ILVE 36″ Nostalgie Range | Why we love it!
We purchased our first Ilve range about 8 years ago, our second range last year, and here we are, another Ilve Nostalgie range. Today I’m sharing pictures of the install process, range details, and why we love our Ilve 36″ Nostalgie Range.
This is our third Ilve Range. Yes you heard that right! If you want that European look, without the hefty price tag, this is the range for you! See the full selection here at their website.
We are so excited to be finishing our remodel. It’s been over a year of moving, renovating, moving again, and renovating. With this project, the kitchen was bumped out just a little bit keeping the foot print intact.
With the kitchen being the heart of our home, we designed it to be both functional and aesthetically pleasing and of course, practical. It also needed to reflect the European Farmhouse vibe that we are going for. We designed our hood to be a focal point. I wanted to make sure there was a small ledge that I could use for sharing seasonal items. The cabinets are an inset, shaker style. Shaker style cabinets usually are made up of a solid door and 4 pieces that are connected so the ‘box’ is flush with the inset cabinetry. The end result is a door that appears recessed.
I was adamant about symmetrical open shelves around the range because the focal point of our kitchen is the beautiful ILVE Nostalgia range.
ILVE 36″ Nostalgie Range | Why we love it!
Traditional European ranges are beautiful and create a focal point for the kitchen. Some luxury brands are pricey. You might spend $10K+ on one of those ranges and that price not always be in budget. ILVE ranges give a classic European style without the over-the-top cost.
Some appliances aren’t negotiable and our ILVE range was one of them. Being drawn to design, I wanted something professional grade that felt luxurious. It’s beautiful, yes? There were so many colors to choose from. I almost went with a this color, but ultimately decided on the Ivory color as it seemed more in line with our European Farmhouse design. We choose brass hardware and these beautiful legs for a vintage look that works perfectly in our new home.
ILVE appearance
The ILVE oven has a glass window on the oven doors. Most European ranges have solid doors. While that may look nice it’s really not functional in my opinion. Opening the door and releasing heat to check on what’s cooking isn’t a good idea.
Special Features
Many models come with a griddle, which can be added to the middle burner. If you like to use a griddle for pancakes, this might be a fun feature to consider.
The ILVE range has a double burner which is helpful with even heat distribution or if you want to boil water quickly. There are nine oven settings including a pizza setting when the heat comes from the bottom of the range to keep the cheese from burning. And finally, there is a convection setting to use when you are roasting veggies or baking cookies.
IIVE ranges are made in Italy. They are not just beautiful but they are also work horses, a dream for any chef/cook. Ours is a 36″ IlVE Nostalgia dual fuel (we use propane) in the color ivory. The range has 5 burners and a sizable oven. There are EIGHT settings to choose from when baking. There are also various heating sources that are discussed in the operator manual. This range is solid! Sometimes you can feel heat coming from an oven when you are cooking. Not the case with an ILVE. Very little, if any heat escapes. In our prior home I had a pull out vertical spice cabinet right next to the oven. Readers would always ask if my spices went bad because they were so close to the range. I’d always answer NO. There was little, if any heat transference. Our 36″ range is the perfect size. It’s large enough that I can have multiple dishes cooking at once without feeling too crowded on top. Honestly, this stove is a dream and because this is or third you know I most really like it!
Now that I have been cooking with the ILVE ranges for almost a decade, I can say I wouldn’t want anything else. Our ILVE has a classic, elegant appearance and also practical. This range is like a piece of jewelry in our kitchen and is definitely the focal point. Stay tuned for a full kitchen tour!
Leslie, I found you while searching for European (both French and Italian) ranges. I was intrigued when you mentioned this is your 3rd ILVE range. Looking through your previous posts, I see that you had a black range before. Just curious how you liked that specific color in your kitchen.
We are looking at creating a Swiss look with white oak and painted cabinets. Which of the ILVE’s you have owned do you think would work nicely with this combination? Also, what is your preference on the size of the range?
Thank you for reading and giving your thoughtful feedback. When making this kind of investment, we want to make sure it works in concert with everything else we are planning. Since this will be our final reno (retiring soon), we want to make the biggest impact while being confident it’s something we will ‘love until the end of time.’
Dawn
Hi Dawn,
Our floors are white oak and cabinets ar painted (custom). As you know, we have the Ivory. I also like the blue color. Both are beautiful. Range size would depend on how much entertaining you do. Four burners seems small if you are preparing a Thanksgiving feast. You might compromise and get the 5 burner?
Good luck with your project. It will be beautiful when completed!
L.
Hi Leslie!
I came across your post and it was great information! We are currently looking at ILVE for our kitchen remodel. I noticed you said this is your 3rd ILVE, and in the last paragraph you mentioned having ILVEs for almost a decade. Why have you had 3? Are you only getting 3-5 years out of them before they need to be replaced? We just want to make sure they will stand a little longer than that with this type of investment.
Thanks so much!
Anne
Hi there! I have moved three times :) and each time we got a new ILVE.
Hi Leslie,
I’m so happy to come across your review as we just started considering this model for our kitchen reno! I have read that some feel the cooling fans that kick on are loud or have weird noises. What is your experience with the Nostalgie fan noise?
Also, is the color technically called Antique White? I am not seeing ivory on their site.
Thank you so much for your help!
Hi Bonnie, Yes there is a fan that goes on after the oven has been on awhile. It’s not a ‘weird’ sound.. just a fan. The purpose is to cool things off. We don’t find it bothersome. I believe our current ILVE is antique white.
What potfiller is this and color?
If you go to the side bar of my blog .. you will see SHOP my home. It’s there!
Thanks
This is a lovely post! Our new home is in renovation at the moment. My fridge is directly beside the range – no cabinet in between. I’d like to go with an ILVE but not sure how to match it with a refrigerator. As they will be side by side I would like them to match. Could you recommend any certain brand? If I did a stainless ILVE then I could match nearly any stainless refrigerator, but I was want to go with a white ILVE with gold accents. Smeg is an option but the handles are stainless, not gold. Any input is appreciated!
I think I’d have to see the whole kitchen. I’m sure it will look beautiful regardless!
Hi Leslie,
So happy to come along this post. I just went and looked at an ILVE at a local appliance store, and they made no mention of the upgraded legs you have on yours. They were pushing hard for me to go with the upgraded Majestic version. How did you get those legs, and why have you stuck with the Nostalgia?
Was dead set on the black, but your kitchen has me thinking hard about the ivory.
Warmly
Jennie
The legs were an option for the range at the time .. I’d ask the company about upgrading the legs. Hope this blog post helps with your decision making. Leslie :)