Caulk will just get gross. Are you sure that you aren’t missing a trim piece?

The trim piece that comes with this seems to be made to go 1+ inches the the wall. I don’t have one but looking at it it does not seem to me like it would fit. Also would love not to have to slide this back out... it’s a tight fit.

What brand and model range is this?

It’s a Samsung NE58H9970WS. We kept it because we like it so much and it is discontinued but I guess we should have planned a counter strip behind to come out from the backsplash by 1/2”

I could possibly just get some 1/4” aluminum trim and use some adhesive to stick it back there... https://www.orangealuminum.com/angles-oa9233-8m-1.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5fn6_7yP7gIVyhitBh2DiQbAEAQYAiABEgLv8_D_BwE

According to the installation manual page 5, you are to either (a) have 1" minimum of countertop behind the range OR (b) use the rear filler kit if there is no countertop (i.e., there is a "freestanding cutout").

"CAUTION You must use the rear filler kit to install the range in a freestanding cutout cabinet. For more information, see “Optional rear filler kit” as shown below."

You have a freestanding cutout so you need to attach the filler kit (which might also hide the gap).

Yeah it would lip the countertop by 1/2” if it was there. Thanks. I may get the filler kit and see if it will work. The 2cm quartz backsplash has the effect of filling most of the gap so the trick is to get something under it in the back that looks good or is unseen.

That large a burner that close to engineered stone is a scorch mark waiting to happen.

We don’t use any large pots/pans back there. Those are the small back burners. The cooktop doesn’t get hot itself. But one idea wild be to ask the countertop fabricator to glue in a small piece to allow the range to lip it and move it back another 1/4” to 1/2”.

Beware moving it back beyond what the specs allow. You will end up with both a scorched quartz backsplash, and scorched wood cabinets. The heat dissipation depends on it being installed correctly, per the manual.

Yes, well it is within spec in terms of the space behind it. That backsplash comes off the wall by close to an inch and the top is designed to operlap the counter behind it by 1/2”.

Hmmm. In the photo the range appears to be push up against the backsplash -- no minimum 1" countertop space at the rear -- and I don't see the filler kit which is otherwise required.

Yes according to spec it would be pulled back perhaps 1/2” with 1/2” counter behind it. The 1” of minimum countertop would be lipped by the range by 1/2”. However the backsplash here is also thicker than a tile splash so it is off the back wall below the top by more than it looks.

The spacing to the rear is affected by your thicker splash. It has to move forward to maintain the same distance called for in the manuals.

Got it so I think the best solution will actually be to have the countertop fabricator glue in the missing counter piece to the bottom of the backsplash then the range can be pulled forward a little to give it the space and the gap will be filled.