I often see ovens with their control panel behind the elements, mostly in US American settings, like in the picture below.
Where I live, the controls are always in front of the appliance. It seems unnecessarily dangerous to me that one has to reach over the pots or pans on the stove to regulate the heat.
Is there some historic or technical reason to this?
It's much more difficult for a small child to "play with the controls" and turn the stove elements on in that location.
Having lived with stoves like this for a long time, I've never burned myself reaching for them.
It’s an old or perhaps a better word is classic design - there are some advantages like if you spill something it won’t go all over the controls.
However disadvantages include having to reach over a spitting or steaming pan but it is always down to what you learned on or are used to.
Aside from the major parental control feature, already mentioned, this allows the oven door to extend all the way up, granting a more spacious oven chamber opening for inserting taller things if needed.
Probably too minor to make enough of a difference to most, but sure does look more "dedicated" and potentially a selling feature to some.
On a gas appliance you would have the controls on the front because reaching over flames is a hazard in itself.
On an electric stove, it does not really pose a problem to reach over hot elements if you are careful enough.
At first I thought that it would reduce usage of copper wiring, by keeping all the circuit runs as short as possible.
Having the controls at the back put them close to where the power feed enters, simplifying the design.
While copper is expensive, that's a more recent cost increase. Back in the day copper was cheaper, which is why it was used for pipes and hot water cylinders.
In the USA there are two types of electric range like this: standalone and slide-in. This is a standalone. A standalone has finish metal panels on the sides so it can be located in the open. AFIK standalones always have the controls on the top back and slide-ins have the controls on the front.
The slide in is generally more expensive and is used in higher end kitchens. The lack of a high control panel in the back allows more space for installation of a fancy back-splash behind the range. Also having the controls on the front is reminiscent of the appearance of a traditional high end gas range
We have a slide-in of this type and I find I have to step back and bend my neck to read the writing on the controls to make sure I am operating the burner I wish to. However with a standalone in the event of spattering hot grease (or worse) it does appear that it would be dangerous to reach for the temperature control.
A repairman once told me that the intense heat from the oven when the door is open, damages the control panel if it is in the front just above the oven door. He said its better to have the control panel on top in the back.
