From my sales experience its a pretty solid piece. The gas oven part isn't too big of a deal because they have convection ovens and that gets rid of most of the small temperature variances in gas ovens.

Safety-wise they use a thermo-couple system which means you have to hold the knob in for 7-10 seconds before the burners or oven ignite so your children should be unable to get this thing to light. The oven door does get hotter than some of the more expensive brands so just be careful when using the oven for long periods.

The 48" has a fairly small main oven. Should be ok for an average sized turkey. but get one of those 25Lb ones my grandmother made and I'm pretty sure it's not going in.

I posted further down about the Bertazzoni myself, or whether I would like an ILVE Majestic. Bertazzoni has a new 36" dual fuel in the Professional series. The Heritage series will have dual fuel in the spring in a 36" and the fall in a 48". It has self-clean ovens which is a plus. In looking at a live model, I did not find the oven door to be hot, but the oven was only in use while I was there for about an hour. It was a solid piece of equipment though and it appeared it would be easy to clean. I personally felt the oven size was sufficient, but then I don't often cook a 25lb turkey. Not sure where you live, but close to where I live there are a couple of places that have live units that you can test. You can just call ahead and tell them you want to try them out. One lady came and cooked breakfast, lunch & dinner at three different times to try out an AGA. I am personally leaning toward the ILVE.

Thanks for the information. I haven't heard of ILVE Majestic. Bertazzoni has been difficult for us to find in a showroom. We are found a showroom about an hour away from us. Our appointment is Saturday:)

ILVE is an Italian brand being imported by EuroChef USA. You can call them to find out where you can see one on display at 866-844-6566.

It's really beautiful and built well - I saw them in London and at a kitchen show in Chicago. It's dual fuel and the larger models are all customized.

Here are my answers:
1. I love the cooktop, the different BTU burners, the double-burner also doubling as the low-BTU burner (using just the center burner). I like the oven, too, but mine seems to run low. I just posted on the other Bertazzoni thread (Bertazzoni Thread #3) asking if people thought I needed to have it calibrated.
2. I'm not sure there's much difference, other than to be sure it lights, so you don't have gas escaping that isn't being burned up by the flame. Or maybe "don't let Sylvia Plath in your kitchen"? (Sorry.)
3. I don't have kids, so another owner would probably give you a more informed answer. But I do know that if, say, a pot boils over and douses the flame, the gas on the burners is supposed to also cut off. Also, there's a protective guard that can be installed across the front; most people don't use it, but it can keep you from leaning into the knobs and igniting the gas. Beyond that, it takes a few seconds of holding in the knobs to start the burners or oven, so the likelihood of a kid doing it accidentally or even just experimentally are minimized.
4. I have the 24" model, so you can imagine what trade-offs I have to make! But I haven't found it any smaller than the previous 24" oven I had in that same space.
5. Personally, I think you have to fall in love with the craftsmanship and the look of it, and be willing to get used to how to operate it to enjoy it. Having said that, I find I have far more control over the burner heat than with any other gas range I've used. And, once I get the oven temp thing figured out better, I'm sure I'll be loving that, too.