Just put the toaster behind an additional switch? Extension coords with switches (either one for the whole strip or one switch per plug) are readily available. And the biggest heat generators (stovetop and and oven) can typically not be unplugged so clearly heating elements can be made relatively safe.
Sure but that's not really what people want in their homes. Switched appliance circuits were never a thing in the USA likely because it's not hard to pull a plug that's literally staring you in the face. So pragmatically it just evolved this way and honestly it's not a big deal.
