Sunday, April 17, 2005
Lacanche Part 15
Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
Posted by AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Sun, Oct 31, 04 at 19:32
Here we find ourselves at the beginnng of a new thread with an old French romance - Lacanche. Zola, thanks for responding. DH is still on another time zone, so he had the chicken roasting in the gas oven by the time I arrived back mid-afternoon. He was also baking acorn squash in the electric oven, grilling shrimp as an appetizer on the new grillplate and had green beans started on the rangetop. By the time your sweet response arrived, he could confirm that he was doing something very similar. I was planning to check for responses, then start cooking, but I ended up being wined & dined with a scrumptuous, moist roasted chicken and wonderful, wonderful vegetables. The grilled shrimp were absolutely perfect. I just had a chance to quickly add nutmeg and cinnamon to the squash and oregano to the beans and pour the wine.
Follow-Up Postings:
A Path Back
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Sun, Oct 31, 04 at 19:34
Forgot to give you a path back to Part 14 - sorry.
Here is a link that might be useful: Lacanche Ranges - part 14
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: anna_chosak (My Page) on Mon, Nov 1, 04 at 9:46
AnnaLee, I just read your last message. The recipe Zola posted is very similar to mine. I think you can do several variations with the herbs without going too far wrong. But it sounds like your DH had discovered that on his own! Keep us updated with your Lacanche cooking adventures and ENJOY it!!! :-)
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: spacific (My Page) on Mon, Nov 1, 04 at 10:21
Ivette, The tile is B&W #10 White subway tile. By using their seconds, we were able to tile the entire wall behind the range corner, not just the backsplash. AnnaLeeF... the kitchen is progressing beautifully. The burgundy lacanche looks gorgeous with the cabinets and soapstone. Pamela, Congrats on counters! It's time for preview pictures please.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Pirula (My Page) on Mon, Nov 1, 04 at 11:52
Spacific: Thanks! B&W? Not familiar with them. How do they compare to like Dal-Tile? Off to go google!! Ivette
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: spacific (My Page) on Mon, Nov 1, 04 at 16:28
Ivette, B&W is a small company... they specialize in lots of the older colors/styles and I first found out about them when trying to match tile for a 20s deco bathroom. I think their quality is pretty comparable to Dal-Tile. They aren't a specialty hand-made tile company like Sonoma Tileworks. I know they also do contract work for some high-end companies as they sometimes have leftovers or rejects from such runs (I found a liner tile that was exactly the color and style I almost got from Waterworks... WW-$7.65/tile. B&W-$1.00/tile....but I don't know for sure who they do work for.) I know they have two locations in So. Cal.--- Gardena and Riverside, I think that's it. And of course their prices are great. Aside to Joan/Kitchengirl---I emailed you this morning. Did you get it? I was out of town for the weekend or I would have gotten back to you sooner.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: kitchengirl (My Page) on Mon, Nov 1, 04 at 21:25
spacific/Ann: Thanks for your response, above, re. tilesetting references. I'll have to check out B&W, as I'm in Riverside. Can't believe some interesting resource is actually in Riverside (aka 'da boonies), instead of Orange and LA counties!
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Tue, Nov 2, 04 at 1:08
Anna_C: Thanks for the note. We'll experiment with variations in the weeks ahead as we keep unpacking & looking for long-forgotten kitchen tools. Spacific- I'm also a big fan of your tile and paint color. Looking for pictures, Zola, Deb and Pamela! Deb - moving, changing houses - you must be exhausted! dmsb: any day now your Lacanche should be arriving - right?
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Pirula (My Page) on Tue, Nov 2, 04 at 4:42
Spacific: THanks! I found their website. But I'm in VA so not sure I can use them. I recall Deb saying she was looking at them too, and she's in VA. Deb: Is this the same company you were considering, or am I misremembering? Ivette
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Momto4Kids (My Page) on Tue, Nov 2, 04 at 5:30
Ivette- Yes, I got a sample of the tile spacific used from B&W. Very nice. Unfortunately, it's not qite the right color for my marble. If I planned to use their tile, they told me they could ship it out the day after I placed the oder (assuming they had enough). Then I'd just need someone to install it. Do you want me to send you this sample? No sense you getting one when I know I can't use it. Let me know. Deb
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: spacific (My Page) on Tue, Nov 2, 04 at 10:06
Good point I forgot to make Deb, the color selections from B&W are VERY limited. If it works for you, fantastic, if it doesn't, not much you can do. Since we have a number of whites in the kitchen (sink, porcelain knobs, tile, cabinetry, marble, dishware), my only requirement for the tile color was that I preferred a warm white to a cooler/bluish one. So what did you end up with Deb?
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Pirula (My Page) on Tue, Nov 2, 04 at 11:35
Oh yes Deb please!! Jeez, you are too kind. I owe you BIG time..... If it's a warm white, it should be perfect for my Son's bathroom, that's what I'm going for. That and a white hex floor. Thank you! Ivette
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: SharB (My Page) on Tue, Nov 2, 04 at 17:44
I'm about to meet with the kitchen designer to start planning our new kitchen. Decided to check out ranges and get an idea of what was out there. I found a photo of the Lacanche Range and it's BEAUTIFUL! I'm in southern CA, does anyone know where I might see one? Also, what price range are they in? I've tried to find these things on the internet, but haven't had luck.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Tue, Nov 2, 04 at 19:39
SharB: We all agree! It is beautiful. Check out the USA website for Art Culinaire in the Seattle area. They are the only distributors in the states, but they can connect you with an owner in your area. One of our garden webbers in your area may also respond and extend an invitation to you. The pricing is determined by size and features, but Stan at AC will be most helpful and send you pricing and a color brochure. Also ask if there are currently any in stock in Seattle - sometimes that cuts down on the wait for one to come from France. Contact info is on their website. Good luck with your planning.
Here is a link that might be useful: French Ranges/Lacanche
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: spacific (My Page) on Tue, Nov 2, 04 at 20:02
SharB, Our Lacanche Cormatin (the smallest one) is in San Pedro. If you're near us, feel free to email me and you're welcome to come take a look. Ann
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: SharB (My Page) on Tue, Nov 2, 04 at 23:15
AnnaLeeF and Ann, Thank you for responding to my post. I requested material on the range be sent to me from the website. Thank you Ann for offering to let me see your range. I'm in Costa Mesa. Will e mail you if I need to do that. The kd is coming tomorrow and I'm already getting excited. My kitchen is 32 years old, I have cooked many meals in it, but it is truly a "vintage" kitchen, not by design! I want a Clive Christian "look", kind of English, with crystal chandeliers and a Lacanche Range.. Sound good? Sharon
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Wed, Nov 3, 04 at 0:14
Sharon: Try this link to see a few different sizes and configurations. Your Clive Christian look sounds elegant.
Here is a link that might be useful: Select ranges
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: percheron (My Page) on Wed, Nov 3, 04 at 19:03
Cormatin owners - please help. What hood or liner are you using. Vent-a-hood suggested a liner - the number is BH 234 PSLD. Does anyone have experience with this liner? Thank you in advance.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: spacific (My Page) on Wed, Nov 3, 04 at 19:35
We used the Ventahood Euroline Pro... 24" deep x 18" high x 36" wide. 300/600 cfm blowers. Works well.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: percheron (My Page) on Wed, Nov 3, 04 at 22:00
Thanks, Spacific. This liner that they recommended sounds like the same as your hood. Did you use round or square vent pipe? Does it even matter?
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: dmsb (My Page) on Thu, Nov 4, 04 at 0:21
Yes, I am "expecting" fairly soon -- I just paid the balance, having received the notice that my range "is in the final stages of production in France," and is just about ready to ship. Wow! Thanks, AnnaLee, for remembering! I am meanwhile going crazy trying to be the junior g.c./architect for my addition/remodel, as we let our architect go -- irreconcilable differences after a LOT of money paid her. I am hoping that once my Cluny+1 arrives, it won't be sitting idle all too long -- but the longer we can put it off, the better, since I am hoping it will be a fairly whirlwind fast kitchen remodel when it happens. We're saving our present cabinets but transferring them to the laundry room -- which is being framed and plumbing is being run to and through it, every day this week and next. So once the laundry room is ready to accept the kitchen cabinets, then it's showtime for my new kitchen cabinets, estimated to arrive here around the end of the first week of December. Lousy timing! They'll make it in just in time to template for the countertops but not in time to get the fabrication in before the whole world of builders/contractors/etc. goes into hibernation for the holidays and new year. Oh well! Don't we all wish we could just say farewell to the old stuff and then poof! there would be ALL the things we've agonized over, and finally decided on, all installed, all at once? Alas... And I've only just realized I need to sell my sweet old O'Keefe & Merritt -- if anyone knows someone who wants one -- a tad scruffy but perfectly functional and then some, direct them my way, please!
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Pirula (My Page) on Thu, Nov 4, 04 at 2:52
Yes, I have often wished I could do the Bewitched nose twitch and just be done with it!! Ivette
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: kitchengirl (My Page) on Thu, Nov 4, 04 at 3:20
I, too, just received notice that my Cluny is in the final stages of production; how long do you all think the shipping takes, 7-10 days?? I'm just curious about when it will actually leave the factory. I expect delivery in early December.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Pirula (My Page) on Thu, Nov 4, 04 at 14:15
All: There are three really fun threads going on over at the Kitchens "Coversations" forum. Get to know you better threads. They're fun and I hope you all will check them out. I'd love to know my Lacanche "sisters and brothers" better! Ivette
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Zolablue (My Page) on Thu, Nov 4, 04 at 16:36
Can any of you that have been using your Cluny ovens for baking give me some advice? Anna Chosak - if you're out there you would know this for sure. :o) I've been having so much fun experimenting with new recipes and I love the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks. Many of the recipes call for a 12 x 18 x 1" sheet pan such as for the brownies I've baked a couple times and as you know that size will not work in my ovens. What do you use in that case? I'm perhaps worrying a bit too much and should just buy several sizes to have on hand as they're very useful but I wanted to take care as I buy new things for my kitchen that I get the best quality so may spend a bit more and I'd rather avoid getting something I won't end up using. Is it better to simply bake that recipe in 2 pans each 12 x 9 or try to use the largest pan closest to that size? I did find some really nice heavy ones at Williams Sonoma and they're 15 x 10 x 1" high. If I use that size I'd still have some batter left over to bake in another pan so not sure what to do! Any suggestions or tricks of yours and how do you modify the baking time if at all when you end up with 2 pans holding a recipe meant for one pan?
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: spacific (My Page) on Fri, Nov 5, 04 at 10:54
Did any of you save the wood-burning cooking threads from months ago?
Here is a link that might be useful: Wood burning pizza oven thread on Kitchens
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: kitchengirl (My Page) on Sat, Nov 6, 04 at 2:45
Zolablue, Did you get two convection ovens? The 12x18 pan just fits in the non-convection gas and electric ovens. A 15x10 is the standard for a jelly roll and 12x18 is a standard half sheet pan. When I considered buying convection, I looked through catalogs like Bridge Cookware for some non-standardized pans that were larger than a jelly roll.
Troubles
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Sat, Nov 6, 04 at 11:10
Just posted on the Lacanche forum for the first time. We are not having fun this week. Our lovely custom hood is a bust. Does not capture all the smoke from the grill plate, which we broke in Tuesday night. GC, who insisted on the hood dimensions and vent mechanism, despite our input, has been true to his word and here every day this week to try to find a solution at their expense. He has pulled the hood forward - we originally requested 27" depth, but he held it down to 20" - but pulling it forward still does not do the job. It is obvious that the vent catchment area is too small, despite having 1200 cfms, and it sits too far back in the hood, with the mantle creating an initial 8 -9 inches of wood that becomes a barrier to the smoke, we believe. He used a Dacor after we asked for VAH, but even if he installs a VAH now, we wonder if the smoke can be pulled past the wood. GC claims they have never had this problem before with other installations, but could it be that their upscale clientele have trophy kitchens and don't actually cook on thier commercial style ranges? Anyone else have a mantle style hood and problems?
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Pirula (My Page) on Sat, Nov 6, 04 at 13:09
AnnaLee: I'm so sorry to hear of your hood troubles. I hope that your GC finds a workable solution. It sounds like you may have to start from scratch. Is that doable? I'll be watching very closely to see what you come up with that works, as we have pretty much spec'ed our hood for the eventual remodel, but can easily change it if necessary. 20" is absolutely too shallow. Most people seem to have good luck with the lacanche and a 24" deep hood. Good luck with it! Ivette
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Momto4Kids (My Page) on Sat, Nov 6, 04 at 13:13
AnnaLeeF-I'm not a lot of help right now...but I would think the strength of pull from the vent would pull the smoke past the wood. You've turned you're hood on before you start cooking, I'm sure. I agree, it doesn't sound right. Too bad your contractor didn't listen to you. Maybe he will now! I turned my vents on the other day when I was at the house. I still have dust all over everything. When I turned on the first VAH, it immediately began sucking up the dust off the rangetop! When I turned the second hood on and put them both on "HI", I think they would've sucked up small children! I haven't tried the grill, yet, but based on what I saw, I don't foresee having your problem. My liner is built inside a constructed hood against a wall. I only have about 2-3 inches where the wood you're talking about is. Well, front and back, so maybe 6 inches in total, but only 3 inches around each side of the frame. But, yes, my liner is held forward, but the whole hood is flush with the front of the range. In essence, the liner is centered (front-to-back) over the range. Just because of the sheer size, mine doesn't extend beyond the range, side-to-side, either. I hope this helps some. BTW, what did you grill? Deb
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Zolablue (My Page) on Sat, Nov 6, 04 at 13:16
kitchengirl - I feel kinda dumb here asking this when my Cluny is sitting in my kitchen but seriously how do you make that 12 x 18 pan fit? Did you actually do this? I ask because when I first made the brownie recipe I used an old jelly-roll type pan I thought fit as I tried all my pans in the ovens when it first arrived or so I thought. :o) This one happens to have the rounded edges that come out on the ends making it 17.5" in length. I had poured most of that chocolate batter into it and went to pop it in the oven and OMG! No way was it fitting. I sunk as it was 8:30 pm and what to do now. :o) Hubby had noticed the racks have this little lip that sticks up so he ingeniously (I thought) pulled out the rack and turned it upside down! We were able to shove that pan in and bake the brownies but it seemed to "just" fit. So I don't know how I can eek out another .5" but if you say so I'll buy one and give it a try. It doesn't seem possible though it would sure be nice. And I don't have anything that exact size to try it.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Sat, Nov 6, 04 at 23:36
Nothing happening over the weekend with the hood while the design/build firm mulls it over. We were grilling bratwurst on Tuesday. On Wednesday, we grilled veal chops, but placed them on the very back of the grill plate to avoid having anything near the front of the stove to create smoke or grease. The catchment area on the filters is only 6" front to back and 32" across the range. The rest is all housing into which the filters sit. And, yes, Ivette, I think we could start over if really necessary. The baffling thing is this is a strong motor trapped in an opening that's too small, in our opinion. I believe this problem is fairly unique to our situation, so Deb, I know you won't have this problem with your Sully+2. Can't wait to hear of your new cooking adventures.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: kitchengirl (My Page) on Sun, Nov 7, 04 at 1:57
Zolablue, I have two heavy aluminum 1/2 sheet pans from the Baker's Catalogue (King Arthur Flour Co's catalog, http://shop.bakerscatalogue.com/items/. The pan is: http://shop.bakerscatalogue.com/detail.jspid=5212&pv=1099808849330). They are a very typical pan with a 1" flared side and rolled top edge, and they fit snugly front to back with plenty of room on the sides in the standard Cluny oven, but are 2" too long for the convection oven. Do you have your racks in the way Lacanche intended? Denise/Orchidluvr had measured this for me before I ordered my range, and then I tested it on the Cluny I visited. A jelly roll pan holds perhaps 25-30% less, at least, than a half-sheet pan. I think Anna Chosak might have helped me on this, too. Can anyone else confirm that 13x18/half-sheet pans just fit? Stan also confirmed this for me on the phone.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: kitchengirl (My Page) on Sun, Nov 7, 04 at 2:11
AnnaLeeF: Sorry to hear of your problems. I realize you'd asked for a VAH liner, so you may have reviewed their specs early on. If not, it would be worth printing it out for your GC. I would hope he could pop-out the Dacor and put in the VAH easily if the Dacor is 40-3/8" (for a finished size of 42") as is the VAH (did you go with a finished size of 42" or 48"?). These liners are just screwed into their decorative wood or plaster hoods. The other issue would be the ducting called for in the Dacor vs. the VAH. We just finished ordering the liner, ducting and outside trim so I've been mulling over the details... Good luck!
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Zolablue (My Page) on Sun, Nov 7, 04 at 13:49
AnnaLeeF - So sorry to hear of your venting troubles, too. We have the VAH and really like it. It seems to have some nice features and one we really like is if you have it on the lowest setting and it senses the necessity for more suction it automatically powers to the higher blower and then once it senses that is no longer necessary it powers back down to the lower setting. It is nice that you don't always have to feel it is turned to the top setting that way. I wish I knew more about the technical aspect of it but I don't. I know that my duct people did have to buy some things that they are not used to using in order to comply with the VAH specs though. Just insist you get this right as I'm sure you will. kitchengirl - This is really good news for me! We do not have convection, we have the regular gas and electric ovens. We actually placed the tape measure into the oven yesterday making it the 18" length and we were able to shut the door on it just fine. But here's my problem. It is the racks. We must not have them in properly. They have this edge on the back and it sticks up about an inch and actually prevents anything from going all the way to the back of the oven by about 2 - 2.5". That's a lot in an oven that size. Still we can't figure out any other way for the racks to go in. I must find my manual but how hard can that be! Makes me feel like an idiot! :o) I really appreciate your help on this.
This one?
· Posted by: Zolablue (My Page) on Sun, Nov 7, 04 at 13:56
kitchengirl - Sorry, but I could not make your link work. Is this the pan you have? This one is 17 3/4 x 13 x 1" deep but not sure if that is interior dimensions.
Here is a link that might be useful: Half sheet pan...
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: kitchengirl (My Page) on Sun, Nov 7, 04 at 16:06
Zolablue: That is the link I had copied into my text msg. to you from the Baker's Catalogue -- sorry it didn't work. And yes, my pans are those exact measurements. They are by Mirro, # 6673. But I'm quite sure they will work in your ovens if your racks are installed correctly. This is the whole reason I decided the Lacanche Cluny would be a good fit for us: neither of the Aga gas/electric models would accomodate these half-sheet pans, and in the winter, I do a lot of roasted veggies on these, and the smaller jelly roll isn't enough for even two people's veggies for dinner! Of course, I loved the design of the range and cooktop, too, but the ovens were the smallest that I thought would be completely practical.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Sun, Nov 7, 04 at 23:22
Kitchengirl: Yes, we did pass on the VAH specs to the GC, which was in our exhaustive research binder. We sent him to see a working display & talk to a hood specialist at a good appliance store at the end of the week. He had his own custom hood guy come to look and he commented that VAH is "not bad." DH said that is praise from one who considers it competition. Zolablue, good to hear of that nice automatic adjustment feature of VAH. Just noticed Skivino on another thread remarking how easy it is to clean the VAH. Sorry to hear you are having such a time fitting sheets in those racks. We haven't gotten as far as baking yet. Still trying to select paint and backsplash.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: anna_chosak (My Page) on Sun, Nov 7, 04 at 23:23
Hey Zola! Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. I had a reunion with a bunch of college girlfriends last night for which I did all the cooking. Lots of fun but man, did my feet hurt afterwards! :-O My favorite pan is 12x17, I think, but I will measure tomorrow and tell you for sure. As far as the racks go, have you pushed it ALL the way back? If the front of the rack is near the front of the oven, it's not pushed all the way back; give it a good shove and it will recess back another couple of inches, and then you can fit in baking sheets that wouldn't fit before. (I hope that was coherent--it's 11:30 pm and I am STILL tired from that party! *g*)
Dimensions
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Mon, Nov 8, 04 at 1:18
Kitchengirl: forgot to answer your question. Re size of hood, we have a 54" wide (48" on the interior) by 20" depth wood hood cabinet for our Cluny.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Zolablue (My Page) on Mon, Nov 8, 04 at 13:13
anna - oh gosh! We did not have the racks pushed all the way back. We thought they tipped if we did that. DUH! We finally figured that out yesterday after kitchengirl insisted that size pan would fit and it was the only way to allow the extra room. With the racks pulled forward we are losing up to three whole inches at the back of the ovens so we knew we weren't installing them correctly. Geez, it isn't exactly rocket science. LOL. Man, I feel kinda dum de dum dum! But very happy that the larger size pan works! Good thing I did not buy the smaller ones yet! Thanks! We thought it was kinda funny that the back row of cookies we baked all had these little "indents" in them from going THROUGH the ends of those racks (if you know what I'm talking about). We thought that seemed kind of strange so good to know that will be fixed as well. Can you tell it has been a REALLY long time since we've baked. Oh, my! :o)
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: anna_chosak (My Page) on Mon, Nov 8, 04 at 15:46
Ha! Don't feel too bad, Zola. It took me a while to figure it out as well!
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Zolablue (My Page) on Mon, Nov 8, 04 at 16:21
Hey, Anna, I never mind asking any question. :o) And sounds like you had a great time with your friends. Let us know what you cooked. I love the inspiration. :o)
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: anna_chosak (My Page) on Mon, Nov 8, 04 at 18:44
I decided to do an array of finger-food appetizer-type thingies, since I'd figured we'd be milling around the house and everyone could wander over and eat when they wanted. We ended up sitting around the dining room table most of the night and stuffing our faces though. :-) I made: 1) marinated chicken with satay sauce which I was going to grill, but our grill was full of old wet coals that I didn't feel like dumping out, so I broiled them. Yum. 2) little diamond shaped caraway cornbread squares topped with apricot-peach and jalapeno jam (the original recipe called for bacon to be added to the jam but I substituted turkey shwarma. 3) strips of rosemary focaccia, some plain, some topped with caramelized onions and Asiago cheese. 4) crudités with humus and baba ghanouj 5) a cheese tray* with Robiola, a baby swiss, a blue, a St. Nectaire, and a Manchego, with some very fat delicious grapes on the side. 6) For dessert, chocolate oblivion torte with raspberry sauce and vanilla ice cream. *Okay, I didn't make the cheeses, but I did put a lot of thought into selecting them! ;-)
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Pirula (My Page) on Tue, Nov 9, 04 at 3:24
Oh STOP!! You're making me hungry!! And I'm sick of hummus, tabouleh, and pita!! Zola: Soooo glad it fits!! I will have to remember this detail when my time comes. Ivette
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Tue, Nov 9, 04 at 10:46
Anna, I am hungary too from reading your post and I just ate! GC was just here and he is suggesting a combination of using the VAH motor (if we insist) and a custom housing & filters to be fabricated locally from stainless steel within our same hood, situated up into the well to create a smoke chamber. He would place the lights all the way forward to clear the catchment area and move the controls to a housing within the decorative mantle frame on each side of the hood. He would greatly expand the surface area of the filters. GC was not a big fan of VAH after examining the store display, believing it would be too hard to remove parts and clean the unit. He also wondered if have the VAH fan blades open/exposed caused an additional cleaning problem. I have shown him all the praise on VAH from the forum, so he is beginning to believe that the forum is a force to be considered, at least in working with us. We are apparently his first customers who use indoor griling.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Zolablue (My Page) on Tue, Nov 9, 04 at 11:08
anna chosak - That all sounds soooooo good. The little cornbread squares with jam make me think about some little sandwiches I just saw Ina Garten (yes, I'm crazy about Ina) make for her friend's party. They were little round buns from Zabar's and she spread mango chutney on them and put a slice of cheddar cheese and they looked so pretty and sounded good too! I've been very adventureous for some reason since getting my new kitchen semi-running and have made many brand new recipes. I absolutely love it. AnnaLeeF - I haven't had the need to clean my VAH liner yet but the ease of cleaning was one reason we bought it. Are you quite sure this GC has your best interest in mind by facing off with you over this? Remember he will be gone one day and you will be living with your kitchen. It is funny how I've thought of all the times my GC told me what "he liked" and how he would argue with me over things that sometimes took hours to discuss (ugh) and he's now long gone and had I caved to him what an injustice to me that would have been. Actually, there were a couple things I did cave on just because it became so stressful to always have to defend my choices to this man. At the time I thought they were things I could live without but it does kind of miff me now. Again, he'll never be in my house again so why care what he thinks. It is your choice and you might have to be a bit demanding. We started out loving our GC and ended up firing him months later. You can read between those lines. You are paying for this in your home and you are not the non-expert here and it sounds like he just isn't familiar with VAH so he's knocking it. No offense meant to this guy but it is not a shameful thing for him to be educated by someone else about a product he's not used before. He may learn something valuable. Okay, that's the end of my more than two cents.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: anna_chosak (My Page) on Tue, Nov 9, 04 at 11:14
No offense meant to this guy but it is not a shameful thing for him to be educated by someone else about a product he's not used before. Absolutely. When I first mentioned underfloor heating to my GC, he thought I was nuts. When he did my bathroom a year later, he recommended it! I had to remind him that I was the first one to mention it to him, and he laughed and said, "That's right--I forgot!" He'd put it in in a few other houses since then and now thinks it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. He also recommended against the skylight in the new bathroom, but I stood firm. It's one of my favorite features now.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: kitchengirl (My Page) on Tue, Nov 9, 04 at 21:54
We built our last home in Williamsburg, VA, using a lot of novel or higher quality materials. After interviewing many GC's and going over our plans and specs with them, then working with one for more than a year, this experience tought me a very clear lesson: in general, contractors don't like NEW/different b/c it really slows them down and potentially reduces their time or profit. After the fact, they may be happy to have another "tool in their chest" to share with the next client, but very few general contractors are open to new materials, brands, construction concepts, etc...
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Wed, Nov 10, 04 at 0:20
Zola, Anna, kitchengirl - Good points about contractor behavior and the time/profit perspective! Our GC took responsibility this morning & said this is partially his fault for not accepting our original VAH request and partially a hood design flaw that prevents its use for power/grill users. That's painful since this repair time is on his nickle. He will work on the problem until it is solved to our satisfaction, I believe.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: spacific (My Page) on Wed, Nov 10, 04 at 14:39
AnnaLeeF... I hope everything turns out well with the hood issue. I do hope the GC doesn't go the route of part of this, part of that... I can't imagine that VAH would warranty such an arrangement... it just seems like stubbornness at this point on the GC's part. We had the same situation with our GC re new stuff. Kitchengirl, you're exactly right. I think what helped our GC is that I did all the research, searched out specs, printed out installation manuals, purchased materials or sought out subcontractors for all the "odd stuff" (his words, not mine). If I didn't, we wouldn't have had underfloor radiant heating, tankless water heater, open shower, fold & slide french doors, the VentaHood and more.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Momto4Kids (My Page) on Wed, Nov 10, 04 at 16:10
Continuing this OT discussion...I've pushed my builder beyond what their "norm" has been, but I've had a totally different experience. My builder has been thrilled to try these new and different things. He is very open to suggestions, welcomes my research and input, and is completely willing to try something new. IMHO, he has undercharged us for just about all the "crazy" little things we did, but it was a learning experience for him and he was happy to get the experience. Now he has a better idea for what he'll do next time around and plans to incorporate some of what he has learned from our house. Our experience could not have been any better. Now, back to Lacanche...I had the pleasure today of showing off my range to someone considering a Lacanche! I got to boil water for her! What fun! A couple more days, and I'll be cooking...for real! And now for my backsplash...I am doing the totally unthinkable. Everyone, please sit down and put your drink down first. Drum roll......Nothing. I'm doing absolutley nothing! I'm serious. I cannot get happy with any tile or tumbled marble I've stacked around the countertop. So I decided to have my faux painter mix up some paint (a few shades lighter than my kitchen walls) and "stuff" to schmear (a technical word!) on the 3 interior walls of the alcove. I want the walls to look like they are plaster vs sheetrock. Then she's going to seal it with this super sealer that's scrubable. The range is gorgeous. The hood will have some sort of heavier texture and color, so it'll pop. And the walls and backsplash will be, well...irrelevant...which is exactly the look I'm going for. Now let's hope I actually achieve it! Deb
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: spacific (My Page) on Wed, Nov 10, 04 at 17:52
Momto4kids--- Excellent! You have so much beautiful detail already going on in your kitchen... not everything can (or should try to be) a focal point. Looking forward to seeing the end result. I think it will be just right.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: anna_chosak (My Page) on Wed, Nov 10, 04 at 20:17
That sounds marvelous, Deb! I like to do faux painting myself. If I could make one suggestion, I think she should use oil paint or a finish with a sheen for extra sparkle that still won't compete with the range for attention. Can't wait to see your finished kitchen--it's going to be SO fabulous!
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: cooking_SB (My Page) on Wed, Nov 10, 04 at 21:17
Well Deb, glad to hear that you made your backsplash decision. You must feel better just knowing it's made. You will be moving in before us as we have been pushed back to nexr week and I honestly can't even imagine that happening but we will see!. My Lacanche is uncrated but still not in place. Maybe by the weekend...something about a gas pressure test. I will take some pix soon and share. It's really starting to seem real. BTW the 3 x 6 honed carrera backsplash came out beautiful..we are very happy we went that way. We are all looking foward to seeing those photos..please share. Meryl
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: kitchengirl (My Page) on Thu, Nov 11, 04 at 2:06
Deb/Momto4Kids: My last comment on the off-topic of GC's: I hope you realize how smart and fortunate you were in hiring a flexible, open-minded GC for that wonderful house of yours! After selecting a very trust-worthy GC 10 years ago when we built a new home, we were SO pitifully un-thorough in interviewing for our framing and drywall work here in SoCal (whole house renovation, but only a couple of short walls moved)! We thought it was rather trivial, but boy, it's not difficult to find a Co. that can mess up even simple work -- and over and over! I don't think that I will be enjoying my Lacanche (or moving into our home...) until mid-January, at least! I realize now that even the very hands-on experience of building a new home from scratch doesn't prepare you for renovating, with its unexpected twists and turns! AND that small changes still require thoroughness!!
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Thu, Nov 11, 04 at 8:10
Deb, your plan sounds positively great!
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: ahne (My Page) on Thu, Nov 11, 04 at 12:24
HI All -- I was the lucky recipient of Deb's Lacanche viewing. I can assure you all it is a thing of great beauty and power! Everything about the kitchen was lovely, but that Lacanche is a showstopper! anything that can outshine the marble is amazing -- it was truly beautiful. Thanks again Deb for the Lacanche tour and let me know about that breakfast you plan on making once you move in. Andrea
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Pirula (My Page) on Fri, Nov 12, 04 at 11:39
Hey Deb: That is a beautiful idea!! I'm totally with you on letting the Lacanche and hood steal the show! Can't wait to see it. I do second the oil paint idea so you can just wipe things down as needed. Ivette
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: spacific (My Page) on Mon, Nov 15, 04 at 15:29
Cocktails & Hors D'oeuvres at 4 pm on December 3rd in San Pedro! Hey all, one of the THS forum folks (MsAzadi) is coming to visit in a couple of weeks, so I thought I'd see if any of you might be able to make it. I know it's early on a Friday, but for those in So.Cal. it might be easier to travel to avoid rush hour. If you think you could make it, please email me directly and I'll keep you posted on the details. Ann
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: vedaZu (My Page) on Tue, Nov 16, 04 at 9:37
There have been some comments on the various threads about the brass discoloring quickly on the Lacanche. How are you managing this? I don't mind polishing the brass on a regular basis--does it come up bright again, or is it a hopeless task and you just let it dull down? Thanks for any info you can provide.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: pamela1 (My Page) on Tue, Nov 16, 04 at 17:53
veduZu-- Yes, you guessed it. You'd have to polish every few days to keep the brass showroom bright. If it's any reassurance, the French let it tarnish and take on a patina. I just think of it as "quieter." It also doesn't draw attention to the discolorations on the French top (if you have one). Pamela
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: dmsb (My Page) on Thu, Nov 18, 04 at 12:20
Just got word from Molly at Art Culinaire that my cluny+1 has landed stateside, and will be arriving to my doorstep within the week! Wow! Looking forward to gushing about it out here on the forum!
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: kitchengirl (My Page) on Thu, Nov 18, 04 at 14:59
dmsb: I just got notice that my (GREEN) Cluny is in transit to LAX, so I'm 1-2 weeks out! Wish my kitchen was, as well! That, I expect, will be January...
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Thu, Nov 18, 04 at 22:10
spacific: neat idea, wish we could be there. dmsb & kitchengirl: prepare to fall in love with these jewels!
And. . . oh, yes
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Thu, Nov 18, 04 at 22:55
Forgot to mention that our GC has decided to honor our original request for the hood. He is removing the too shallow Dacor that leaves us with a smoky room and installing a larger, deeper, VAH liner. Even though he has had his doubts about VAH, I believe it won't be the last one he'll install now, as more and more of his clients are installing commercial ranges.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: pamela1 (My Page) on Fri, Nov 19, 04 at 9:39
WONDERFUL, AnnaLee! I didn't comment when you were talking about a "fix" with your other liner, because I really didn't think it'd satisfy your needs ultimately, but this hood is now exactly the right size for your range. It'll really matter over the years to keep your paint and cabinets looking good. Your GC sounds like a really good guy--he did the right thing. I assume he's eating the cost of the new cabinetry to encase it. You must be very pleased. Pamela
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: abqMOM (My Page) on Fri, Nov 19, 04 at 11:49
Our house sale fell through. Actually, it is a blessing. The first thing we did was uncrate and install our burgundy Cluny. I have been cooking nonstop for two weeks!
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Fri, Nov 19, 04 at 22:20
abqMOM: Congratulations on your new arrival! You are 2 weeks ahead of us in cooking volume already. Our burgundy baby has been waiting patiently for us to stay home and play, which we hope to do as soon as our schedules calm down. PAMELA: We are satisfied he is doing the right thing now. He will refund the original materials cost and charge us for the new liner. He may be able to modify the wood box with new moldings and carved filler replacement brackets toward the back, but we will have to see what exactly he is proposing and whether it is going to look presentable. If not, we expect to get a new box as well. Thanks for your support. This has really slowed down all other progress, so we are anxious to move on.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: tsprinkle (My Page) on Sun, Nov 21, 04 at 7:40
I have a question for those of you who have your Lacanche's for a while. I have had my Cluny for almost a year and the brass needs a little brightening, especially the burners. What have others used to polish the brass? Any pitfalls to avoid? Many thanks.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: anna_chosak (My Page) on Sun, Nov 21, 04 at 15:21
Tsprinkle, here's what I do when I polish up the range: I pour some of the Copper Brite that AC sent onto a cloth and polish the ends of the handles and drawer pulls with that. Use sparingly and wipe off immediately; be careful not to let the cleaner run because it can cause a slight green discoloration in places. I take off all the knobs, put them in a bowl in the sink, squirt more Copper Brite over them, and let them sit while I do the burner covers and collars (it helps to keep the oven knobs separate from the burner knobs). The burner covers require a bit more work. I've used Dawn Power Dissolver to loosen up some of the cooked-on darkness, but the thing that really works the best is Brillo pads. The Power Dissolver does help so that you don't have to scrub quite so hard. Same with the aluminum collars, though I've never succeeded in getting all the dark spots off those. The steel wool in the Brillo pads goes a long way towards shining up the burner covers, but I give them a finishing coat of the Copper Brite as well. Then I just rinse off and wipe dry the knobs and put them back on. Voilà--beautiful, shiny brass!
Posted by AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Sun, Oct 31, 04 at 19:32
Here we find ourselves at the beginnng of a new thread with an old French romance - Lacanche. Zola, thanks for responding. DH is still on another time zone, so he had the chicken roasting in the gas oven by the time I arrived back mid-afternoon. He was also baking acorn squash in the electric oven, grilling shrimp as an appetizer on the new grillplate and had green beans started on the rangetop. By the time your sweet response arrived, he could confirm that he was doing something very similar. I was planning to check for responses, then start cooking, but I ended up being wined & dined with a scrumptuous, moist roasted chicken and wonderful, wonderful vegetables. The grilled shrimp were absolutely perfect. I just had a chance to quickly add nutmeg and cinnamon to the squash and oregano to the beans and pour the wine.
Follow-Up Postings:
A Path Back
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Sun, Oct 31, 04 at 19:34
Forgot to give you a path back to Part 14 - sorry.
Here is a link that might be useful: Lacanche Ranges - part 14
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: anna_chosak (My Page) on Mon, Nov 1, 04 at 9:46
AnnaLee, I just read your last message. The recipe Zola posted is very similar to mine. I think you can do several variations with the herbs without going too far wrong. But it sounds like your DH had discovered that on his own! Keep us updated with your Lacanche cooking adventures and ENJOY it!!! :-)
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: spacific (My Page) on Mon, Nov 1, 04 at 10:21
Ivette, The tile is B&W #10 White subway tile. By using their seconds, we were able to tile the entire wall behind the range corner, not just the backsplash. AnnaLeeF... the kitchen is progressing beautifully. The burgundy lacanche looks gorgeous with the cabinets and soapstone. Pamela, Congrats on counters! It's time for preview pictures please.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Pirula (My Page) on Mon, Nov 1, 04 at 11:52
Spacific: Thanks! B&W? Not familiar with them. How do they compare to like Dal-Tile? Off to go google!! Ivette
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: spacific (My Page) on Mon, Nov 1, 04 at 16:28
Ivette, B&W is a small company... they specialize in lots of the older colors/styles and I first found out about them when trying to match tile for a 20s deco bathroom. I think their quality is pretty comparable to Dal-Tile. They aren't a specialty hand-made tile company like Sonoma Tileworks. I know they also do contract work for some high-end companies as they sometimes have leftovers or rejects from such runs (I found a liner tile that was exactly the color and style I almost got from Waterworks... WW-$7.65/tile. B&W-$1.00/tile....but I don't know for sure who they do work for.) I know they have two locations in So. Cal.--- Gardena and Riverside, I think that's it. And of course their prices are great. Aside to Joan/Kitchengirl---I emailed you this morning. Did you get it? I was out of town for the weekend or I would have gotten back to you sooner.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: kitchengirl (My Page) on Mon, Nov 1, 04 at 21:25
spacific/Ann: Thanks for your response, above, re. tilesetting references. I'll have to check out B&W, as I'm in Riverside. Can't believe some interesting resource is actually in Riverside (aka 'da boonies), instead of Orange and LA counties!
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Tue, Nov 2, 04 at 1:08
Anna_C: Thanks for the note. We'll experiment with variations in the weeks ahead as we keep unpacking & looking for long-forgotten kitchen tools. Spacific- I'm also a big fan of your tile and paint color. Looking for pictures, Zola, Deb and Pamela! Deb - moving, changing houses - you must be exhausted! dmsb: any day now your Lacanche should be arriving - right?
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Pirula (My Page) on Tue, Nov 2, 04 at 4:42
Spacific: THanks! I found their website. But I'm in VA so not sure I can use them. I recall Deb saying she was looking at them too, and she's in VA. Deb: Is this the same company you were considering, or am I misremembering? Ivette
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Momto4Kids (My Page) on Tue, Nov 2, 04 at 5:30
Ivette- Yes, I got a sample of the tile spacific used from B&W. Very nice. Unfortunately, it's not qite the right color for my marble. If I planned to use their tile, they told me they could ship it out the day after I placed the oder (assuming they had enough). Then I'd just need someone to install it. Do you want me to send you this sample? No sense you getting one when I know I can't use it. Let me know. Deb
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: spacific (My Page) on Tue, Nov 2, 04 at 10:06
Good point I forgot to make Deb, the color selections from B&W are VERY limited. If it works for you, fantastic, if it doesn't, not much you can do. Since we have a number of whites in the kitchen (sink, porcelain knobs, tile, cabinetry, marble, dishware), my only requirement for the tile color was that I preferred a warm white to a cooler/bluish one. So what did you end up with Deb?
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Pirula (My Page) on Tue, Nov 2, 04 at 11:35
Oh yes Deb please!! Jeez, you are too kind. I owe you BIG time..... If it's a warm white, it should be perfect for my Son's bathroom, that's what I'm going for. That and a white hex floor. Thank you! Ivette
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: SharB (My Page) on Tue, Nov 2, 04 at 17:44
I'm about to meet with the kitchen designer to start planning our new kitchen. Decided to check out ranges and get an idea of what was out there. I found a photo of the Lacanche Range and it's BEAUTIFUL! I'm in southern CA, does anyone know where I might see one? Also, what price range are they in? I've tried to find these things on the internet, but haven't had luck.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Tue, Nov 2, 04 at 19:39
SharB: We all agree! It is beautiful. Check out the USA website for Art Culinaire in the Seattle area. They are the only distributors in the states, but they can connect you with an owner in your area. One of our garden webbers in your area may also respond and extend an invitation to you. The pricing is determined by size and features, but Stan at AC will be most helpful and send you pricing and a color brochure. Also ask if there are currently any in stock in Seattle - sometimes that cuts down on the wait for one to come from France. Contact info is on their website. Good luck with your planning.
Here is a link that might be useful: French Ranges/Lacanche
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: spacific (My Page) on Tue, Nov 2, 04 at 20:02
SharB, Our Lacanche Cormatin (the smallest one) is in San Pedro. If you're near us, feel free to email me and you're welcome to come take a look. Ann
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: SharB (My Page) on Tue, Nov 2, 04 at 23:15
AnnaLeeF and Ann, Thank you for responding to my post. I requested material on the range be sent to me from the website. Thank you Ann for offering to let me see your range. I'm in Costa Mesa. Will e mail you if I need to do that. The kd is coming tomorrow and I'm already getting excited. My kitchen is 32 years old, I have cooked many meals in it, but it is truly a "vintage" kitchen, not by design! I want a Clive Christian "look", kind of English, with crystal chandeliers and a Lacanche Range.. Sound good? Sharon
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Wed, Nov 3, 04 at 0:14
Sharon: Try this link to see a few different sizes and configurations. Your Clive Christian look sounds elegant.
Here is a link that might be useful: Select ranges
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: percheron (My Page) on Wed, Nov 3, 04 at 19:03
Cormatin owners - please help. What hood or liner are you using. Vent-a-hood suggested a liner - the number is BH 234 PSLD. Does anyone have experience with this liner? Thank you in advance.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: spacific (My Page) on Wed, Nov 3, 04 at 19:35
We used the Ventahood Euroline Pro... 24" deep x 18" high x 36" wide. 300/600 cfm blowers. Works well.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: percheron (My Page) on Wed, Nov 3, 04 at 22:00
Thanks, Spacific. This liner that they recommended sounds like the same as your hood. Did you use round or square vent pipe? Does it even matter?
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: dmsb (My Page) on Thu, Nov 4, 04 at 0:21
Yes, I am "expecting" fairly soon -- I just paid the balance, having received the notice that my range "is in the final stages of production in France," and is just about ready to ship. Wow! Thanks, AnnaLee, for remembering! I am meanwhile going crazy trying to be the junior g.c./architect for my addition/remodel, as we let our architect go -- irreconcilable differences after a LOT of money paid her. I am hoping that once my Cluny+1 arrives, it won't be sitting idle all too long -- but the longer we can put it off, the better, since I am hoping it will be a fairly whirlwind fast kitchen remodel when it happens. We're saving our present cabinets but transferring them to the laundry room -- which is being framed and plumbing is being run to and through it, every day this week and next. So once the laundry room is ready to accept the kitchen cabinets, then it's showtime for my new kitchen cabinets, estimated to arrive here around the end of the first week of December. Lousy timing! They'll make it in just in time to template for the countertops but not in time to get the fabrication in before the whole world of builders/contractors/etc. goes into hibernation for the holidays and new year. Oh well! Don't we all wish we could just say farewell to the old stuff and then poof! there would be ALL the things we've agonized over, and finally decided on, all installed, all at once? Alas... And I've only just realized I need to sell my sweet old O'Keefe & Merritt -- if anyone knows someone who wants one -- a tad scruffy but perfectly functional and then some, direct them my way, please!
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Pirula (My Page) on Thu, Nov 4, 04 at 2:52
Yes, I have often wished I could do the Bewitched nose twitch and just be done with it!! Ivette
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: kitchengirl (My Page) on Thu, Nov 4, 04 at 3:20
I, too, just received notice that my Cluny is in the final stages of production; how long do you all think the shipping takes, 7-10 days?? I'm just curious about when it will actually leave the factory. I expect delivery in early December.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Pirula (My Page) on Thu, Nov 4, 04 at 14:15
All: There are three really fun threads going on over at the Kitchens "Coversations" forum. Get to know you better threads. They're fun and I hope you all will check them out. I'd love to know my Lacanche "sisters and brothers" better! Ivette
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Zolablue (My Page) on Thu, Nov 4, 04 at 16:36
Can any of you that have been using your Cluny ovens for baking give me some advice? Anna Chosak - if you're out there you would know this for sure. :o) I've been having so much fun experimenting with new recipes and I love the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks. Many of the recipes call for a 12 x 18 x 1" sheet pan such as for the brownies I've baked a couple times and as you know that size will not work in my ovens. What do you use in that case? I'm perhaps worrying a bit too much and should just buy several sizes to have on hand as they're very useful but I wanted to take care as I buy new things for my kitchen that I get the best quality so may spend a bit more and I'd rather avoid getting something I won't end up using. Is it better to simply bake that recipe in 2 pans each 12 x 9 or try to use the largest pan closest to that size? I did find some really nice heavy ones at Williams Sonoma and they're 15 x 10 x 1" high. If I use that size I'd still have some batter left over to bake in another pan so not sure what to do! Any suggestions or tricks of yours and how do you modify the baking time if at all when you end up with 2 pans holding a recipe meant for one pan?
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: spacific (My Page) on Fri, Nov 5, 04 at 10:54
Did any of you save the wood-burning cooking threads from months ago?
Here is a link that might be useful: Wood burning pizza oven thread on Kitchens
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: kitchengirl (My Page) on Sat, Nov 6, 04 at 2:45
Zolablue, Did you get two convection ovens? The 12x18 pan just fits in the non-convection gas and electric ovens. A 15x10 is the standard for a jelly roll and 12x18 is a standard half sheet pan. When I considered buying convection, I looked through catalogs like Bridge Cookware for some non-standardized pans that were larger than a jelly roll.
Troubles
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Sat, Nov 6, 04 at 11:10
Just posted on the Lacanche forum for the first time. We are not having fun this week. Our lovely custom hood is a bust. Does not capture all the smoke from the grill plate, which we broke in Tuesday night. GC, who insisted on the hood dimensions and vent mechanism, despite our input, has been true to his word and here every day this week to try to find a solution at their expense. He has pulled the hood forward - we originally requested 27" depth, but he held it down to 20" - but pulling it forward still does not do the job. It is obvious that the vent catchment area is too small, despite having 1200 cfms, and it sits too far back in the hood, with the mantle creating an initial 8 -9 inches of wood that becomes a barrier to the smoke, we believe. He used a Dacor after we asked for VAH, but even if he installs a VAH now, we wonder if the smoke can be pulled past the wood. GC claims they have never had this problem before with other installations, but could it be that their upscale clientele have trophy kitchens and don't actually cook on thier commercial style ranges? Anyone else have a mantle style hood and problems?
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Pirula (My Page) on Sat, Nov 6, 04 at 13:09
AnnaLee: I'm so sorry to hear of your hood troubles. I hope that your GC finds a workable solution. It sounds like you may have to start from scratch. Is that doable? I'll be watching very closely to see what you come up with that works, as we have pretty much spec'ed our hood for the eventual remodel, but can easily change it if necessary. 20" is absolutely too shallow. Most people seem to have good luck with the lacanche and a 24" deep hood. Good luck with it! Ivette
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Momto4Kids (My Page) on Sat, Nov 6, 04 at 13:13
AnnaLeeF-I'm not a lot of help right now...but I would think the strength of pull from the vent would pull the smoke past the wood. You've turned you're hood on before you start cooking, I'm sure. I agree, it doesn't sound right. Too bad your contractor didn't listen to you. Maybe he will now! I turned my vents on the other day when I was at the house. I still have dust all over everything. When I turned on the first VAH, it immediately began sucking up the dust off the rangetop! When I turned the second hood on and put them both on "HI", I think they would've sucked up small children! I haven't tried the grill, yet, but based on what I saw, I don't foresee having your problem. My liner is built inside a constructed hood against a wall. I only have about 2-3 inches where the wood you're talking about is. Well, front and back, so maybe 6 inches in total, but only 3 inches around each side of the frame. But, yes, my liner is held forward, but the whole hood is flush with the front of the range. In essence, the liner is centered (front-to-back) over the range. Just because of the sheer size, mine doesn't extend beyond the range, side-to-side, either. I hope this helps some. BTW, what did you grill? Deb
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Zolablue (My Page) on Sat, Nov 6, 04 at 13:16
kitchengirl - I feel kinda dumb here asking this when my Cluny is sitting in my kitchen but seriously how do you make that 12 x 18 pan fit? Did you actually do this? I ask because when I first made the brownie recipe I used an old jelly-roll type pan I thought fit as I tried all my pans in the ovens when it first arrived or so I thought. :o) This one happens to have the rounded edges that come out on the ends making it 17.5" in length. I had poured most of that chocolate batter into it and went to pop it in the oven and OMG! No way was it fitting. I sunk as it was 8:30 pm and what to do now. :o) Hubby had noticed the racks have this little lip that sticks up so he ingeniously (I thought) pulled out the rack and turned it upside down! We were able to shove that pan in and bake the brownies but it seemed to "just" fit. So I don't know how I can eek out another .5" but if you say so I'll buy one and give it a try. It doesn't seem possible though it would sure be nice. And I don't have anything that exact size to try it.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Sat, Nov 6, 04 at 23:36
Nothing happening over the weekend with the hood while the design/build firm mulls it over. We were grilling bratwurst on Tuesday. On Wednesday, we grilled veal chops, but placed them on the very back of the grill plate to avoid having anything near the front of the stove to create smoke or grease. The catchment area on the filters is only 6" front to back and 32" across the range. The rest is all housing into which the filters sit. And, yes, Ivette, I think we could start over if really necessary. The baffling thing is this is a strong motor trapped in an opening that's too small, in our opinion. I believe this problem is fairly unique to our situation, so Deb, I know you won't have this problem with your Sully+2. Can't wait to hear of your new cooking adventures.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: kitchengirl (My Page) on Sun, Nov 7, 04 at 1:57
Zolablue, I have two heavy aluminum 1/2 sheet pans from the Baker's Catalogue (King Arthur Flour Co's catalog, http://shop.bakerscatalogue.com/items/. The pan is: http://shop.bakerscatalogue.com/detail.jspid=5212&pv=1099808849330). They are a very typical pan with a 1" flared side and rolled top edge, and they fit snugly front to back with plenty of room on the sides in the standard Cluny oven, but are 2" too long for the convection oven. Do you have your racks in the way Lacanche intended? Denise/Orchidluvr had measured this for me before I ordered my range, and then I tested it on the Cluny I visited. A jelly roll pan holds perhaps 25-30% less, at least, than a half-sheet pan. I think Anna Chosak might have helped me on this, too. Can anyone else confirm that 13x18/half-sheet pans just fit? Stan also confirmed this for me on the phone.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: kitchengirl (My Page) on Sun, Nov 7, 04 at 2:11
AnnaLeeF: Sorry to hear of your problems. I realize you'd asked for a VAH liner, so you may have reviewed their specs early on. If not, it would be worth printing it out for your GC. I would hope he could pop-out the Dacor and put in the VAH easily if the Dacor is 40-3/8" (for a finished size of 42") as is the VAH (did you go with a finished size of 42" or 48"?). These liners are just screwed into their decorative wood or plaster hoods. The other issue would be the ducting called for in the Dacor vs. the VAH. We just finished ordering the liner, ducting and outside trim so I've been mulling over the details... Good luck!
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Zolablue (My Page) on Sun, Nov 7, 04 at 13:49
AnnaLeeF - So sorry to hear of your venting troubles, too. We have the VAH and really like it. It seems to have some nice features and one we really like is if you have it on the lowest setting and it senses the necessity for more suction it automatically powers to the higher blower and then once it senses that is no longer necessary it powers back down to the lower setting. It is nice that you don't always have to feel it is turned to the top setting that way. I wish I knew more about the technical aspect of it but I don't. I know that my duct people did have to buy some things that they are not used to using in order to comply with the VAH specs though. Just insist you get this right as I'm sure you will. kitchengirl - This is really good news for me! We do not have convection, we have the regular gas and electric ovens. We actually placed the tape measure into the oven yesterday making it the 18" length and we were able to shut the door on it just fine. But here's my problem. It is the racks. We must not have them in properly. They have this edge on the back and it sticks up about an inch and actually prevents anything from going all the way to the back of the oven by about 2 - 2.5". That's a lot in an oven that size. Still we can't figure out any other way for the racks to go in. I must find my manual but how hard can that be! Makes me feel like an idiot! :o) I really appreciate your help on this.
This one?
· Posted by: Zolablue (My Page) on Sun, Nov 7, 04 at 13:56
kitchengirl - Sorry, but I could not make your link work. Is this the pan you have? This one is 17 3/4 x 13 x 1" deep but not sure if that is interior dimensions.
Here is a link that might be useful: Half sheet pan...
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: kitchengirl (My Page) on Sun, Nov 7, 04 at 16:06
Zolablue: That is the link I had copied into my text msg. to you from the Baker's Catalogue -- sorry it didn't work. And yes, my pans are those exact measurements. They are by Mirro, # 6673. But I'm quite sure they will work in your ovens if your racks are installed correctly. This is the whole reason I decided the Lacanche Cluny would be a good fit for us: neither of the Aga gas/electric models would accomodate these half-sheet pans, and in the winter, I do a lot of roasted veggies on these, and the smaller jelly roll isn't enough for even two people's veggies for dinner! Of course, I loved the design of the range and cooktop, too, but the ovens were the smallest that I thought would be completely practical.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Sun, Nov 7, 04 at 23:22
Kitchengirl: Yes, we did pass on the VAH specs to the GC, which was in our exhaustive research binder. We sent him to see a working display & talk to a hood specialist at a good appliance store at the end of the week. He had his own custom hood guy come to look and he commented that VAH is "not bad." DH said that is praise from one who considers it competition. Zolablue, good to hear of that nice automatic adjustment feature of VAH. Just noticed Skivino on another thread remarking how easy it is to clean the VAH. Sorry to hear you are having such a time fitting sheets in those racks. We haven't gotten as far as baking yet. Still trying to select paint and backsplash.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: anna_chosak (My Page) on Sun, Nov 7, 04 at 23:23
Hey Zola! Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. I had a reunion with a bunch of college girlfriends last night for which I did all the cooking. Lots of fun but man, did my feet hurt afterwards! :-O My favorite pan is 12x17, I think, but I will measure tomorrow and tell you for sure. As far as the racks go, have you pushed it ALL the way back? If the front of the rack is near the front of the oven, it's not pushed all the way back; give it a good shove and it will recess back another couple of inches, and then you can fit in baking sheets that wouldn't fit before. (I hope that was coherent--it's 11:30 pm and I am STILL tired from that party! *g*)
Dimensions
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Mon, Nov 8, 04 at 1:18
Kitchengirl: forgot to answer your question. Re size of hood, we have a 54" wide (48" on the interior) by 20" depth wood hood cabinet for our Cluny.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Zolablue (My Page) on Mon, Nov 8, 04 at 13:13
anna - oh gosh! We did not have the racks pushed all the way back. We thought they tipped if we did that. DUH! We finally figured that out yesterday after kitchengirl insisted that size pan would fit and it was the only way to allow the extra room. With the racks pulled forward we are losing up to three whole inches at the back of the ovens so we knew we weren't installing them correctly. Geez, it isn't exactly rocket science. LOL. Man, I feel kinda dum de dum dum! But very happy that the larger size pan works! Good thing I did not buy the smaller ones yet! Thanks! We thought it was kinda funny that the back row of cookies we baked all had these little "indents" in them from going THROUGH the ends of those racks (if you know what I'm talking about). We thought that seemed kind of strange so good to know that will be fixed as well. Can you tell it has been a REALLY long time since we've baked. Oh, my! :o)
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: anna_chosak (My Page) on Mon, Nov 8, 04 at 15:46
Ha! Don't feel too bad, Zola. It took me a while to figure it out as well!
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Zolablue (My Page) on Mon, Nov 8, 04 at 16:21
Hey, Anna, I never mind asking any question. :o) And sounds like you had a great time with your friends. Let us know what you cooked. I love the inspiration. :o)
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: anna_chosak (My Page) on Mon, Nov 8, 04 at 18:44
I decided to do an array of finger-food appetizer-type thingies, since I'd figured we'd be milling around the house and everyone could wander over and eat when they wanted. We ended up sitting around the dining room table most of the night and stuffing our faces though. :-) I made: 1) marinated chicken with satay sauce which I was going to grill, but our grill was full of old wet coals that I didn't feel like dumping out, so I broiled them. Yum. 2) little diamond shaped caraway cornbread squares topped with apricot-peach and jalapeno jam (the original recipe called for bacon to be added to the jam but I substituted turkey shwarma. 3) strips of rosemary focaccia, some plain, some topped with caramelized onions and Asiago cheese. 4) crudités with humus and baba ghanouj 5) a cheese tray* with Robiola, a baby swiss, a blue, a St. Nectaire, and a Manchego, with some very fat delicious grapes on the side. 6) For dessert, chocolate oblivion torte with raspberry sauce and vanilla ice cream. *Okay, I didn't make the cheeses, but I did put a lot of thought into selecting them! ;-)
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Pirula (My Page) on Tue, Nov 9, 04 at 3:24
Oh STOP!! You're making me hungry!! And I'm sick of hummus, tabouleh, and pita!! Zola: Soooo glad it fits!! I will have to remember this detail when my time comes. Ivette
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Tue, Nov 9, 04 at 10:46
Anna, I am hungary too from reading your post and I just ate! GC was just here and he is suggesting a combination of using the VAH motor (if we insist) and a custom housing & filters to be fabricated locally from stainless steel within our same hood, situated up into the well to create a smoke chamber. He would place the lights all the way forward to clear the catchment area and move the controls to a housing within the decorative mantle frame on each side of the hood. He would greatly expand the surface area of the filters. GC was not a big fan of VAH after examining the store display, believing it would be too hard to remove parts and clean the unit. He also wondered if have the VAH fan blades open/exposed caused an additional cleaning problem. I have shown him all the praise on VAH from the forum, so he is beginning to believe that the forum is a force to be considered, at least in working with us. We are apparently his first customers who use indoor griling.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Zolablue (My Page) on Tue, Nov 9, 04 at 11:08
anna chosak - That all sounds soooooo good. The little cornbread squares with jam make me think about some little sandwiches I just saw Ina Garten (yes, I'm crazy about Ina) make for her friend's party. They were little round buns from Zabar's and she spread mango chutney on them and put a slice of cheddar cheese and they looked so pretty and sounded good too! I've been very adventureous for some reason since getting my new kitchen semi-running and have made many brand new recipes. I absolutely love it. AnnaLeeF - I haven't had the need to clean my VAH liner yet but the ease of cleaning was one reason we bought it. Are you quite sure this GC has your best interest in mind by facing off with you over this? Remember he will be gone one day and you will be living with your kitchen. It is funny how I've thought of all the times my GC told me what "he liked" and how he would argue with me over things that sometimes took hours to discuss (ugh) and he's now long gone and had I caved to him what an injustice to me that would have been. Actually, there were a couple things I did cave on just because it became so stressful to always have to defend my choices to this man. At the time I thought they were things I could live without but it does kind of miff me now. Again, he'll never be in my house again so why care what he thinks. It is your choice and you might have to be a bit demanding. We started out loving our GC and ended up firing him months later. You can read between those lines. You are paying for this in your home and you are not the non-expert here and it sounds like he just isn't familiar with VAH so he's knocking it. No offense meant to this guy but it is not a shameful thing for him to be educated by someone else about a product he's not used before. He may learn something valuable. Okay, that's the end of my more than two cents.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: anna_chosak (My Page) on Tue, Nov 9, 04 at 11:14
No offense meant to this guy but it is not a shameful thing for him to be educated by someone else about a product he's not used before. Absolutely. When I first mentioned underfloor heating to my GC, he thought I was nuts. When he did my bathroom a year later, he recommended it! I had to remind him that I was the first one to mention it to him, and he laughed and said, "That's right--I forgot!" He'd put it in in a few other houses since then and now thinks it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. He also recommended against the skylight in the new bathroom, but I stood firm. It's one of my favorite features now.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: kitchengirl (My Page) on Tue, Nov 9, 04 at 21:54
We built our last home in Williamsburg, VA, using a lot of novel or higher quality materials. After interviewing many GC's and going over our plans and specs with them, then working with one for more than a year, this experience tought me a very clear lesson: in general, contractors don't like NEW/different b/c it really slows them down and potentially reduces their time or profit. After the fact, they may be happy to have another "tool in their chest" to share with the next client, but very few general contractors are open to new materials, brands, construction concepts, etc...
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Wed, Nov 10, 04 at 0:20
Zola, Anna, kitchengirl - Good points about contractor behavior and the time/profit perspective! Our GC took responsibility this morning & said this is partially his fault for not accepting our original VAH request and partially a hood design flaw that prevents its use for power/grill users. That's painful since this repair time is on his nickle. He will work on the problem until it is solved to our satisfaction, I believe.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: spacific (My Page) on Wed, Nov 10, 04 at 14:39
AnnaLeeF... I hope everything turns out well with the hood issue. I do hope the GC doesn't go the route of part of this, part of that... I can't imagine that VAH would warranty such an arrangement... it just seems like stubbornness at this point on the GC's part. We had the same situation with our GC re new stuff. Kitchengirl, you're exactly right. I think what helped our GC is that I did all the research, searched out specs, printed out installation manuals, purchased materials or sought out subcontractors for all the "odd stuff" (his words, not mine). If I didn't, we wouldn't have had underfloor radiant heating, tankless water heater, open shower, fold & slide french doors, the VentaHood and more.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Momto4Kids (My Page) on Wed, Nov 10, 04 at 16:10
Continuing this OT discussion...I've pushed my builder beyond what their "norm" has been, but I've had a totally different experience. My builder has been thrilled to try these new and different things. He is very open to suggestions, welcomes my research and input, and is completely willing to try something new. IMHO, he has undercharged us for just about all the "crazy" little things we did, but it was a learning experience for him and he was happy to get the experience. Now he has a better idea for what he'll do next time around and plans to incorporate some of what he has learned from our house. Our experience could not have been any better. Now, back to Lacanche...I had the pleasure today of showing off my range to someone considering a Lacanche! I got to boil water for her! What fun! A couple more days, and I'll be cooking...for real! And now for my backsplash...I am doing the totally unthinkable. Everyone, please sit down and put your drink down first. Drum roll......Nothing. I'm doing absolutley nothing! I'm serious. I cannot get happy with any tile or tumbled marble I've stacked around the countertop. So I decided to have my faux painter mix up some paint (a few shades lighter than my kitchen walls) and "stuff" to schmear (a technical word!) on the 3 interior walls of the alcove. I want the walls to look like they are plaster vs sheetrock. Then she's going to seal it with this super sealer that's scrubable. The range is gorgeous. The hood will have some sort of heavier texture and color, so it'll pop. And the walls and backsplash will be, well...irrelevant...which is exactly the look I'm going for. Now let's hope I actually achieve it! Deb
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: spacific (My Page) on Wed, Nov 10, 04 at 17:52
Momto4kids--- Excellent! You have so much beautiful detail already going on in your kitchen... not everything can (or should try to be) a focal point. Looking forward to seeing the end result. I think it will be just right.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: anna_chosak (My Page) on Wed, Nov 10, 04 at 20:17
That sounds marvelous, Deb! I like to do faux painting myself. If I could make one suggestion, I think she should use oil paint or a finish with a sheen for extra sparkle that still won't compete with the range for attention. Can't wait to see your finished kitchen--it's going to be SO fabulous!
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: cooking_SB (My Page) on Wed, Nov 10, 04 at 21:17
Well Deb, glad to hear that you made your backsplash decision. You must feel better just knowing it's made. You will be moving in before us as we have been pushed back to nexr week and I honestly can't even imagine that happening but we will see!. My Lacanche is uncrated but still not in place. Maybe by the weekend...something about a gas pressure test. I will take some pix soon and share. It's really starting to seem real. BTW the 3 x 6 honed carrera backsplash came out beautiful..we are very happy we went that way. We are all looking foward to seeing those photos..please share. Meryl
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: kitchengirl (My Page) on Thu, Nov 11, 04 at 2:06
Deb/Momto4Kids: My last comment on the off-topic of GC's: I hope you realize how smart and fortunate you were in hiring a flexible, open-minded GC for that wonderful house of yours! After selecting a very trust-worthy GC 10 years ago when we built a new home, we were SO pitifully un-thorough in interviewing for our framing and drywall work here in SoCal (whole house renovation, but only a couple of short walls moved)! We thought it was rather trivial, but boy, it's not difficult to find a Co. that can mess up even simple work -- and over and over! I don't think that I will be enjoying my Lacanche (or moving into our home...) until mid-January, at least! I realize now that even the very hands-on experience of building a new home from scratch doesn't prepare you for renovating, with its unexpected twists and turns! AND that small changes still require thoroughness!!
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Thu, Nov 11, 04 at 8:10
Deb, your plan sounds positively great!
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: ahne (My Page) on Thu, Nov 11, 04 at 12:24
HI All -- I was the lucky recipient of Deb's Lacanche viewing. I can assure you all it is a thing of great beauty and power! Everything about the kitchen was lovely, but that Lacanche is a showstopper! anything that can outshine the marble is amazing -- it was truly beautiful. Thanks again Deb for the Lacanche tour and let me know about that breakfast you plan on making once you move in. Andrea
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: Pirula (My Page) on Fri, Nov 12, 04 at 11:39
Hey Deb: That is a beautiful idea!! I'm totally with you on letting the Lacanche and hood steal the show! Can't wait to see it. I do second the oil paint idea so you can just wipe things down as needed. Ivette
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: spacific (My Page) on Mon, Nov 15, 04 at 15:29
Cocktails & Hors D'oeuvres at 4 pm on December 3rd in San Pedro! Hey all, one of the THS forum folks (MsAzadi) is coming to visit in a couple of weeks, so I thought I'd see if any of you might be able to make it. I know it's early on a Friday, but for those in So.Cal. it might be easier to travel to avoid rush hour. If you think you could make it, please email me directly and I'll keep you posted on the details. Ann
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: vedaZu (My Page) on Tue, Nov 16, 04 at 9:37
There have been some comments on the various threads about the brass discoloring quickly on the Lacanche. How are you managing this? I don't mind polishing the brass on a regular basis--does it come up bright again, or is it a hopeless task and you just let it dull down? Thanks for any info you can provide.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: pamela1 (My Page) on Tue, Nov 16, 04 at 17:53
veduZu-- Yes, you guessed it. You'd have to polish every few days to keep the brass showroom bright. If it's any reassurance, the French let it tarnish and take on a patina. I just think of it as "quieter." It also doesn't draw attention to the discolorations on the French top (if you have one). Pamela
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: dmsb (My Page) on Thu, Nov 18, 04 at 12:20
Just got word from Molly at Art Culinaire that my cluny+1 has landed stateside, and will be arriving to my doorstep within the week! Wow! Looking forward to gushing about it out here on the forum!
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: kitchengirl (My Page) on Thu, Nov 18, 04 at 14:59
dmsb: I just got notice that my (GREEN) Cluny is in transit to LAX, so I'm 1-2 weeks out! Wish my kitchen was, as well! That, I expect, will be January...
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Thu, Nov 18, 04 at 22:10
spacific: neat idea, wish we could be there. dmsb & kitchengirl: prepare to fall in love with these jewels!
And. . . oh, yes
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Thu, Nov 18, 04 at 22:55
Forgot to mention that our GC has decided to honor our original request for the hood. He is removing the too shallow Dacor that leaves us with a smoky room and installing a larger, deeper, VAH liner. Even though he has had his doubts about VAH, I believe it won't be the last one he'll install now, as more and more of his clients are installing commercial ranges.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: pamela1 (My Page) on Fri, Nov 19, 04 at 9:39
WONDERFUL, AnnaLee! I didn't comment when you were talking about a "fix" with your other liner, because I really didn't think it'd satisfy your needs ultimately, but this hood is now exactly the right size for your range. It'll really matter over the years to keep your paint and cabinets looking good. Your GC sounds like a really good guy--he did the right thing. I assume he's eating the cost of the new cabinetry to encase it. You must be very pleased. Pamela
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: abqMOM (My Page) on Fri, Nov 19, 04 at 11:49
Our house sale fell through. Actually, it is a blessing. The first thing we did was uncrate and install our burgundy Cluny. I have been cooking nonstop for two weeks!
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: AnnaLeeF (My Page) on Fri, Nov 19, 04 at 22:20
abqMOM: Congratulations on your new arrival! You are 2 weeks ahead of us in cooking volume already. Our burgundy baby has been waiting patiently for us to stay home and play, which we hope to do as soon as our schedules calm down. PAMELA: We are satisfied he is doing the right thing now. He will refund the original materials cost and charge us for the new liner. He may be able to modify the wood box with new moldings and carved filler replacement brackets toward the back, but we will have to see what exactly he is proposing and whether it is going to look presentable. If not, we expect to get a new box as well. Thanks for your support. This has really slowed down all other progress, so we are anxious to move on.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: tsprinkle (My Page) on Sun, Nov 21, 04 at 7:40
I have a question for those of you who have your Lacanche's for a while. I have had my Cluny for almost a year and the brass needs a little brightening, especially the burners. What have others used to polish the brass? Any pitfalls to avoid? Many thanks.
RE: Lacanche Ranges - Part 15
· Posted by: anna_chosak (My Page) on Sun, Nov 21, 04 at 15:21
Tsprinkle, here's what I do when I polish up the range: I pour some of the Copper Brite that AC sent onto a cloth and polish the ends of the handles and drawer pulls with that. Use sparingly and wipe off immediately; be careful not to let the cleaner run because it can cause a slight green discoloration in places. I take off all the knobs, put them in a bowl in the sink, squirt more Copper Brite over them, and let them sit while I do the burner covers and collars (it helps to keep the oven knobs separate from the burner knobs). The burner covers require a bit more work. I've used Dawn Power Dissolver to loosen up some of the cooked-on darkness, but the thing that really works the best is Brillo pads. The Power Dissolver does help so that you don't have to scrub quite so hard. Same with the aluminum collars, though I've never succeeded in getting all the dark spots off those. The steel wool in the Brillo pads goes a long way towards shining up the burner covers, but I give them a finishing coat of the Copper Brite as well. Then I just rinse off and wipe dry the knobs and put them back on. Voilà--beautiful, shiny brass!
# posted by RunnerJudy @ 8:43 PM 
