Hi Angelique, I have a Cluny 1400 and a family of 6 that I cook for almost daily. Until COVID, we had friends and family over almost weekly. We also threw parties for 20-30 people several times a year.

We've had our Cluny 1400 for six years and I've never had one issue with the oven sizes. I also bake sourdough boules regularly, make yogurt in my warming oven and my daughter bakes a lot of cakes, macaroons, etc. I haven't made a baguette yet, it's on my list, but I do frequently buy them and reheat them in my ovens. I can fix a 1/2 cookie sheet in the oven without an issue, as well as the largest Lodge Dutch oven they make. The only thing I've had to replace was my turkey roasting pan, because my original one did not have handles that folded down.

I really believe the ovens on my Cluny cook better than the normal American sized ovens, due to their smaller size. Most of the time I would heat my old oven up and just fill part of it.

As for parties or large events, like Thanksgiving, the smaller ovens are better because they can be on different temperatures depending on what you are cooking. For Thanksgiving, I use my gas for my turkey (I think our last one was about 21 lbs) and I move my sided from the electric oven to the warming oven as things are finished cooking. I do like the gas oven for meats, but we use the electric on a daily basis. The electric oven is also best for baking.

I went back and forth worrying about which Lacanche to buy too, after all it's a big purchase. I considered the same ones that you listed. In the end, I strongly believe no matter which one you chose, you will love it!

One thing to keep in mind is that you will need a makeup air unit and it will need to be bigger depending on the BTU's for the range you chose.

Best of luck! If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.

Hi Angelique! I also have a Cluny 1400 and find it to be plenty. I’ve had it for a year and love it. We are a family of 4 but we host our extended family several times per year. Pre-Covid, I used the warming cupboard daily to keep my husband’s dinner warm while I schlepped our kids to after school activities. Now that my husband is home daily, I don’t use the warming cupboard so much. I do think the smaller ovens are more efficient than the larger American ovens. The small ovens can fit up to a 26 pound turkey. I use the gas oven for roasting meet and baking bread, the electric oven for everything else.

I will say that a 1/2 sheet pan does not fit in the ovens. You will need 1/4 sheet pans. Other than that, I’ve been able to use everything I used to cook / bake with in my previous ovens.

Let us know if you have any other questions! Best of luck!

Thanks Megs! I really appreciate your response!

Thank you too Corie!

Hi Angelique, I just wanted to clarify, I regularly fix an 18"x13" half sheet cookie sheet in my Cluny ovens with no trouble. I also use my electric oven for baking my bread and my daughter also uses this oven for all her baking. The gas oven according to what I learned from Lacanche, is best for keeping meats from drying out. I hope this helps!

Thank you! It does help and is appreciated ☺️

One question, is the depth the same in each oven or do you lose some with the gas oven? Does your 18x13 half sheet fit in both? Also, how many racks are in each oven?

@Angelique, the gas and static electric ovens are the same depth indeed, only the convection ovens are less deep (16") because of the convection fan at the back.

Your range should come with 2 racks per oven, and each oven has 3 different rack positions available.

Keep us posted on your new Lacanche :)

Merci!!!

Thank you so much for starting this post! We are currently designing a new home, and the focus is building a dream kitchen! I adore the look of Lacanche and have had tremendous service at Frenchbarn in Canada. I'm just trying to make sure that the function is as impressive as the look, as I would far prefer this over wolf! I'm contemplating the Sully 1800- but am not sure how useful the warming cupboard will be. I'm planning to take some cookware in to the show room and make sure the ovens will fit my most important pieces! Any thoughts are so helpful!

@hafandshar, I, too, vacillated on the use of a warming cupboard. Pre-Covid, when my husband was going to the office every day, I would use the warming cupboard daily to keep his dinner warm as I was driving our kids to and from their after school activities. Since March, I haven’t used it so often, but I will say it fits at least several dishes of food if you need to keep warm for a holiday meal. I know for Easter, I was able to fit 5 dishes in the warming cupboard while I put dinner together.

Many Lacanche owners have used the warming cupboard to cook rice, make yogurt, proof bread, etc. I have made rice and proofed bread, but have not tried yogurt. You can use the warming cupboard the same as you would use a slow cooker / crock pot. Good luck!

Hi Hafandshar, I've had my Lacanche for just over 6 years and I use my warming cupboard at least a couple times week, if not more. It's much more useful than I ever imagined when I order my Cluny 1400. In addition, to keeping food warm, I also use it in place of my slow cooker, I make yogurt almost every week and I have also proofed bread in it. Other uses include, warming towels with lemon water to give to give my guests after eating crab or other messy foods and I've used it to warm large quantities of cider, hot chocolate, etc.

The warming cupboard holds a lot of food and cookware. The first year we had our Lacanche for Thanksgiving, was the first time all my food was actually hot when we started serving it! I use my large, 6 quart, Lodge, Dutch Oven when I slow cook meals like steak and ale pie or or Kalua pork and there is still room for other things if I need them to also be in it. I throw a lot of large parties 20-30 people on a regular basis (well, at least I did pre Covid), my two Cluny ovens and my warming oven has always been able to easily handle what ever I was serving.

I agree, you should take your cookware with you to the showroom, it's the best way to alleviate your fears. When ever I've had potential, Lacanche owners over to my house to see my range, I always encourage them bring what ever they want to try and to actually use my range. I'm not sure if that's an option at the showroom, but if it is, it's a great way to make sure you really like the range before you buy it.

After six years of cooking with my Lacanche, it is still the pride and joy of our new home. I've got no regrets about buying it, it's not only beautiful, it's also a solid, well-built, workhorse. And, if I ever have a reason to buy other range, it will be a Lacanche!

Best of luck to you with your decision and please let me know if you have any other questions!

Does anyone have a fixed French top? It’s one of the reasons I’ve decided to choose Lacanche. I know you can take out center ring for wok cooking. Has anyone used a large sauté pan over the FT 18 burner or boiled large pot of water this way? I’m leaning towards the Cluny 1400 or Chagny 1400... it with an addition of two 11btu burners so I can put my cast iron griddle there (it’s my most used pan currently). Just want to make I can still use the FT 18 in the same way as having one alone. Also... Corie Hall... you mentioned in another post not choosing Chagny due to petit oven review... your thoughts would be appreciated as I think I’d use this option a lot. Thanks everyone... it’s very exciting to plan this and hear from all of you

Hi Angelique, I have the portable French Plate, and I love it because I can remove it all together, or use it on two of my 11BTU burners or put it on the 15BTU and 5BTU depending on what I'm cooking. My now good friend, she came to use my range several years ago, has the Cluny with the fixed French Plate, so I just asked your question to her. She and has used it to boil water, and she has taken the center panel off and used it for a wok. But, she said she prefers to use the 15BTU burner for boiling and she has also used the wok on the 11BTU. She said she really likes the French plate and often puts a large cast iron on it to keep food warm. Based on this answer, it sounds like both the removal and the fixed plates preform very similarly as I also use my portable French Plate with my large cast iron to keep foods warm or simmer.

As for the Chagny small oven, I ruled it out after reading many reviews going back years on Garden Web. I also decided that there wouldn't be many occasions where I actually would use it. If you do a google search 'Lacanche Part 1, 40, etc. Garden Web, you will find many reviews on the Lacanche. I found these to be very helpful when making such a big decision. Seeing how many people would post positive reviews about their Lacanche years later was really reassuring.

I know exactly how excited you are too! I would visit this site or GW and look at the Lacanche web site and the literature they mailed me everyday. I still love walking into my kitchen and see my beautiful Lacanche!

Thank you Corie! I really appreciate you taking the time to answer me 🙂

Angelique, Please come back and let us know which range and color you decide on! :)

Hi Angelique, I just wanted to chime in and say that I do not have the French plate. We ordered it without and our range came with cast iron plate that fits the two smaller burners (it fits both sides). I have used it, but not quite like a traditional French plate. I have the Cluny 1400 and do all my boiling on the induction hob that I have over the warming cupboard, boiling takes too long on gas, even the power burner. No matter what you choose, I’m sure you’ll love it. And like @Deck The Halls said, please come back and let us know which range you choose!

Hi Angelique, I have the Chagny 1400 with the Traditional plate. Yes you can use the wok ring or the cast iron traditional top to cook on. All of the cast iron area gets extremely hot. I have used the wok ring for large pots of water. I like that the traditional top gives me so many options. Best of luck with your kitchen.

Thanks everyone!

@Angelique have you made any progress? I'm really torn between the Citeaux and the Sully 1800...obviously there is a big cost difference, but I also have never used a smaller vertical oven and I am a bit scared it wont meet my needs- although I can't figure out a particular scenario to worry about! Maybe wanting to bake cookies and a main dish? I'd have to either double up small baking sheets in the electric oven, or do one tray at a time.

We are also planning on a Wolf Speed Oven (Microwave/Electric oven combo) so I will have that as well..... its such a tough decision! We are looking at two induction burners and the plancha, so my other (likely irrational) fear is that three gas burners on the CIteaux won't be enough.....

This forum has been so helpful to me as I work through this- so wondering what you have decided!

Hafandshar... hi! I’m leaning towards the Chagny 1400. It seems that many people comment that the cluny ovens are big enough. I thought about the citeaux for the larger oven but wasn’t sure what I would fit in the vertical oven as it does seem small to me. I also don’t think convection is something I would use a lot. Then I thought of the sully as it’s the same size as cluny 1400-but I think I’d use the warming cupboard a lot and don’t want to give that up. If you look on lacanche website there’s a page on oven interior dimensions that I found helpful. I also took others advice and thought about how I cook. This will be especially helpful for designing your cooktop-you have some great choices! Our family currently lives with a lodge cast iron griddle on our stove... so I will probably choose an extra set of 11btu burners to keep that on and the chagny then has 2-11s, 1-5, and 1-15 with traditional French plate. I’m sure you will pick something amazing that suits your cooking style and love it!

Just want to comment about the vertical ovens... you can fit a TON in there. There are 4 racks in the vertical ovens. So if you’re baking cookies, you could easily fit 4 sheets at once. I do not have the vertical convection, mine is a warming cupboard. But I have fit at least 4 sides (for larger holiday meals) in my warming cupboard at once.

Congratulations, Angelique! I hope you love your Lacanche as much as I do!