Switching on & off of a modern electric stovetop

[Melbourne]

@Deeg

but why not use some sort of PWM control for the heat? It can’t be that much more expensive to implement, can it?

Cheaper normally, but not as physically robust.
I’ve specified both high-current thermostats and high-current FETs, and the bimetal thermostats don’t demonstrate avalanche breakdown at blocking voltages.