A temperature controller for electric cooking appliances includes a activating button movably provided on an outer surface and a temperature controller fixed inside an electric cooking appliance. The temperature controller has a shaft and a gear fixed on an end of the shaft. The activating button has a connect member extending in the electric cooking appliance, and a base connected to the connect member, which has a rack formed under an upper wall to engage the gear. The rack has a width at least equal to the linear moving distance of the shaft. Then the activating button is moved rightward and leftward, letting the base with the rack move also so that the gear is rotated by the rack, with the shaft rotating to move forward or backward so as to set the wide range of temperature with many stages to be got for heating the electric cooking appliance.