The story
From simmer + -stat, modelled on thermostat.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Today it means: An electrical control device that turns a heating element such as a stove, hotplate or grill on and off in a user-selectable duty cycle: for example, five of every 20 seconds. Full definition →
From simmer + -stat, modelled on thermostat.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.