Even just 12 inches of counter space both sides of the stove would be prefered by me. While spec allowed, I can't imagine the stove burners functioning well by having no space (or just 3 inches) between the stove and the wall on one side.

The burners would be fine with the manufacturer's minimum clearance to the side wall. The real issue is being able to swing the pot handles around to the side. I've managed with just 9" of clearance but the 12" we have now works much better.

Is there anywhere else in the kitchen to put your range? Switch it with something else? It would help if we saw a layout of the whole space...

If you want an opinion just from what you described, I would go with the 2-12" cabinets. They can be used for tray cabinets or you can install pullouts and use them as pullout cabinets...you'd be surprised what can fit in one. We will have 2-9" base cabinets on either side of our cooktop that we plan to use as one tray cabinet and one pullout.

I have had a stove with a wall beside it for the past 27 years and that is one of several reasons I pushed DH to go ahead with a reno. I can't tell you how much I loathe the fact that the wall is right there. Now that we have decided to renovate, I have in moments of frustration twice punched the wall with a pot or spoon handle because I no longer need to take care. My wall is to the right of the stove. I am right handed. Stirring anything on the burners on the right of the stove is a pain, pots with handles have to be positioned in an awkward way for me. And little splashes from cooking are always happening on the wall and I have been thinking for 27 years how much easier it is to wipe a counter clean than the wall. If presented with your options I would choose the 12 inch cabinets. If you wanted a slightly larger cab, maybe a nine inch cab on one side and a 15 on the other and use the nine inch for storage of trays and baking pans? Currently I have a 15 inch lower cab on the left of my stove, a small corner cab, 24 inch under the sink and nothing else for lower cabs (another reason for lusting after my reno). If you work with a stove against the wall and think you can live with it maybe that would be OK but how you feel now and how you will feel a few years down the road may be different. I was certainly more patient 20 years ago than now. I am not sure when the loathing of the "wall by the stove" began but I would say somewhere around the 5 year mark of living with the thing.

I hope that my contractor is going to let me punch some real serious holes on that darn wall since it is coming out in our reno, I hate it that much. My stove is being moved to a different wall and will be completely open on both sides with the nearest wall about 4 feet away, I rejected all the other design options presented for my kitchen because I just HATE that wall sooooo much.

I wish you well in making your decision but I think it will come down to what you think you can live with unless your local building codes will have any impact.

Oh, I should have mentioned that our cooktop is in the middle of a run so no walls nearby. I just mentioned my cooktop b/c of the rather narrow cabinets on either side and how we're going to make them useful.

Alku05 has even narrower cabinets (6"), but again, not against a wall. [Alku05 has everything! She (and her kitchen) is such a help to the rest of us! Thanks Alku!]

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread: Rev-A-Shelf Spice Racks for Fillers -- Have you seen these!!!!

I agree wholeheartedly with teapotter. My wall was to the left of the stove and I never could effectively use the left burners (I'm right-handed) without standing sideways. I hated that wall.