Stuck on which gas cooktop works in your space during a kitchen renovation? It’s a common question, especially when you’re weighing up different sizes and features. Most renovators pause over width, heat output, and fuel type before they order.
Our team at Blue Olive takes calls like yours every week. We’ve supplied gas ovens, cooktops, and range hoods to Brisbane homes since 2005, so the answers our customers ask for most now sit in one guide.
By the end, you’ll know how to measure for a proper fit, choose safer features, and avoid a surprise conversion kit bill. Along the way, we’ll cover burner types, your gas supply options, induction, Queensland installation rules, and finishes.
Why Bench Space Decides Your Gas Cooktop Size
Your new cooktop has to fit the existing gap and still leave room to prep. Across Australia, most models come in three standard widths.
Here’s how each width lines up with a different household and kitchen benchtop.
- Compact 60cm Cooktops: If you live in an apartment or cook for two, a 60cm model will give you four burners in a tidy footprint. The compact frame leaves more counter space free for chopping.
- Mid-Size 70cm Cooktops: A typical 70cm model keeps four or five burners with more space between them. The wider spacing lets big pots and pans sit side by side on a hectic school night.
- Wide 90cm Cooktops: Christmas lunch for 12 is the real test for a 90cm model. Five cooking zones handle gravy, veggies, and roast potatoes at once, and most 90cm models add a dedicated wok burner. Wider cabinet openings may need a carpenter, so budget for the labour early.
Whichever width you pick, measure the cutout itself before you shop, since the old cooktop’s trim often sits wider than the hole beneath. The correct measurement lets your new model slide straight in without any recutting.
Ultimately, a proper fit avoids a second trade visit and keeps renovating costs on track.
Which Cooktop Features Do Busy Family Kitchens Need?
Family kitchens need burner sizes for both searing and simmering, plus safety features that make the knobs harder for toddlers to turn. On the hardware side, Blue Olive gas cooktops come with a wok cradle and heavy-duty cast iron trivets as standard. Both extras arrive in the box, so you won’t pay for add-on accessories later.
The next two sections cover each need in turn, starting with the burners you’ll cook on every night.
Wok, Rapid, and Simmer Burners for Different Cooking Jobs
Each burner size handles a different job, so matching the power to the dish saves time at dinner. The wok burner delivers the most concentrated heat, perfect for stir-fries, seared steak, and takeaway-style fried rice at home.
For everyday meals, rapid and semi-rapid rings give instant heat for frying eggs, browning mince, or boiling pasta. At the gentle end, the simmer burner holds a low, steady flame for sauces, curries, and a slow Sunday bolognese.
Even on the lowest setting, a larger ring can still scorch a thick sauce. So a gas cooktop with all three sizes lets you create delicious meals without shuffling pans mid-recipe.
Safety Features That Protect Homes with Young Kids
Modern safety features cut the gas supply automatically if a pot boils over and snuffs out the flame. A flame failure device handles the shut-off with a small heat sensor called a thermocouple. As the sensor cools, the valve snaps shut and stops gas from building up in a closed kitchen.
Electronic ignition also lights each ring with one push-and-turn motion, so matches can stay in the drawer. For extra safety in homes with toddlers, check where the knobs sit on the cooktop and whether the model offers child locks.
Quick Note: Queensland’s advice on using natural gas and LPG safely suggests looking for a national gas device approval badge. So before you buy, confirm the cooktop carries the required approval mark.
Natural Gas and Bottled Gas Options for Brisbane Homes
A quick walk around your home will show which gas supply you have. A metre near the front of the house means natural gas, which travels through underground mains in suburbs like Carindale, Bulimba, and Indooroopilly.
Two cylinders by a side wall, with no metre in sight, point to bottled gas, also known as LPG. Keep each cylinder upright and out of direct sun, in line with Queensland’s gas cylinder safety advice.
Because LPG in Australia is mostly propane, the propane vs natural gas debate you’ve seen online covers the same choice. Many gas cooktops come from the factory ready for mains supply and include a conversion kit for bottled supply.
We’ve had more than a few customers on LPG discover the kit missing on installation day, so check the box before your gasfitter arrives.
Induction Cooktops vs Gas: Which Suits Your Cooking Style and Power Bill?
Gas appeals to cooks who love a visible flame and wok cooking. Induction fits households that want precise temperature control and faster boiling.
Four differences stand out across heat control, cookware, outages, and running costs:
| Feature | Gas Cooktop | Induction Cooktop |
| Heat control | Instant heat you can see and adjust by eye. | Exact settings through numbered power levels |
| Cookware | Works with woks, aluminium, copper, and cast iron | Needs magnetic cookware, like cast iron or most stainless steel |
| Power outages | Many models light with a match, so check your manual | Stops working until electricity returns |
| Running costs | Tied to your gas or LPG price | Tied to your electricity tariff |
Induction cooktops are more energy efficient because they heat the pan directly, though your bill will still depend on local tariffs. Meanwhile, gas holds its ground for wok cooking, where a curved pan needs flame around its sides.
If you plan to switch to induction, test your pans with a fridge magnet. Induction works with cookware containing magnetic material, so pans that don’t attract a magnet may need replacing.
And because induction runs on electricity, it can affect your installation budget. You may also need an electrician to install a dedicated circuit, depending on the cooktop and your home’s existing electrical setup. Factor that work into your budget.
However, if gas stays your pick, the next step will be working out how close the new cooktop can sit to your cabinets.
How Close Can a Gas Cooktop Sit to Your Kitchen Cabinets in Queensland?
Your gas cooktop needs a minimum gap from overhead kitchen cabinets and the range hood. The manufacturer should list these distances in the installation manual, and figures change between models.
Those clearances also apply to side walls and nearby cupboard doors made from timber, laminate, or other combustible materials. Your carpenter should see the manual before building new cabinetry for the kitchen renovation.
Plenty of homeowners tackle their own painting and tiling, but Queensland law requires a licensed gasfitter for all gas work. Any gasfitter you hire should appear on the state’s public register of gas work licence holders.
Once the installation is complete, ask the gasfitter for a gas compliance certificate, since insurers and future buyers may want to see the paperwork.
And if finding a gasfitter feels like one more job on your list, Blue Olive’s licensed installers will handle the connection and recycle your old cooktop.
Stainless Steel or Glass Cooktops and Where to Place Them
Stainless steel and glass differ in durability, cleaning time, and height above the bench. Durability, cleaning, and appliance matching will guide your choice between stainless steel and glass:
- Durable Stainless Steel Finish: Stainless steel suits households that cook every night, since the surface takes high heat and knocks from heavy pans without cracking. Fingerprints and water spots show easily, so keep a microfibre cloth near the stove.
- Sleek Glass Finish: Glass sits almost flush with the benchtop, so the surface wipes clean in seconds and keeps a minimalist kitchen looking uncluttered. A dropped cast iron pot can chip the glass, so set cookware down gently.
- Coordinated Oven Finish: When the oven and cooktop share one finish, the front of your kitchen looks like a matching set. Shades of stainless steel and black glass vary between brands, so a single supplier for the oven and cooktop avoids mismatched tones.
- Matching Range Hood: A hood in the same stainless steel or black glass carries the match up to the ceiling. The range hood size should match or exceed the cooktop width so steam and smoke from every burner stay off your cabinets.
Stainless steel outlasts glass under heavy daily use, while glass suits lighter cooks who want a flat, uncluttered bench.
As for placement, we usually suggest putting the cooktop between the sink and fridge, so rinsing, cooking, and plating stay a few steps apart. Most kitchen layout plans can fit a clear stretch of bench beside the cooktop, so hot pans have a safe resting spot.
Ready to Start Your Kitchen Renovation with the Right Cooktop?
You’re ready once you’ve measured your bench space, picked your burner and safety features, and confirmed your gas supply. Long story short, those three checks prevent the refits we see most often during a remodel.
A well-chosen cooktop also means fewer workarounds at every meal after move-in day.
With a size in mind, browse our gas cooktop range to compare finishes that match your new cabinets. If you need help narrowing down the options, the Blue Olive team can recommend models that suit your space and budget.