Plugmold is the way to go

{{!gwi}}

I completely agree with deeageux, but there are many who do not. Perhaps not on this forum, but among your contractors? At least mine all acted as if I were installing an open pit outhouse. I actually love mine and wish I had fewer outlets. I ended up putting in many of both (long story).

Check with your city. Mine has codes about it all. In some places plugmold is disallowed. In others spacing is very tightly specified in terms of distance to corners, from water sources, etc, etc. An electrician who works with inspectors regularly will be your best source for this information if you're in a highly regulated locale.

Some people have placed plugmold on an angled strip of wood to great effect - something to think about.

how far apart?

The model code (upon which nearly all local codes are based) specifies that no spot on a counter run can be more than 2' from an outlet. Thus, you can figure that the outlets may be at most 4' apart. There are other subtleties, and, as Aliris suggests, a licensed electrician and/or your code inspector is your best bet for this info.

The codes don't specify how high. If you are thinking about this ahead of time, you can avoid messing up the tile pattern on your backsplash.

Something to consider, don't put two outlets near each other that are on the same circuit breaker. Otherwise, you might overload the CB when cooking waffles in the waffle iron while cooking pancakes on the electric griddle.

Too many outlets too close together is the problem I see with plugmolds.

Bill