Lacanche vs La Cornue: an engineer’s comparison
Lacanche and La Cornue are the two French range cookers our customers ask us about most. LE Company engineers have been repairing and servicing both in London for about ten years, so this comparison is not about brochures: it is about what breaks, what it costs to fix and what each cooker is like to live with. In short, La Cornue is the more heavily built and more expensive range, and you should expect much bigger repair bills; Lacanche is the more affordable of the two and costs far less to keep running. For repairs, see our Lacanche repair and La Cornue repair pages.
Lacanche vs La Cornue: price to buy and price to repair
La Cornue costs much more than Lacanche, both when you buy it and every time a part is needed. Before you buy one, it is worth knowing that if something breaks, the repair will cost a lot, and often very much more than on a Lacanche.
One example: the igniter for the gas section of a La Cornue used to cost about £350 and today costs more than £1,000.
Which is better built?
La Cornue. You feel it the moment you work on one. The metal is thicker, the insulation inside is better, and the oven holds a set temperature more steadily than a Lacanche. The doors are so heavy that it takes two hands, and some effort, to take one off.
A Lacanche is lighter. An engineer can lift a door off, stand it in the corner and start work. That lightness is part of why it is cheaper to service.
Which breaks down more often?
Lacanche, much less often. There is almost no electronics in a Lacanche: the controls are simple switches and thermostats, which is why our Lacanche oven not heating case came down to one burnt switch. A La Cornue is packed with electronics, and more parts means more that can fail.
In November we attended a La Cornue whose gas oven kept switching off. The igniter was heating but no longer reaching the temperature needed to light the burner, its wiring and fixings had rusted, and the bolts had to be drilled out. The igniter system and glow element both had to be replaced.
The La Cornue gas valve problem
Older La Cornue ranges, the really old ones, have very good gas valves. Modern models have a weakness. The heavy decorative brass knobs are fitted to aluminium gas valves. Over the years the valve wears, the weight of the knob starts to turn it down by itself, and the flame drops or goes out on its own. The only repair is a new valve, and it is an expensive one.
A Lacanche does not have this problem. Its knobs are light and not weighted to one side, so the cooker works the same way for its whole life.
Looks, burners and cleaning
On looks, La Cornue wins: it looks more expensive and more striking, with a lot of copper trim. Kept polished, the copper shines like gold. The burners are another matter: over time they gradually bend from the heat and end up looking terrible, and replacing each one costs around £300.
Inside the ovens the two are built differently. A La Cornue oven is lined with aluminium, which is practically impossible to clean. A Lacanche oven is painted metal: it is thinner and less insulated, so it does not hold heat as well, but it is easy to wipe clean.
Where they are the same: door hinges
On both ranges the most common problem is the oven door hinges. Here the two makes meet: replacing or repairing the hinges costs about the same on a Lacanche as on a La Cornue.
How long do they last?
With proper care, there is practically no limit to the service life of either cooker. Hinges, igniters, switches and thermostats wear out and are replaced, and the range carries on. Keeping it clean matters: see how to clean your Lacanche oven and how to look after your La Cornue.
Lacanche or La Cornue: which should you buy?
Choose a Lacanche if you want a beautiful French range that will practically never take your money. It looks good, lights instantly, and its flame is very beautiful, even more so than on a La Cornue. It is the more affordable of the two to buy and by far the cheaper to keep running.
Choose a La Cornue if you want the heavier build, the thicker metal and the steadier oven temperature, and you are ready for large repair bills when something does break.
If you are comparing other range cookers, we also repair AGA, Rangemaster and Wolf.
Book a Lacanche or La Cornue repair in London
LE Company’s call-out is from £175 + VAT and includes the first 30 minutes on site, when the engineer finds the cause of the fault. The cost of the repair is agreed with you before any work starts. Our engineers are Gas Safe registered. Call +44 203 603 7172, or see our frequently asked questions for prices and parts.