La Cornue Cooktop Repair

A La Cornue cooktop is built from modules chosen when the range was ordered. The most common are standard and high-output gas burners, but many ranges include a French top, which is a solid cast-iron plate heated by a central burner so the middle is hottest and the edges gentler. Others have a plancha for searing, an induction zone, or a simmer plate. Separate rangetops are also available for installation in a counter.

On gas burners, the most frequent fault is a burner that lights but will not stay lit once the knob is released. That points to the thermocouple flame-safety device, which can weaken or move out of position. Spark igniters and their switches wear, and spills can stop the spark or cause constant clicking. French tops can heat unevenly or slowly if the burner beneath is dirty or poorly adjusted, and planchas rely on their own burner and controls. Induction zones can fail at the coil or control board.

If you smell gas, leave and call the gas utility or 911 from outside. With the cooktop off and cool, clean burner caps and heads, dry them completely and seat them correctly. Make sure the thermocouple tip near each burner is clean and not bent. Never hold a burner knob in for an extended time to force it to stay lit, and never try to bypass the safety device.

We identify each module, test the thermocouples, igniters, switches and valves, and check flame quality. For French tops and planchas, we check the burner, adjustment and controls. Induction zones are tested electrically.

Cooktop repairs on a La Cornue are worth doing, since the parts that fail are replaceable and the range itself is built for decades. Lead times for parts can be long, so we discuss whether other modules can be used in the meantime.