Notching the wall would likely look really odd. Have you checked to see whether other brands do not have this clearance problem?

Are you saying you have your stove up against the wall?

Get one that opens the other way?

If your OTR range door won't open, I'll be willing to bet your range is too close to a combustable wall too. Pictures?

The MW should never be jammed right up against a wall. Neither should the range below it. Your design needs to be reconsidered as it likely violates several codes.

I don't really have much of an option on the Kitchen design. I have a Cape on a slab and kitchen is small.

Mr. Pratt:

I suggest you rearrange your cabinets so you have countertop on each side of your stove and the clearances your stove manufacturer requires. You've got a real fire hazard there. And no, putting tile over a combustable wall does not make it non-combustable.

I had a strange directly next to a wall in two previous apartments. It certainly isn't ideal but you will adapt. I didn't have any real issues aside from having to jigsaw puzzle the handles if cooking a few pots at the same time. It isn't ideal but in NYC space is at a premium. Also, put an easy backsplash material on that wall to help with the spill/splatter cleanup.

Options in this scenario would be a 24" range, a smaller sink base cabinet so that you can put in a six inch space next to the wall. When you are space constrained, you can't have normal sized appliances.

Agree, homepro, but there's no 24" OTR MW these days, so it doesn't fix that. He still needs the same space above, and the MW should be centered over the range so that means a 3" overlap on each side.

Writersblock,

I would use a hood in this situation and consider a compact space saver GE or Sharp microwave between the range and the sink. Maybe the space saver can go near the fridge which is not shown in this design.

What about knocking out the wall completely next to the oven?

Not an option. Then it will be open to the hallway.

TADAAH!!

You've still got a fire hazard. No way should that gas flame be that close to that combustable wall. You must reconnoiter your existing countertops, cabinets, upper and lower, to eliminate this.

You really do need to figure out how to cover that wall with something that is non-flammable or can you switch to an induction range?

Even an induction range will require clearance of at least 3" from a combustible surface.

Just saw this on This Old House... but maybe it's brick or stone alongside the range?

People have had stoves smack against walls for a long time. More dangerous than having space? Probably. Guaranteed disaster? Nah.

amyfgib:

It's still bad design. Where do your pot handles go?

"People have had stoves smack against walls for a long time. More dangerous than having space? Probably. Guaranteed disaster? Nah."

If you want to self-immoliate, have at it. Unfortunately people with this fire hazard usually have children.

Not an option. Then it will be open to the hallway.

I'd rather be open to the hallway than have this fire hazard.

I believe this is the current version of the range in question, now with continuous grates:

This is cut and paste from the installation manual. This is accompanied by a diagram which indicates that the 2"is not from the side of the oven body below cooktop height it is from the upper corner of the cooktop (or countertop height) to a wall or cabinet which extends higher than the cooktop or countertop. If that slot he made is 2" deep and 24" up, he may be meeting the appliance specifications which are what international residential code requires. Local codes may be more stringent. (However I think the lip of wall sticking up a bit past the top of the stove violates this 2" rule)

If the wall were covered with Durock rather than Drywall that would be an acceptable non combustible covering according to the specs for placing this behind wood burning stoves. Then the Durock could be covered with stainless or tiled.

L. 2" (5.1 cm) min. clearance from both
sides of range to side wall or other combustible material.

Steel studs and cement board.

I really think that reframing the wall with steel studs wouldn't be necessary if you look at the website for Durock cement board and its use with wood burning and solid fuel stoves for heating.

If you have Durock with tile or metal over it, the surface metal or tile and Durock would have to ignite, and it would have to get hot enough to make the studs underneath combust.

If this happened the kitchen cabinets would already be on fire. If studs were spontaneously combusting under a non flammable surface that was at a location approved by the specs, I think there would be bigger problems going on.

The range requires L. 2" (5.1 cm) min. clearance from both sides of range to side wall or other combustible material. If he has that, anything else is added protection.

I don't know if it's the same range, but this one requires 3". It's a moot point because he has neither.