▁first ▁practical ▁design ▁was ▁pat ented ▁by ▁the ▁Australian ▁David ▁Cur le ▁Smith ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 5 . ▁His ▁device ▁adopted ▁( follow ing ▁the ▁design ▁of ▁gas ▁st ov es ) ▁what ▁later ▁became ▁the ▁configuration ▁for ▁most ▁electric ▁st ov es : ▁an ▁o ven ▁sur mount ed ▁by ▁a ▁hot plate ▁with ▁a ▁gr ill ▁t ray ▁between ▁them . ▁Cur le ▁Smith ' s ▁st ove ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁a ▁therm ost at ; ▁heat ▁was ▁controlled ▁by ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁the ▁app liance ' s ▁nine ▁elements ▁that ▁were ▁switched ▁on . ▁▁▁▁▁ ▁The ▁first ▁electric ▁st ov es ▁used ▁he ating ▁elements ▁made ▁of ▁high - res istance ▁metal ▁to ▁produce ▁heat . ▁The ▁st ov et op ▁( range ) ▁surface ▁had ▁one ▁or ▁more ▁circular ▁he ating ▁elements , ▁ins ulated ▁with ▁com pressed ▁mag nes ia ▁and ▁she athed ▁in ▁a ▁spir al ▁metal ▁t ube . ▁He ating ▁elements ▁for ▁the ▁o ven ▁are ▁of ▁similar ▁construction ▁but ▁an ▁el ong ated ▁loop ▁to ▁dist ribute ▁heat . ▁Element s ▁were ▁made ▁as ▁plug - in ▁consumer - replace able ▁parts ▁and ▁could ▁also ▁be ▁easily ▁removed ▁for ▁clean ing . ▁Tem per ature ▁of ▁cook ing ▁elements ▁was ▁reg ulated ▁by ▁adjust ing ▁a ▁b imet al ▁therm ost at ▁control ▁switch , ▁which ▁switched ▁power ▁on ▁and ▁off ▁to ▁control ▁the ▁average ▁he ating ▁effect ▁of ▁the ▁elements . ▁ ▁Other ▁techn ologies ▁ ▁A ▁high - end ▁gas