Electric food smoker

Abstract

An electric food smoker includes a heating element that provides a main source of heat and a separate smoke element that is controlled independently from the heating element and provides heat to a wood chip box. Separate control of the heating element and the smoke element allows providing a cold smoke cycle for the food smoker. A hot smoke cycle provides independent control of the heating element and the smoke element according to a hot smoke program. A fast smoke cycle allows adding more smoke during any existing cycle.

1 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A method for smoking food comprising:
 providing a food smoker comprising:
 a first heating element; 
 a second heating element; and 
 a controller that independently controls the first heating element and the second heating element by turning the first heating element on and off independently of the state of the second heating element and by turning the second heating element on and off independently of the state of the first heating element according to a plurality of programs stored in a memory; 
   selecting one of a plurality of programs, wherein the plurality of programs includes:
 a hot smoke program that allows smoking food at a first temperature specified by a user within a first temperature range; 
 a cold smoke program that allows smoking food at a second temperature specified by a user within a second temperature range that is lower than the first temperature range; and 
 a fast smoke program that runs simultaneously with a currently-running hot smoke program or a currently-running cold smoke program; 
 the selected program independently controlling the first heating element and the second heating element to smoke the food. 
   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein, when the hot smoke program is selected and run, the controller cycles the first heating element on and off based on first specified times in the hot smoke program, and cycles the second heating element on and off based on second specified times in the hot smoke program that are different than the first specified times. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein, when the cold smoke program is selected and run, as long as temperature of a cooking chamber in the food smoker is within a specified difference from the second temperature, the cold smoke program turns on the second heating element for a specified time period and does not turn on the first heating element during the specified time period to maintain the second temperature. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising a user specifying time and temperature that apply to a selected one of the plurality of programs using a display and a plurality of keys on the controller. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising a user specifying time and temperature that apply to the selected one of the plurality of programs using a handheld electronic device that communicates over a wireless interface with the controller.