Electric grill and smoking device

A cooking apparatus comprising at least one electric heating element;

• a cooking surface above the heating element, the cooking surface absorbing energy from the heating element and reemitting the absorbed energy to heat food;
• a reflective surface below the electric heating element having a contour configured to reflect heat radiating downward from the at least one electric heating element back toward the cooking surface;
• a lower housing spaced apart from the reflective surface to define an insulating space between the reflective surface and the lower housing;
• an air passage tube traversing through the lower housing, the insulative layer, and the reflective layer but terminating below the cooking surface to allow air flow from below the lower housing to the first electric heating element;
• a restrictor cover attached to a top of the air passage tube between the reflective layer and the cooking surface that limits air flow through the air passage tube above the reflective surface toward the cooking surface;
• wherein the reflective surface and the lower housing define first and second spaced apart and aligned openings, respectively;
• wherein the reflective surface and the lower housing define no other air passages into the insulating layer apart from the first and second aligned openings;
• and
• wherein the air passage tube passes through the first and second aligned openings.

A cooking apparatus comprising:

• a cooking chamber defined by a double walled lid and sidewall, the cooking chamber situated over a cooking surface and an adjacent smoker box;
• a first electric heating element below the cooking surface that heats the cooking surface;
• a reflective surface below the first electric heating element that reflects radiant heat from the first electric heating element upward toward the cooking surface;
• a heat insulator below the reflective surface;
• an air passage tube traversing through the reflective surface and the heat insulator but terminating below the cooking surface to allow air flow from below the heat insulator to a space between the reflective surface and the cooking surface;
• a restrictor proximate a top of the air passage tube situated to move air from the air passage tube away from sides of the air passage tube and to limit the air flow from below the heat insulator to the space between the reflective surface and the cooking surface;
• and
• a second electric heating element that heats the smoker box to produce smoke from smoking media in the smoker box, the smoke escaping the smoker box from a top thereof into the cooking chamber.