I think it really depends on the stove. On a typical 30 inch gas stove that I used to cook on, I often found that the recommended temps generally matched what a recipe called for. When we renovated and upgraded to a 36 inch stove with more BTUs output, I found that I rarely needed to turn the heat up all the way, and on some of the burners (they are different sizes/outputs) even the lowest setting would produce more heat than I needed. It could also be that my cooking has evolved and I am more conscious of the temps I am cooking at, but there is definitely a difference between appliances.
I am amazed that you get that kind of output on an electric stove. The one that I usually cook on seems to take forever to get to temperature.