Maybe it's a regional market thing. I speak from a german POV. But I've seen these things appear in the nearer 'neighborhood', since at least a decade. Also men

Maybe it's a regional market thing. I speak from a german POV. But I've seen these things appear in the nearer 'neighborhood', since at least a decade. Also mentions in mass media. Even the stuff you call 'range' has these options, in addition to turning knobs with fixed settings. I started with a single 'hot-pot' and that was/is accurate. Still keeping that as a spare. I mean, just look at the stuff Ikea is offering, AFAICT they all have it. If accurate I can't tell, but I've heard no complaints from people I know, who do have them. So... shrug?