you def want the range centered, but fillers are incredibly easy to do. The question is if you have two smaller fillers, one on each side. Or one larger filler that could possibly be used as sime kind of pull out spice drawer. As always pictures would be helpful.

I had a similar situation in my Minnesota house, replacing an old GE 40 inch stove with a 36" gas stove. A clever carpenter made very narrow pullouts (there weren't any aftermarket pullouts that narrow) for cookie sheets and bread boards. It can be done quite nicely.

Totally agree with The Cook's Kitchen on this. Here's the blog of a GW member who did hers totally DIY:

http://www.desiredcreations.com/blog/

Even if you don't feel up for that, it's got a lot of resources listed in it.

Checkout Frenchranges.com . Lachance has 39 3/8 inch ranges. Excellence company and excellence range IMO.

merci for the Lacanche Love Garderner2014 !

If you don't mind or actually like the old range, you should keep it. I completely agree with thecookskitchen. These units are super easy for anyone to adjust. They also use old classic burners like the new super expensive ranges use. There are some mechanical motors that can or already have failed that can probably be replaced with newer units, left broken, or with effort replaced with original equipment, but have nothing to do with controlling burners.

I would expect the burners to be better than anything less than high end modern units.

I actually did send off for more information about the Lacanche range..........the Cluny would absolutely be my dream stove and it would fit the space perfectly. I went to an appliance showroom today and was able to see most of the stoves I was interested in........Wolf, Viking, Blue Star, Bertazzoni, Ilve, Monogram, etc. They had a 48" red Blue Star floor model for only $3,000! How I wish I had room for that without reworking the entire kitchen. I feel like for my kitchen, which is not huge and galley style, the French and Italian ranges look like a better fit. The pro-style looked much more bulky if that makes sense? They also had a really nice looking Miele but I really want color.

The vintage stove concerns me from a safety standpoint. There are safety valves for the oven and broiler but not for the burners so if they go out raw gas will flow into the house. I called several vintage stove places and they said this was normal, that the stove top burners don't have safeties. Not a big deal if you are home when the pilot goes out and smell gas immediately but what if that happens when I am gone? That really worries me.

Here is a picture of my OKM:

What a gorgeous range! I'd never give that up. Talk to these guys about safety features, for starters:

http://www.antiquestoves.com/toac/safetyvalves.htm

Re safety of burners: unless I am missing something about SOME modern stoves, none of them have burners that will stop gas flow if the flame is blown out. At least neither of my cooktops in the last 13 years did. All of my earlier gas stoves or others I have used were similar. My old stoves had pilots and sometimes they didn't work perfectly. Most often the problem was that the burner wouldn't light, but sometimes the problem was that a pilot would blow out and sometimes not be noticed for hours or days. In time, one would notice a gas smell and attempt to determine its source. The flow is so low that it certainly isn't immediately obvious and gas doesn't collect so that another used burner would ignite anything.

Yeah, I should have clarified that the safety systems are more for the ovens than the range burners. For those most people just check for leaks and redo the thermocouples:

http://www.desiredcreations.com/blog/?page_id=286

laura855, if you are interested in the Cluny, I would encourage you to contact Art Culinaire and chat with them regarding any questions or concerns. See if the range is a good choice for you or not. They are all wonderful. They maybe able to set up a visit with a Cluny owner in you area, so that you can experience one in person (so much better than looking at one on a showroom floor). I will warn you that once you see one and cook on it, it is hard to resist. Good luck.

I think the Cluny is my favorite as it would fit and I can get it all gas so no need to upgrade electrical. Second is the Ilve 40" but that would require running the 220 line. Ilve does come in 36" all gas so that might be an option. The Bertazzoni was very pretty and recommended by the sales person but I know reviews are mixed. I really prefer the look of the European ranges but I am having a hard time justifying the price. I don't have a fancy custom home like many here do, so does it make sense to spend so much money on a stove? Of the pro-style ranges, which looks the least massive? It looks like the Blue Star comes in 24" depth?

Still looking for someone local to work on the OKM. I reached out to a few vintage stove places that restore and they said minimum 3-4K not including shipping to work on it, almost as much as something new.

Such a hard decision!

I think the Berta is probably the most economical choice. Many people here love their Bertas. One is a pro who does catering work and is a trained chef.

laura855, you're in the LA area, right? Do you have any way to move the stove? It seems like they are much more pricey and on-trend in your area than in, say, SF. You might find a less expensive restorer a ways up the coast, if that's feasible.

I am in Las Vegas, so LA would be the closest to have it restored.

It looks to me like your cabinets are very modern or contemporary. While the stove is vintage and cute it looks out of place with the cabinets and counters you have. I would work on getting a range that will fit in the space you have or look at re-working just the small cabinets to the left of the stove to get a standard size stove to fit there.

Jamie,

Yes, the rest of the kitchen is very modern looking. I think the previous owner wanted the contrast of the vintage when he did the remodel. The house was originally built in 1950 but the only thing original left is the wood floors. The rest of the house has a mid-century feel. I like the uniqueness of the stove and the fact that it is not another stainless steel one that you see everywhere, but I tend to agree with you. I do feel like I need a pop of color and don't want regular stainless. The counters will be replaced hopefully in the next year or so as they are the lower end granite and I would prefer white quartz or maybe even the recycled glass.

Of the colored ranges available, what gives the most bang for the buck? Blue Star, Bertazzoni, Ilve, Lacanche?????

laura,

I recently moved to Ivins, Utah (10 mi from St George. ) We're planning a major kitchen remodel and really want a Blue Star 6 burner range top. I do want to see one in person before I make the final decision.

Blue Star connected me with a dealer in Salt Lake which is 4 hrs away. Did I understand one is available to look and touch in Las Vegas? Las Vegas is only 2 hours away for me and even less if I combine it with a wine run to Mesquite NV. which is 41 mi from the house :))

Thanks

Inga

ifoco,

Yes, Monark Appliance in Las Vegas (near south end of the strip on Dean Martin Dr.) had two 48" Blue Star ranges in the showroom. One of them, a beautiful red was on sale as a floor model for only $3000. It was a premier I think. The other one was black or dark blue. The showroom also has all the other usual high end brands so you can compare. Definitely worth a two hour drive in my opinion.

laura,

Thanks very much, I usually drive to Mesquite on Sunday morning when the faithful are in church and the sinners on their way to Mesquite to buy wine:)). I can certainly change my day. Nothing in the way of Blue Star in St George to look at although they say they can get whatever I want.

Good luck with your project.

Inga

I would double check that they are open on Sunday before making the drive. Even though this is Sin City, there are some retailers that close on Sunday for religious purposes.

Bonjour laura855 !! Such a tough decision, we know! Any Range will live in the heart of your home for years to come, so no question or thought is too small when deciding. You must be in L O V E. That said, let us know if we can help with any Lacanche related questions, or connect you with an owner to visit a bit down the line. Please send us a little hello if we can help in any way :)

Happy Shopping, and very happy cooking !

Blair | Lacanche US

blair@frenchranges.com

Hello Blair,

I do have a couple questions about the Cluny. If ovens are gas is 240V needed? Also, where is the gas line connection located? My gas connection is currently on the left side of my range, would this need to be relocated to connect to the Cluny? Just trying to figure out how much reconfiguring I would nee to do to make this work.

Bonjour laura855 ! Lots to discuss :) Can we connect over email for further logistics? I'd love to put you in the perfect technical hands to get all these questions answered. I am reachable at Blair@frenchranges.com, and we can go from there.

Merci merci !!