I also have an electric stove and have always put a pan of cold water on the hot burner when I'm done. Ever since we got that awful thing I have been scared to death that one og them will jump down on it. They do seem to know it's hot while I'm cooking and stay away and just watch.

As for keeping them off the counter, no, I fail at trying to control anything they do. They know they can get away with anything around me. Heck, they even come and eat right off my plate and I let them, lol! But it's a different story with my husband. If they are on the counter when he walks into the kitchen they panic and jump right down...usually sending whatever is in there way to the floor with them, loll! They know he will whap them them if they dont. And when that happens, they always run to me for kisses.