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Kitchen Torches

NVNVGirl

By NVNVGirl
in Kitchen Consumer

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NVNVGirl

NVNVGirl

Posted
Posted

I was so happy to finally have a brulee torch and not have to rely on the broiler for my brulees! I just tried to use the one I bought at Williams Sonoma and when I try to fill it with the can of Butane which I also bought there, it sprays all over (Yes, I did 'bleed' the valve first and I tried using a couple of the little plastic adaptors they provided). I finally got it to light, but then I think it was so high that it used up all of whatever fluid I managed to get into the thing and I'm just totally disgusted with it at the moment.

Is it a piece of crap, or am I just doing something wrong? Why can't I fill it without Butane spraying all over? At this point, I'm ready to just return it and be done with it. But on the other hand, I don't want to return it if it's just ME b/c I really want a kitchen torch :smile: .

Anyone else have one of these that they're happy (or not) with?

chezcherie

chezcherie

Posted
Posted

i'd return it in a heartbeat. take the $ and go straight to osh, home depot or your local diy store and buy a propane torch with self ignitor. it works so much better than those little gourmet store torches, costs a bit less, and inspires awe when used. you'll have enough left over for a refill propane canister.

"Laughter is brightest where food is best."

www.chezcherie.com

Author of The I Love Trader Joe's Cookbook ,The I Love Trader Joe's Party Cookbook and The I Love Trader Joe's Around the World Cookbook

Joe Blowe

Joe Blowe

Posted
Posted

Yeah, take that crap back! This is what you want [click].

Stick with the standard-fit, self-igniting unit and use propane. And if your kit comes with separate bottles of propane and MAPP gas, you can use the MAPP for lighting charcoal -- just don't use the MAPP on food.

So we finish the eighteenth and he's gonna stiff me. And I say, "Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know." And he says, "Oh, uh, there won't be any money. But when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness."

So I got that goin' for me, which is nice.

jsmeeker

jsmeeker

Posted
Posted

the only nice thing about the small kitchen torches is they are small. That can be a plus in a little kitchen. I received one for a gift (not a W-S model, but a little plastic one). Sometimes, I have issues igniting it and getting it to burn properly after filling it. The mixture is too rich, I think, causing the flame to be orange/yellow and not a hot blue. But overall, it works OK. I'd like a true propane torch as suggested above, but I am not sure where I would store the thing.

Jeff Meeker, aka "jsmeeker"

NVNVGirl

NVNVGirl

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Thanks everyone! It's going back today. We don't have an OSH here, but I'll see if HD or Lowe's has something similar to what you're all describing. I should have known it was too small and cute to be any good :biggrin: .

As far as inspiring awe, LOL....funny.....as long as I don't inspire terror :raz: .

BTW, should I set the ramekins when I go to caramelize on a rack or something besides the countertop (we have granite, but still....)?

jsmeeker

jsmeeker

Posted
Posted
Thanks everyone! It's going back today. We don't have an OSH here, but I'll see if HD or Lowe's has something similar to what you're all describing. I should have known it was too small and cute to be any good :biggrin: .

As far as inspiring awe, LOL....funny.....as long as I don't inspire terror :raz: .

BTW, should I set the ramekins when I go to caramelize on a rack or something besides the countertop (we have granite, but still....)?

you can set them on a sheet pan if you want, but I don't. I find that with the small torch, I can control it enough that I won't set the laminate counter on fire.

Jeff Meeker, aka "jsmeeker"

DesertTinker

DesertTinker

Posted
Posted (edited)
BTW, should I set the ramekins when I go to caramelize on a rack or something besides the countertop (we have granite, but still....)?

Just pay attention to what you are doing and you won't have any trouble with countertops. Distraction is the enemy, turn away to talk to someone, the flame drifts off the Brulee.... :shock::shock::shock:

Edited to add:

I have laminate countertops, and use the hardware store torch. My boo boo killed a plastic measuring cup, so no great loss. :smile:

Edited by Quiltguy (log)
KensethFan

KensethFan

Posted
Posted

I didn't know that propane was OK for food. And here I was trying to find a butane torch like the propane and couldn't find it anywhere. Now that I know I can use propane, it'll be full speed ahead for me!!!!

--- KensethFan

gfweb

gfweb

Posted
Posted

Bernz-o-matic torch at any hardware store.

Re burning bugs- when I was a kid our crazed neighbor set his house on fire using a torch to burn the cobwebs out of his cellar ceiling. I insisted then, as I do now, that I had nothing to do with it. I'm sticking to this story.

  • 3 weeks later...
NY_Amateur

NY_Amateur

Posted
Posted

Can someone please recommend a torch for searing after sous viding? I was under the impression that propane was a no-no because of off flavors it may leave but I did see a torch in the WD-50 kitchen on a recent visit there so I am not sure about this. A specific torch model please, that is actually usefull for searing multiple steaks or whatever. I have a mini butane torch now and it works well but it can take 2-4 minutes to properly sear a steak and makes serving more then myself difficult.

Should I just go to home depot and get a generic propane torch?

Sous Vide Or Not Sous Vide - My sous vide blog where I attempt to cook every recipe in Under Pressure.
NY_Amateur

NY_Amateur

Posted
Posted

Have you personally used this torch? Have you noticed any off flavors? That's really my only concern but that combined with the not cheap price of 50-70 dollars makes me a bit wary. If you (or someone else) have cooked with these with no ill effect, I will be all over it like a hobo on a hot dog.

Thanks!

Sous Vide Or Not Sous Vide - My sous vide blog where I attempt to cook every recipe in Under Pressure.
stealw

stealw

Posted
Posted

Personally I have never seared meat with just a torch before (i prefer the traditional way, on a pan), but I have used it for many other things, like creme brulee for example or heating up bowls and whatnot. (honestly no "propane" taste is noticeable for creme brulees).

Very handy tool in restaurant kitchen, ie. lighting a oven fast. But it is quite pricey and unless you really need this daily, there are some other alternatives. Which, unfortunately I can't think of any top of my head.

Jim

DouglasBaldwin

DouglasBaldwin

Posted
Posted

I would highly recommend the Iwatani butane blowtorch ( http://www.iwatani.com/asp/w_product/Produ...p?ProductID=133 ), it is half the price of the Bernzomatic mentioned up thread without any of the drawbacks. I find that hardware propane blowtorches leave an off flavor and cannot be held pointing down for the time necessary to sear the surface of more than one or two steaks. The Iwatani has neither of these problems and actually produces a larger and more consistent flame than the Bernzomatic I used to use.

My Guide: A Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking, which Harold McGee described as "a wonderful contribution."

My Book: Sous Vide for the Home Cook US EU/UK

My YouTube channel — a new work in progress.

NY_Amateur

NY_Amateur

Posted
Posted (edited)
I would highly recommend the Iwatani butane blowtorch ( http://www.iwatani.com/asp/w_product/Produ...p?ProductID=133 )

Can you buy the torch from that website? I filled out a reg form but it didn't give or ask for a username/password and I have no email so I am not sure what the deal is. I'm guessing a human has to sign you up and they will email or call?

Anyway thanks a lot for the recommendation, this is something I never would have found and I have been searching for a while now.

Is this the same torch? Iwatani http://foodservice.chef2chef.net/restauran...h_Each_7154.htm.

Thanks.

Edited by NY_Amateur (log)
Sous Vide Or Not Sous Vide - My sous vide blog where I attempt to cook every recipe in Under Pressure.
DouglasBaldwin

DouglasBaldwin

Posted
Posted (edited)
Can you buy the torch from that website? I filled out a reg form but it didn't give or ask for a username/password and I have no email so I am not sure what the deal is. I'm guessing a human has to sign you up and they will email or call?

Anyway thanks a lot for the recommendation, this is something I never would have found and I have been searching for a while now.

Is this the same torch? Iwatani http://foodservice.chef2chef.net/restauran...h_Each_7154.htm.

Thanks.

I don't think you can buy it from the website I linked to. I bought mine through my local restaurant supply store ( http://www.etundra.com ), but the one you linked to looks to be the exact same. As for the butane canisters, the only place I could find which shipped them for a reasonable cost was Very Asia ( http://veryasia.com/bu-6.html ). The canisters last quite a long time (about 20 hours of use), so you probably don't need more than a dozen to start with.

Edit: Fixed links.

Edited by DouglasBaldwin (log)

My Guide: A Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking, which Harold McGee described as "a wonderful contribution."

My Book: Sous Vide for the Home Cook US EU/UK

My YouTube channel — a new work in progress.

devlin

devlin

Posted
Posted (edited)

Okay, so I went to pick up a Bernzomatic torch today, but there were several types available.

Will the Bernzomatic micro torch (3 in 1) work? Or should I get the heavier duty torch?

Here's a link to the micro torch at Amazon. A review says Cooks Illustrated recommends it.

http://www.amazon.com/BERNZOMATIC-CORPORAT...F/dp/B000SM8TTY

Edited by devlin (log)
Sararwelch

Sararwelch

Posted
Posted
Okay, so I went to pick up a Bernzomatic torch today, but there were several types available.

Will the Bernzomatic micro torch (3 in 1) work? Or should I get the heavier duty torch?

Here's a link to the micro torch at Amazon. A review says Cooks Illustrated recommends it.

http://www.amazon.com/BERNZOMATIC-CORPORAT...F/dp/B000SM8TTY

I have the micro torch - I wanted the big one, but my husband was afraid I'd accidentally burn the house down :shock: . It works fine, but it's not all that quick to caramelize things. If you're looking for more instant results, the big torch may work better.

http://saraskitchen.blogspot.com
Smithy

Smithy

Posted
Posted

The big (1-lb bottle), basic torch is a lot cheaper, and it's available at any hardware store. Amazon has a torch kit (3 nozzles, sparker, propane bottle) for $39.99. If you buy the trigger (self-lighting) head and the bottle at a hardware store, it should cost you less than that. Aside from the "small torch for small kitchen" issue, I can't see why someone would go for a mini-torch when the basic one will do. $100 differential is a lot to pay for the "aww, it's so cute!" factor.

Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
Host, eG Forums - nsmith@egstaff.org

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"Every day should be filled with something delicious, because life is too short not to spoil yourself. " -- Ling (with permission)
"There comes a time in every project when you have to shoot the engineer and start production." -- author unknown

Smithy

Smithy

Posted
Posted

My propane-fired gas grill does not leave off-flavors. Why would a propane torch do that?

Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
Host, eG Forums - nsmith@egstaff.org

Follow us on social media! Facebook; instagram.com/egulletx

"Every day should be filled with something delicious, because life is too short not to spoil yourself. " -- Ling (with permission)
"There comes a time in every project when you have to shoot the engineer and start production." -- author unknown

Chris Hennes

Chris Hennes

Posted
Posted
My propane-fired gas grill does not leave off-flavors.  Why would a propane torch do that?

I can't say whether it does or does not, but it seems conceivable. The flames on your gas grill are pretty far away from what you are cooking---the combustion byproducts have plenty of places to go besides the surface of your steak. When using a torch, you are basically throwing the combustion products directly at the surface from a very short distance. Whether there are enough byproducts to matter is another question...

Chris Hennes
Director of Operations
chennes@egullet.org

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