Moving to a Home with a Gas Stove

We had a gas stove when we moved into our current home. As long as you have the proper electrical outlet behind the stove, you can cap the gas off and go with electric just as we did. Most homes built now days have the capability for both when they're built.

I would just go to babies r us and buy the knob covers. I had electric stove in my last house and have had gas in my current house for the last 2 years and LOVE gas, wouldn't go back to electric. It heats up faster & cools down faster. I have a newborn and also have a 15 month old niece who is constantly at my home and have no issues with the stove.

I think you are going to be fine with a gas stove. I have one and have never had an issue with my 3 year old. You can always buy the covers for the knobs, and mine you have to push down and turn to get the gas on. In addition kids are very visual if they see fire they are less likely to touch but an electric top they can not visually see if it is hot (normally). I love my gas top it cooks so much better than electric and would not trade it for the world.

You'll need a 220 V plug (normal household plugs are 110). It's possible there's already one there - if not, then you'll need an electrician to add that. They do make shields that you can put on your range so that the child can't reach if that's your safety concern. If you are concerned about the chemicals that are produced when using a gas stove, then just make sure and keep a window in the kitchen cracked open and the fan running when you cook. Also, since you likely will have other gas appliances - furnace and hot water heater, I would recommend that you get a CO2 detector.

Cooking with gas is so much better! I would try it out and if you don't like it, then get rid of it. I've never known anyone to have liked an electric top better than a gas top.

As for safety, if you turn the stove on & don't lite it and then forget to turn it off for some reason then that would be dangerous...although, I think that some smoke detectors are also gas detectors and will alarm if you leave the gas on. Otherwise, you could get a gas detector. As with any stove top (especially if the nobs are on the front side), you may choose to take take the nobs off when you are not using it.

You would have to get an electrician to check it out to see how expensive it would be , but yes you could replace it, but I had a gas stove with my children growing up, an the knoobs were not within their reach, but if they had been able to turn them on, they automatically light, so no raw gas would be excaping. If you don't leave someing thing on a burner, in case one did get turned on there shouldnt be a problem. And a toddler shouldn't be able to reach the turn on knobs, so I really don't think you need to worry.