
Have a Blue Star because my husband chose it and he loves to bake. I agreed to it with the caveat that he cleans the oven, you can guess how that has worked out! It doesn’t self clean, I hate it.
Cleaning the oven is my most hated home task. But to make you feel a bit better, my understanding is that self-cleaning is quite bad for ovens, and will reduce their life. Anyone else know something about this?
I scrolled down to hear your thoughts on the Bertazzoni and… oh dear! Not what I was expecting you to say! We recently installed an induction Professional Series Bertazzoni range and so far are absolutely loving it. I used to work in a high end kitchen/bath showroom (think $50k+ ranges) and the Bertazzoni to me was always the entry level luxury range and the only one I considered really. It was simple for our contractors to install, just like a regular electric range. Induction is a little bit of a learning curve (and a new set of pans) but the baking is *chefs kiss* And being Italian-made it has Pizza mode which we laughed about at first but it is actually awesome and great for baking bread! Please don’t write off the Bertazzonis – they’re cute, theyre relatively inexpensive, and we’ve really been enjoying ours!
I had a wolf range and really disliked using it. Cleaning the burner area was horribly tedious because of the design, so I always cringed when I had to use it. Not to mean ruin the indoor air pollution from the gas…and I used to love gas, but I don’t anymore since induction.
I do love a classic home and kitchen, but my current kitchen has just a clean Bosh induction cooktop which is awesome to use and cooks so so well…along with an electric wall oven that bakes beautifully. That’s all I will ever use from here on out. I’ll never buy another showy expensive range again for myself. Even though I do cook a lot, I feel those ranges are just over-kill for me.
For years I also had an AGA…and I miss it. I would install another in a heartbeat! But you need to live in the right climate for one.
I love my induction cooktop. The fact that the only space that gets hot is under the pot, the clean up is super easy, clean heat and the power setting boils water in seconds. 👏
Can you correct me if I am wrong on this… but someone I know who had an induction cook top told me that if they are going to be cooking something that is potentially messy or could boil over, that they first lay down blank newsprint paper on top of the stove and then cook on top of that. Because the heat is generated through the pots and pans, the paper doesn’t get hot and burn. When you are finished cooking, you just gather up the paper and either toss it or recycle it, eliminating clean-up. I almost don’t believe them, it sounds too good to be true. (and I have been called gullible before so there’s that…). Anyway, that alone would be a game changer for me because cleaning up the gas cooktop is a real chore!!!!
Yep, It is true! I love mine and will never go back to messy gas grates. Super safe for kids to cook on too.
Yes it’s true you can! I put a newspaper sheet down under the pot for potentially messy projects like cooking fruit for jam. It doesn’t get hot enough to burn and clean up is easy…just ball up the paper!
Thank you for this comment! We have been looking at the Bosch induction cooktops & I have been on the fence.
I had Bosch in my previous home, and have wolf now. I miss the Bosch oven! It was more accurate and baked so evenly. Can’t say the same for wolf.
We installed a Bosch induction cooktop 9 years ago and still love it. Zero issues (knock on wood) and clean up is a breeze!
Hi, agree with your comment on maintenance and trying to simplify daily life. We are very happy with our Falcon cooker, but I admit I use only two out of five gas pits and one oven out of two, for daily cooking for our family of six.
Love our Cafe oven! Have only had one issue and warranty completely covered it. No difficulty installing and looks a step above your average range with the ability to customize knobs, etc.
I also love my cafe range! I have six gas burners (with a cast iron griddle that can be swapped in) and it cooks like a dream. One of the double oven is large enough for pretty much anything; I also like that the smaller one that is used more frequently is on top, so less bending. I chose the matte white with gold knobs — if I’m honest, mainly fir the way it looks — but I’ve been incredibly pleased with this stove’s performance. The fridge and dishwasher are a dream also.
I would like to recommend Kucht ranges. We have the 48″ dual fuel model in our primary home and the 36″ dual fuel model in our lake house. We LOVE to cook and are very, very happy with both. The customer service (needed to replace a broken light) is fantastic.
https://kucht.com/online/product-category/dual-fuel-ranges/
Britain has the AGA stove. Quite beautiful. Anyone have experience with that brand?
Erin, would you please reconsider ceiling fans and provide suggestions? I think most people are more aware of energy usage, for both global warming and utility cost reasons. It would be great if you could do a post on ceiling fans…even if you won’t use them in your projects, many of your readers would. Thanks!
I hated our AGA. Hot all the time. $400 worth of propane a MONTH, my kitchen heated to 98 degrees in summer yet barely livable in winter. If you get one that isn’t on all the time, fine. Otherwise, an expensive waste. Also, you can’t roast veg in them without them getting super soggy bc the AGA keeps all moisture in and there’s no convection function. Good for meat, horrible for veg.
I have had Lacanche, La Cornue, Viking and Wolf. The Wolf was the most reliable. Both La Cornue and Lacanche ran hot and could not be adjusted to be accurate. My last range was an Aga Elise. I feel like Goldilocks when I say that this one was jussst right!! It was the best range I have ever used. I loved the smaller ovens and they were a breeze to clean because every inner piece is removable leaving you with a smooth box to spray and wipe down. We’ve just started building another home and will definitly have an Aga Elise. The only issue is that the ivory is creamier than the sample I received so I had to adjust my cabinet colors. No big deal, but I wish it had been the color of the sample.
Susan, you’re absolutely right about ceiling fans. I installed on in each bedroom and they really, truly reduce the number of nights we need to use the AC. Sleeping under one is like a dream.
I have an AGA induction Elise, it was made in Italy. I love it!!! British AGAs stay on all the time and function as a heater. They are not suitable in warmer climates.
I have experience with the Ilve (“ill-vay”) brand which is the Italian name. In the US, it’s often sold under the Hallman brand name. Same product. Have had our 48” @ilve_usa Ilve dual range for 5 months now. We have the gas cook top with the electric dual ovens, one nice and large, one very small. We got the stainless with brass accents color. It’s a gorgeous focal point in our remodeled kitchen. For real, it’s beautiful. BUT….here we go, you have to hold the gas for at LEAST 10 seconds on each knob for it to ignite. At least. It’s a built in safety feature that is highly annoying (you have to constantly listen to the “click click click click” sound). On top of that, 50% of the time, the burners still fail to ignite. This is our biggest frustration. It’s embarrassing when guests try using the stove top. You have an expensive looking range that no one can light the cook top on half the time. Big box store gas tops will at least light for you pretty consistently! The large oven took about two months to actually cook at the right temperature. Before that we’d compensate by adding 25-50 degrees to the desired setting. It works now and no problems with following recipes and getting the right result. Nice and big. The small oven is TINY! Too small for a 9×13 pan, which is frustrating. In addition, for the life of us, we can’t get it to heat up. It never reaches the desired temp so we never use it. Our range took 7 months to arrive. Ordered in May 2021. It is gorgeous though. I have very mixed feelings on it.
We have a Thermador 36 inch range and oven in our Ny apartment and think it’s awesome. We have the one that has the 5 burner so you feel that much closer to a full size range. The stove evenly and quickly, same with the oven. I can’t speak to the larger size and the second oven (dare to dream), but I have been very impressed. We also have the microwave and dishwasher (dishwasher often free when you buy other stuff) and they work great!
I’ve had a 48″ Thermador range for 10 years and haven’t needed a service call yet. Granted, not the prettiest, but certainly in my experience, dependable and I believe, still American made. Perhaps that will cut lead time? Amy from Homeglow Design installed an Aga Elise in her own home and shared her review on her blog. You might want to check that one out as well, since I don’t see that one mentioned.
Such a helpful post and discussion! I’ve had the full suite of Thermador appliances at a previous home and LOVED them, especially the range (miss them now in my current kitchen). I’m a RE developer and going all electric for everything on my projects now, so only working with lines that offer induction (which a lot of them do). The project I’m currently working on in Stowe VT (mileawaystowe.com) will have two GE Cafe kitchens, one with wall ovens and an induction cooktop and one with an induction range. I like the style options and the prices were good for the level of finishes. Still need to see how they work. Lead times are long, ordered them in July, all items are just now finally in stock and waiting for me to take delivery, but I think the timing has gotten even longer since I ordered. For my own kitchen reno, I’m thinking of exploring True (https://true-residential.com/) for a high style fridge and potentially Cafe or Thermador for induction cooktop and wall oven. I saw True fridges in person at the new High Street Place food hall in Boston, Tiffani Faison’s champagne bar has a fabulous wall of them that were gorgeous!
Thanks for your post. We are about to redo a kitchen (CHS, SC) and dealer suggested Signature Kitchen Series 48” range. (High end model from LG.) I can’t find non-dealer reviews online so if anyone can comment I’d love to hear. I was leaning toward Wolf but now rethinking after reading your comments.
We’ve had a La Cornue (the exact one you showed in your post) for seven years. We were planning on a Lacanche, but the order time was so very long, and I didn’t want an additional wall oven, so we went with La Cornue. One of the things I like best about La Cornue, as an avid baker, is that the the Williams Sonoma Gold Touch rimmed half sheet pans fit perfectly on the oven rails. I used them almost exclusively instead of the racks that come with the ovens. Sheet pan suppers, big batches of cookies, etc — they all slide in directly on the baking sheets. Note the flat cookie sheets do not fit. Also repair in the NYC metro area is not bad. HQ is very responsive to problems (we had to replace a temperature sensor this year, which is not bad for a 7 yr old oven that is used hard). The inside panels can be removed and run through the dishwasher, so can the burner grates. I love it!
Hey Erin, I have a blue star range and Thermador in wall oven and microwave. I feel like this is the best of both worlds. My dream though is LaCornue.
We have the Thermador induction cooktop in our home and LOVE it. It does not have the oven (we have a Thermador wall oven) so I can’t speak to the entire unit but all of our appliances are Thermador and we couldn’t be happier.
Agree on Thermador. We have the gas cooktop and double wall ovens. Doesn’t have the striking good looks of the French ranges but clean looking. Customer service (for our fridge – FYI check your plastic water lines! Those suckers dry out quick!) was wonderful.
I have a LaCornue Albertine in a 36″. I love it!!! I’ve only had it for 9 months and no issues so far. I did end up choosing a 36″ as opposed to something slightly wider so I could have an “american” sized oven with one door.
I now regret that we installed a gas cooktop when we renovated 12 years ago because of it’s environmental impact. The new induction cooktops have even more responsive temperature control than gas burners without contributing to global warming.
I have induction and while in perfect conditions they cook cleaner, in real life any little spec of food that splatters or gets stirred out of the pot onto the burner turns into a plume of smoke that stinks up your house.
Have you looked at the Viking Tuscany options? They’re like a hybrid between a professional range and a European style range.
I just left a comment that I have one of these. I really love, and it’s beautiful.
had an older cafe at previous home and it was great, but recently read a blogger day that she had to replace all the elects after less than a year and she had readers do the same. do people dislike viking? our new house has a viking and we don’t like. burns everything and heats unevenly. can’t wait to replace.
I think you’re referring to this blog post:
https://roomfortuesday.com/an-honest-review-of-the-ge-cafe-range/
Why buy an expensive range if you need to have a wall oven as well??????? Makes no sense to me!
I LOVE a wall oven, but the range is a centerpiece visually. Paying for both gets you the look AND the functionality. If you can afford it, go for it.
I’m with you Kim. I don’t get it either. 😂
This will be installed in a 2 million dollar home. It’s standard in this price range.
It must be geography-specific, I live in an area of $4M+ homes and none of us with professional ranges have wall ovens as well, but no matter – everyone can have as many ovens as they want :)
I got an Ilve Nostalgie 48” because it fit my budget. I ordered matte graphite with gold and it arrived shiny black with gold. Haha! Just another hiccup in building a house in 2020/2021. My dealer ordered it through a partner dealer and we’re not sure where the error happened but after waiting 9 months for it we just kept it. I get soooo many compliments on it. It is beautiful but also I would say 99 percent of homes in my area have a GE/KitchenAid/Frigidaire so it seems more special than if everyone around here had Thermador. I got dual fuel and everything works/cooks very well. I love making homemade pizza and love the pizza mode in the oven. I would say the two cons are: 1) I’m the only one that can use it. The burners are hard to turn on because they have a safety feature that you have to hold them in to run the gas for ten seconds to heat up a part before the gas will stay on. And it’s a slight twist so the igniter isn’t clicking the whole time. This is to prevent little ones from turning on the stove. But it sometimes takes me 3 attempts to light a burner. The oven controls have icons that show which elements you’re working (instead of saying “bake” or “convection” or “pizza” or “quick preheat”) and it’s hard to remember what is what. I keep the manual open to the oven page in the drawer below the oven and have to refer to it unless I am just using the regular bake mode. The second con is that the stove (like most gas stoves) is difficult to clean. My last gas stove was easier due to it being one flat surface with grates that bent down and sat on the flat part. This has flat grates and the bottom part molds up to hold them. Does that make sense? It just seems like this one has more parts and nooks and crannies for food to get stuck. I would still recommend this range but I would consider induction top for ease of cleaning. I love to cook on gas and I still sort of wish I had induction.
We have a Wolf range with a gas oven (along with a Wolf electric wall oven), and we love them. I was a little nervous at first about the gas oven, but it is amazing for roasting. I don’t know if I would go back to roasting in an electric oven. Electric still seems to be better for baking. If you are going to have two ovens, why not get the best of both worlds:)
I agree on the gas Wolf ovens. I was worried I’d miss my old electric but I don’t at all – it roasts, bakes, broils like a champ!
Yes and when a tree falls and your power goes out while roasting veggies for a dinner party (this happened to me yesterday), you can still get ‘er done with a gas oven!
I have a blue star and love it! They are made in PA which is definitely better from a lead time perspective. Multiple chefs have recommended this to me over Wolf, etc. for home cooking. The stove definitely cooks hot, on a professional grade level, so a step up in intensity from the big box stores. You would need a good hood as a result. Mine is 1.5 years old and no complaints!
Tried to respond yesterday but Instagram kept cutting me off. We installed a bertazzoni 11 years ago when we renovated a historic home in New Orleans. At the time, the price point was good, the look was what we wanted, and my husband ( the chef of our family) had heard good things from real cooks. We have had no problems with it and have loved it. While I can’t speak to the new models, I don’t regret the purchase.
Same–ours is about five years old and I really love it. It’s 100% mechanical–doesn’t even have a temperature gauge, non-self cleaning (my old Jenn-Air committed suicide on self clean, so never again). It’s definitely not a stove for beginners, but has very few moving parts (live a 1960’s Porsche) and looks absolutely fabulous.
I’m in the same boat, with a five-year-old Berta. There are some tricks to lighting the burners, and I will say the (gas) oven is a little finicky (mostly the broiler is kind of a pain to light), but I love how mechanical it is, and it cooks like a champ, and I think it’s gorgeous. We’re renovating a lake house and I’m going for their induction range there, for environmental purposes.