Maybe this is specific to the stove they have though. I have and will continue to use gas because of this.
I use a 50s-era GM Frigidaire electric stove+oven and it doesn't modulate current to control temperature. It's quite a gas-like pleasure to cook with, prior to this I'd only ever experienced electrics like you're describing and they're awful.
And this is modulation of current - think of it as a very slow PWM.
But I must admit I have not disassembled the thing to understand its workings.
I don't even bother with heavy copper-clad pots and pans anymore, which were necessary before. This thing behaves like a gas stove.
So it's the heating element thermal inertia that differs, to smooth out the temperature?
Edit:
Looking at [0], what you're describing seems to be known as an "infinite switch".
That's not what the old stoves like mine has, this is just a rotary switch with 5 selectable presets. I assume it's changing the resistance.
Worth noting is also the even older Kalgoorlie [1] style stove, which changed the number of heating elements connected to regulate temperature.
This repair guide [2] describes both infinite and rotary switch controls on a high-level:
When the heating element is on, the heater inside the switch is on. The bimetal heats
(along with the element) until the contacts open. Then the bimetal cools (along with
the elements) until the contacts close again.
There are also fixed-temperature switches that vary the voltage going to the heating
elements to maintain fixed, pre-set temperatures. These are usually push-button or
rotary switches with fixed settings such as warm, low, medium and high.
In fixed-temperature switch controls, heat levels are varied by applying different
voltages (110V or 220V) to different coils of different resistances.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_stove#Kalgoorlie_Stov...
> I assume it's changing the resistance.
This isn’t feasible since you would need a resistor that was as big as the burner and essentially dropped as much heat as a stove element - for instance you would need a dummy load to dump as much waste heat as the burner itself to get a medium setting. In theory one could use a variac or multitap transformer - but again those would be relatively huge and heavy for the currents involved.
My parents have a different brand induction which does seem to have longer pulse cycles - maybe one every 5s or so. That is probably the effect you're describing - it'll go from essentially off to too hot and back. It's obviously a manufacture specific thing.
The GP was praising an induction hob, which is the third type.
Induction are very different from radiant electric and require cookware of particular materials. They are amazing in some respects and limited in others.
From a glance though both have smooth glassy surfaces that look modern.
The cheapest option apparently called a solid plate hob in Britain. Those coils are inside a ceramic (I think) plate. The cheapest ones cost about £80. They're difficult to damage, so you find them in the cheapest rented apartments (students etc): https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/household-appliances/cooking/h...
"Ceramic" hobs refers to the one with heating elements below glass/ceramic. Starts from £110, but it's a bit easier to damage. Many rented homes would have this, since it looks fancy and clean.: https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/household-appliances/cooking/h...
Induction hobs start at £180: https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/household-appliances/cooking/h...
Most ordinary (cheap or expensive) cookware sold in Europe is compatible with an induction hob, but not necessarily everything.