Portable wood smoker

A portable wood smoker for smoking an item, the portable wood smoker comprising:

• a receptacle having a side wall and a base wall that together define an inner space of the receptacle, the inner space having a rectangular cross-section and configured to accommodate wood material, the inner space accessible via a major opening in the receptacle, the major opening configured to receive the wood material therethrough, and the receptacle further having a side opening formed in the side wall;
• a lid removably disposed on the receptacle, the lid covering the major opening but not covering the side opening, and the lid having at least one hole configured to allow smoke to escape or ventilate the inner space;
• a base compartment removably receiving the base wall of the receptacle so that the receptacle is nested with the base compartment;
• a heating element having an elongate body removably disposed in and along a length of the inner space through the side opening of the receptacle, the heating element having a heating portion configured to generate heat when electrically powered;
• a control instrument electrically coupled with the heating element for controlling a temperature of the heating element, the control instrument having a timer to control a time of heating process;
• and
• a heat spreader removably disposed on an end of the elongate body of the heating portion of the heating element, the heat spreader having a receiving body disposed between a pair of planar flanges adapted to heat the wood material and generate smoke, the receiving body removably receiving the end of the elongate body of the heating portion,
• wherein the heating element and the heat spreader are together configured to heat the wood material to generate smoke for smoking the item where the heating element is electrically powered by the control instrument, and
• wherein the portable wood smoker is not disposed within a grill.