mains switching regulator with voltage knob

first off, i hope this is posted under the correct topic. i thought it best fit under "gadgets."

im trying to make an electric hookah and my current plan involves the use of the heating element from a car cigarette lighter. i figure if its hot enough to light a cigarette it should be perfect for flavored tobacco. the problem is that it would require an enormous amount of batteries to get to about 10 amps and 12 volts, so im thinking mains is the only way to go. i know that if i give it direct 120 AC then its going to melt in a couple seconds, so i need to regulate the voltage.

i know very little about electrical equipment and components but i have a pretty good understanding of electricity, ive tinkered with a couple computer PSUs before.

i think that a switching regulator would be the way to go, because ill want to step down the voltage pretty significantly and anything else would just get too hot. ive been reading some wiki articles and searching for the component from retailers but cant really find something that would do this. there are a lot for low voltage DC to DC applications and i think the mains voltage would fry them. i would really like to get something with an adjustment knob because i have no idea what voltage i need for the heating element to be the correct temperature. does anyone know where i could find something like that, or possibly a better name for what im looking for than "mains switching regulator with voltage knob"?

if i have any of these principles wrong please correct me, and if you have an idea you think would work better i would also appreciate that feedback.
thanks.

 

First and foremost, a cigarrette lighter has a very small comparative diameter to even shredded or packed form of tobacco, you'd have to replenish it quite often. You could use a lowend PC PSU with a 15 or 20A rail(going by your statement of 10A) but I'd rather go traditional with the coal. JMO

 

oh no im not going to be using it like that. ive removed the heating element (a metal coil) from the lighter, i plan to stretch it out into about a 10 inch spiral and have the outside air enter at one end, pass through the spiral and then go to the tobacco, should have plenty of surface area to ensure a good temperature.

i dont want to have to use a PSU as they are bulky and heavy and i want this project to be portable (im fitting everything inside a briefcase). plus i wouldnt have any way to regulate the voltage with a PSU. what i would really like is something like a dimmer switch for interior lighting.

 

Well, 10" is almost a large hot plate with a temperature knob and install it into your humungous hookah, takes 120VAC/240VAC depending where you live. That's going to be a big suitcase in any config man. :innocent

 

something like this http://i.imgur.com/N6EB0.png

 

That's it for me posting in here. Good luck.

 

thanks for your input.