My usual electric strings are D'Adds 11s but I've played 12s as well.. just a bit harder to bend. I do love Dean Markley Blue Steel though and will probably switch to them after my D'Adds box is empty.
On acoustic, 12s do but I've yet to find a brand that just "speaks" to me. Will take any suggestions. I've tried coated strings only to ask 'where's the beef (sound)'. I had kept notes on different brands some years back but I lost them in moving. So many different combinations you need to be an alchemist.
Beginners should use as light a gauge as they can get. Tone should be secondary to playability at that stage. If the guitar isn't playable, it will collect dust. When you feel as if your E and B strings are bakery string its time to move up.