I promised to review our Italian ILVE kitchen range, but only after putting it to the test. One year after installation and daily use, I’m finally ready to share my honest thoughts. See what we think of it, issues we encountered and all the specific details.
If you’re in the market for a kitchen range, interested in ILVE appliances, or just want to enjoy some kitchen eye candy, this is for you!
Disclaimer: Because I offered to share this review, ILVE did give me a discount on this product. That said, all the opinions I share with you today will be my honest opinion and experience, and I hope it is helpful for anyone considering an ILVE kitchen range.
Our ILVE Model
When we remodeled our Lavender Blue kitchen, I decided to invest in an Italian kitchen range called the Nostalgie II by ILVE. It was a huge investment for us, but one that we decided was worth it for a high-quality range. We were hoping for an appliance that would serve us well and look beautiful for decades to come.
We chose a fancy version and therefore had to have it shipped directly from Italy (that makes us sound much fancier than we are). The shipping took quite a while, but more basic models are available in the USA.
We chose a fancy version and therefore had to have it shipped directly from Italy (that makes us sound much fancier than we are). The shipping took quite a while, but more basic models are available in the USA.
Here are the features that we got in our ILVE Nostalgie II range:
- 60-inch dual fuel range (the largest that ILVE makes)
- Dual fuel range (burners run by liquid propane, oven by electricity)
- Double ovens
- Burners gallore (7 in total)
- French top cooking surface
- Griddle top
- Triple glass doors
- Blue Gray color
- Brass accents and hardware
ILVE Range Appearance
Let’s start this review off with appearances. I was looking for a kitchen range that would be timeless, primitive/classic style, and look good with the historic red brick that surrounds our cooking area.
This oven range is gorgeous! A total showstopper and beautiful kitchen focal point. It catches every eye and I get more questions about this range than anything else in my kitchen. I love the Italian design. 10/10 in the looks department!
One nice thing about the IVLE Nostalgie collection is that you can choose from several different sizes, colors and trim finishes, including options outside of the standard colors for appliances. You can even decide if you want an oven window or a solid door option, depending on your style.
For our ILVE range, we opted for a blue/gray oven range that perfectly coordinates with our kitchen cabinets and compliments our historic red brick surround. We were even able to choose the metallic finishes of the handles and knobs on our range, which was fun.
Range Functions
I’ve been incredibly pleased with how functional our ILVE range is. With double ovens, lots of burners and multiple heating and cooking surfaces, it really does everything I want it to do.
I liked that I could choose from various configurations of burners what would work best for me. They have so many options for different types of cooking!
Having a range that can “do it all” has been super convenient for a family that cooks everything from scratch. The kitchen range is the workhorse of our home. It is constantly in use and is a staple for how I cook for my family of 6.
ILVE Range Burners and Griddle
Like I mentioned earlier, our ILVE Nostalgie II range has several different cooking surfaces. 7 burners, a griddle, and a French top.
I love the 60 inch width of the stove top. It gives me plenty of space to cook multiple dishes and also enough room to set things aside for food prep or to keep warm.
The burners are awesome. Each has a different BTU output, which means I’ve needed to get used to which burner is best suited to which sized pot/type of food. This model even includes a large oval ring, which I’ve yet to use as none of my cookware is the correct shape for it. Overall, there are plenty of burners to choose from and I never find myself short on options.
Each burner is covered with a metal grill that makes for easy cleaning. Thanks heavens, because things can get dirty around here quickly!
There is a large removable griddle that is fantastic for pancakes, grilled cheese and quick sautés. It’s heavy, so I often bring my soapy water and rag over to the range to clean it in place.
French Top Cooking Surface
Finally, this ILVE range includes a French cooktop. French cooktops are large cast iron metal plates made up of concentric circles. There is focused heat in the middle and diminishing heat radiating out to the edges.
I think of it like an old fashioned wood burning stove where you’d move things closer to the fire or further away to control the cooking temperature. There are multiple cooking zones where you can choose to place your pots and pans. The edges of a French top provide the ideal situation for keeping dishes warm.
It’s taken me some time to get used to, but I adore the French top. It gives me lots of space for staging dishes before serving, and makes temperature control of those dishes so easy.
The French top self regulates, meaning you provide it a temperature setting and it’ll automatically turn on and off to maintain that temperature. The support staff at ILVE taught me about this feature. I had thought it was malfunctioning until they walked me through it!
Double Ovens
The double ovens on our ILVE range are a must-have feature! Total life savers on busy nights, allowing you to bake multiple dishes at once. I can bake desserts in one and vegetables in the other, no waiting to take turns.
Our ovens are different sizes, one small and one big, and we use both depending on what dish we’re baking. After having the extra oven capacity, I don’t think I could go back to a single oven.
Other features I love about the double ovens are that each storage drawer comes with soft closing system. There are also two baking racks per oven, a rotisserie function (not to mention many other cook modes) and European convection.
I find myself using the quick preheating function all the time to warm up Dutch ovens before cooking sourdough bread. Our ILVE range has lots of great oven options!
IVLE Range Issues We Encountered
We did encounter a few problems with our IVLE range. Mainly that the ovens weren’t calibrated correctly, so they would not get up to the temperature we had set them at. We discovered this issue after a few rounds of underbaked dishes and installing temperature gauges inside the ovens.
I’m not sure if the calibration issue occurred during manufacturing, shipping or installation, but we were able to use our warranty to have it repaired. The warranty is excellent and it was easy to have the calibration fixed. As a bonus, I now have gauges to tell me the temperature of the oven, which helps me get better baking results, especially when baking bread!
My ILVE Range Experience
An oven range is one of the most expensive and important investments you’ll make in a kitchen, and possibly in your entire home. That’s why I wanted to provide you with this honest review about our experience with the ILVE Nostalgie II range.
This range in a home chef’s dream machine. I can’t get over how much I love it. From the style to every little functional detail – it makes cooking so enjoyable!
If anything, this range is probably a little overkill for me. There are many features I haven’t even begun to explore, yet I am so happy with everything I do use. The calibration issue was frustrating, but it was resolved quickly and I’m a happy customer.
In a nutshell, I’d say that ILVE ranges are built to last, come with fantastic customer support and warranties, and are absolutely gorgeous. Although it was a big investment for us, I cannot overstate how happy I am with this range and believe it will be my sous chef in this kitchen for as long as I need it to. It’s the most beautiful workhorse of an appliance that I’ve ever seen!
Social links:
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Reference: ILVE Range Review | A Year Later by Cami Graham
