pulling away from the wall leaves a gap behind. You can keep the range back against the wall and use angle fillers between cab sides and the side of the range at the front. Better yet is to have deeper base cabs elsewhere....or get a slide in,pull it out so the fronts line up and counter material can run behind the range in the gap.

The range is already purchased and the cabinets are in production, so there's no changing either. It's just a question of which is better, the gap at the back, or the recess at the front. It's not to late to get the ends of the cabs in question finished, so that's probably what I'll do. I just wish I could find a picture where someone else has done this.

Gap at the back and perhaps a filler piece.

I don't think you can have the stove recessed or otherwise in a situation where the oven is 'behind' the cabinet front. This might be either a fire danger or code violation.

My 2 cents fwiw: all the many range specs I've reviewed never showed a recessed range. As weedmeister said, this is probably due to fire hazard. Most freestanding gas range sheets (you don't say what range you're getting) have a minimum distance from the wall and still butt out some. I don't know about electric ranges.

When I prep and toss the meat and veggies in the waiting pan it's one single move sideways. I'd probably be the one who, if I had to move forward toward the range, would trip on a corner, open space or countertop surface end and land something on the cooking service other than food.

Flush with cabs sounds better. Also for resale reasons if ever needed. jmho.

This might be a safety issue. My range specifies a minimum distance of 12" to combustibles from the front of the range. Or said differently, cabs on either side of the range can't be in front of the plane of the range box opening unless they're at least 12" to the side. Clear as mud? Anyway, I think this is also code where I live, not just manufacturer's specs.

It's an induction range, but the setup should be "code compliant" for any range that might go there. Catching my hip on the corner was my main concern with recessing it, but the other safety issues are equally valid.

This is one of those details that I thought to be concerned about at one point, and then promptly forgot. Thanks, everyone, for the reality check!

I'll just keep it flush in the front and wait and see if the gap is bothersome. It's only 3". If it is, I'll figure some kind of filler for the back.

If you don't do LWO's shelf idea, why not put in a strip of countertop behind the range, just like you do for a slide-in range?

It's the heat from the oven that's the flammability issue with having the range recessed. Induction is the burners - it doesn't affect this. Consult the range installation specs. Generally they require that cabinets not extend in front of the front of the oven.

The shelf or counter behind the range are great ideas!

I did look at the installation specs, but couldn't this dimension specified. I figured you all could steer me straight. Thanks, again!

Definitely at least continue the countertop material across the gap. Because if you leave it open, you just KNOW it will be a magnet for all things to jump into and be forever lost in the black hole.

We have 24" lower cabinets, pulled forward 6", so have 30" countertops. The cooktop is pulled forward an add'l 3" (as well as adjacent cabinets). Hopefully pictures may help visualize the effect (I think you're fine to pull it forward vs. recessing it).