A smoker with a smoke on demand system includes a wood chunk or wood chip enclosure with a wood heating element, a wood temperature sensor, and a controller. In response to the sensed wood temperature, the controller causes the wood heating element to maintain the wood chunks or wood chips within a target temperature range above which the wood chunks or wood chips can sustain combustion without added heat. The actual temperature can also be maintained by timed sequences based on the cold mass and species of the wood.
