An electronic smoking (1) device comprises a housing (2), control electronics (14) and a puff detector (18). The housing (2) accommodates a battery (10) as an electric power source powering an electrically heatable atomizer (20) comprising an electric heater (22) and adapted to atomize a liquid supplied from a reservoir (6) to provide an aerosol exiting from the atomizer (20). The control electronics (14) controls the heater (22) of the atomizer (20) and is adapted to operate the heater (22) in at least two predetermined modes. The puff detector (18) indicates an aerosol inhaling puff to the control electronics (14). The control electronics (14) selects a specific mode for operating the heater (22) via a control signal initiated by the puff detector (18).