After over a year of research, I ordered a Lacanche. I don't have it yet, so I can't say anything personally about how it actually cooks. But, I do cook and plan to cook on it everyday once it's installed.

I also considered the Cornufe. I ruled it out because I learned it was no longer made by the French, but made by Aga Rangemaster. I have no issue with the traditional Aga cooker. But, Aga now makes several more modern cookers that don't get many positive reviews and I worried that the Cornufe would also have the similar issues. Also, if I was buying a French stove, I wanted it to be made in France.

When I got to see both ranges in person, the Lacanche just felt like a more solid and sturdy.

"sburgess", if the 40" size is a concern for you, Lacanche now has two 36" models as well (Beaune / Bussy).

Corie is spot on regarding Lacanche vs CornuFe!

Cheers,

Patrick

I have the CornuFe 90 and I'm still quite pleased. You can look at my old reviews elsewhere. The ovens are a particular strength of this range, and I can only imagine the authentic domed oven of the 1908 may be even better. The downside is the top configurations are more limited than the Lacanche.

There are a couple of former GWers that own both or have owned both Lacanche and other Cornufes (not the 1908) --

Since you are in the SF Bay Area, I think you can arrange for a visit to the Purcell Murray showroom to see a live model. For me, the fact that the US distributor was nearby and there was a good network of service professionals was a huge plus.

A lot depends on how you cook and for how many you cook. Is your Victorian an old row house with tiny rooms or a mansion? Or a smallish house that you're blasting open on the inside. There are a lot of houses in your area where finding where to seat a dozen guests is a bigger issue than where to find the oven space.

The vaulted La Cornue oven is supposed to be terrific for roasts. Not so much a gigantabird roasted whole. My goose pot wouldn't fit, for sure. :) Will you be baking twelve dozen cookies for school?

Lacanche is more of a "normal" stove in the way you approach the oven.

There are strategies by which anything can be made to work. Even with two fridges, three ovens and a warming drawer, I plan my menus according to what fits where when, and in what state, and I juggle things according to needs and spatial geometry. Project yourself into the future and think of how you really want to cook (not Walter Mitty day dream, but really) and which will suit that the the best.

As someone who regularly uses my Cornue Fe, I can heartily recommend it. I just posted a rather exhaustive review on another thread. Hope it is helpful to you!

Function/Reliability/Service of La Cornue CornuFe110 or AlberTine