When working on power supply and output electronics, our top bench man uses a mains light bulb, in a socket wired in series with the input power which will allow voltage to build up, but absorb any over-current before something goes "snap". If the device cycles rather than powers on directly, select a bulb of higher wattage.
I've also observed a variac in use. It is a useful tool for AC powered equipment in series with the bulb. One keeps an eye on the current meter and brings up the supply slowly, watching for spikes. Not all high-current devices will abide this method, however, particularly circuits that utilize a power on reset cycle.
For some equipment, I am told there are published resistance checks for many power rail circuits that allow a tech to look for trouble before powering anything on, potentially avoiding the snap, crackle, but perhaps not the odd flying pellet's pop.