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tcvino

William Sonoma La Cornue

8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago

Hello! New home being built. Looking for advice on range. Love the look of the La Cornue from Williams Sonoma and they seem (relatively speaking compared to BS, LaCanche, new Viking) reasonably priced. I originally had thought of going with a 60" Wolf. Need 2 full size ovens. Although now I am contemplating on whether or not I could get away with one of them being a combi/steam oven. I'd rather not have wall ovens. I've read many reviews here on the BS and LaCanche. Not much on the La Cornue and none on the ones being sold from Williams Sonoma. I am not a professional cook but am a passionate one. I like to bake but find myself more on the cooking side rather than the baking side. Thoughts? Anyone have experience with the new LC from WS?

Comments (20)

  • 8 years ago

    Are you attracted to it because it's pretty? The specs aren't that impressive.

  • 8 years ago

    Thank you. Yes...I am referring to the CornueFe series. Although have not completely crossed off the chateau.

  • 8 years ago

    @GreenDesigns...yes. I admit. I fall for aesthetics. But not at the risk of sacrificing performance. Ideally I am looking for a semi-pro to pro style range that is somewhat of a show piece. Again, I need 2 full size ovens somehow. Not opposed to one being a combi/steam oven.

  • PRO
    8 years ago

    Before you even entertain the idea of a 60” range give your head a shake. The venting system would cost more than the range by far and the noise would be unbearable . If you need 2 full sized ovens and you have the huge kitchen you would already need for a 60” get a good 36” 6 burner cooktop and double full sized wall ovens. As for brands go shopping at a good appliance store and get all the info besides how cute it is.I run a catering biz where I often cook for 20-30 and have found my Betazzoni 6 burner all gas range and double electric wall ovens plenty to cook with and the venting does not make me deaf at the end of the day but it is still noisy.

  • 8 years ago

    Cross it off the list. Look at BlueStar if you want full sized ovens. Even their 30” range fits a full sized sheet pan.

  • PRO
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Good lord. A GE MONOGRAM 36 range will hold a baker/caterers size cookie sheet!!! An incredible machine with fabulous features...and virtually zero service issues. Every client I have who has one loves it. It's plenty of show installed. Add a wall oven and you've got great looks and function to last. Does not come in "colors" lol but every sealed burner will do a 140 degree simmer or blast to 18,000 BTU"s



  • 8 years ago

    I think you need to clarify what you want.

    If you want two legit full sized ovens, you are looking at a 60" range or a range with a wall oven or a cooktop and two wall ovens. Really ANY 60" range is going to be a showpiece, it's a beast. CornueFe is either 43" or 36". The 43" doesn't have two full sized ovens, whether they are big enough for your needs or not IDK.

    There is no such thing as a combi steam that is full sized, they are all smaller. Some are larger/smaller than others, but none are going to fit what a full sized 30" oven fits, particularly in the width dimension.

    If you want something that looks like the CornueFe but doesn't cost as much as a "real" $30-60k La Cornue, imo La Canche probably is your best bet in terms of looks/performance/flexibility. If the looks aren't so important, you have a lot of options.

    Are you sure you really want two full sized ovens? One of the nice things about a smaller oven is that you can get it heated up for everyday stuff much quicker and most people prefer to have a smaller and larger oven.

  • 8 years ago

    I would go for the lacanche in your situation.

  • 8 years ago

    The cooktop is burner arrangement is crowded. Difficult to center or use two burners on the same side at the same time with medium or large pots/pans. Check it out!

  • 8 years ago

    DrB477...I currently have a 48" Wolf with the "standard" size oven and second smaller one. I find I can not utilize the 2nd smaller oven the way I would like to. Granted it's not often that I need it but when I do I don't want to be left with not enough space. Maybe I need to look at the LaCanche. And rethink what my real needs are. Thank you!

  • PRO
    8 years ago

    If you're serious about the cooking and function, the status showpiece is a secondary issue.

    The secondary oven in any 48 inch range is always more a warming oven for actual use it seems .

  • 8 years ago

    Have you considered something like the Aga Legacy 44? Or the Mercury or Elise models? Can only speak for what I have, the Legacy; somewhat less $$ than the CornuFe; has Two "not quite full size" ovens, with spaces for multiple racks, does give you more flexibility than you'd think. And I think its a "looker". Had no idea I wanted one until I saw it on floor display.

  • PRO
    8 years ago

    Bonjour tcvino !!


    Big Congrats on your upcoming new home, it's an exciting time :) A Range purchase is so personal, and will (ideally!) live in the heart of your home for years to come, so the perfect Range for you will be most dependent on your cooking style and lifestyle needs... there is no one set rule.

    Please say hello if you'd love to chat about anything Lacanche Related, we are always so happy to connect. Otherwise, you seem to be in fabulous hands here on Houzz.

    Happy cooking et merci !!

    Blair | Lacanche US

    blair@frenchranges.com

    tcvino thanked Art Culinaire
  • 8 years ago

    I have a La Cornue Fe at our beachhouse, and a Lacanche Citeaux at our primary home. I love the Citeaux configuration. I love the look of both. I don’t find anything special about their performance.

  • 8 years ago

    OneRidgeOff....do you find any limitations with your AGA?


  • 8 years ago

    Patricia: I read comments similar to yours while I was preparing for my renovation and I must take issue with it. I went with a dual fuel 60 inch Wolf and for the ventilation picked up a Vent A Hood with magic lung blowers with a total capacity of 1200 CFM. While the ventilation system certainly was not cheap, it was much cheaper than the range itself. Further, while the reviews are mixed on the magic lung style systems, I found myself very pleasantly surprised with the sound level of the hood, even at full chat. Further, this is with a sub optimal ducting situation with a number of turns in the piping.

  • 8 years ago

    With the Legacy 44, I can fit four shallow half-sheet cookie trays in each oven, although some pans of that size are a little tight to fit. I like that the trays are interchangeable between both ovens. Being somewhat smaller than a full size, they do heat up to temp faster. Probably the only limitation I can think of is a jumbo turkey wouldn’t fit, although I would prefer to make that in an electric roaster. The power burners of 15k have been powerful enough for my needs, like a good sear on a steak.

    My local higher end appliance store sells Aga, Wolf, and Viking, and the owner told me out of the three, there are the least frequent service calls on the Aga, in his experience anyway.

    I was convinced I wanted a Bluestar from reading gardenweb posts, but I’m nowhere near a distributor. Thought I had to have those ultra power burners they are known for. But once I saw the Legacy in person, my heart sang, so to speak. I don’t regret having the less powerful burners. I do love walking into my kitchen every day and seeing the shiny enamel and chrome of the Aga center stage!

  • 8 years ago
    My comment if you are building new is that a cooktop oven puts the oven way too low. I went with a cook top in Wolf, 6 burners and then did the full convection oven, microwave convection and steam/convection oven on another wall so they can be high enough to use. No one wants to use an oven that sits on the floor. Think of pulling a 25 pound turkey out of an oven that low as you age and you will see the wisdom of using a cook top separate from the ovens.
  • 8 years ago

    If more than one cook is in kitchen at the same time, having wall oven units is the way to go. Just take a large cookie sheet and covered roasting pan with you to see if they fit in the ovens easily. Was really surprised at the internal oven sizes when trying to fit the above in and ease of removal. bellburgmaggle is right about the height of the oven and heavy dishes. Also who wants very hot air blowing in your face when you open the oven doors on a range and getting glasses get all steamed up. Also trying to clean out a spill from a range oven is hard on the knees.

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