The Searzall by Dave Arnold

[dcarch]

Recently there have been a few new sous vide circulators on the market, they all share one thing in common. All of them are packaged in very sexy "industrial designed" bodies. They are all very appealing sitting on the kitchen counter.

I am surprised that the Searzall, which is a useful concept, is such a lousy looking thing, totally lacking in visual appeal. It belongs in an automobile repair shop, not in any modern kitchen.

With all the resources David Arnold has, this is a waste of so much of Kickstarter's marketing potential.

I don't think it is a patentable idea, because there are many other propane infrared heaters around (camping).

Mr. Arnold, if you are reading this, I wish you a lot of luck with this.

dcarch

[coz]

I'm in. Don't really care what it looks like.

[Martin Fisher]

I care more about functionality than looks.

What good is something that looks good if it doesn't function well?

I'm concerned that it'll be cumbersome to use.

[rotuts]

and ... will it really be hot enough to brown quickly and not cook the meat to cancel out the SV benefits esp. for 'rare' ?

[jmolinari]

and ... will it really be hot enough to brown quickly and not cook the meat to cancel out the SV benefits esp. for 'rare' ?

i would say def. yes as that's the whole reason for creating it.

[rotuts]

"" whole reason for creating it. ""

agree. now if they meat their goals ...

[jmolinari]

"" whole reason for creating it. ""

agree. now if they meat their goals ...

I have no concern that it'll get delivered, EVENTUALLY.

June 2014? We'll see. I'm mentally prepared for delays already. Every kickstarter project i've followed out of interest has been delayed months and months

[dcarch]

There are technical issues which will need to be dealt with.

Those of you who have worked with a propane torch will know that many torches cannot operate very well upside down.

You can see the so called insulator cone loses 1/2 the BTUs, requiring the wire heat shield cage around it. I think what it needs is an insulating ceramic reflector to keep all the BTUs downwards, then the heat shield cage can be very small, making the packaging much easier.

I think this can be a very successful appliance, for more than sous vide cooking. Perfect item for TV infomercial.

dcarch

[Martin Fisher]

I think I'm going to skip the Kickstarter launch.

I'll wait for the reviews after it becomes commercially available.

It isn't clear that it'll fit my preferred torch, the Bernzomatic JT680 Jumbo, if not,  that's a real bummer!

[Shalmanese]

Recently there have been a few new sous vide circulators on the market, they all share one thing in common. All of them are packaged in very sexy "industrial designed" bodies. They are all very appealing sitting on the kitchen counter.

I am surprised that the Searzall, which is a useful concept, is such a lousy looking thing, totally lacking in visual appeal. It belongs in an automobile repair shop, not in any modern kitchen.

With all the resources David Arnold has, this is a waste of so much of Kickstarter's marketing potential.

I don't think it is a patentable idea, because there are many other propane infrared heaters around (camping).

Mr. Arnold, if you are reading this, I wish you a lot of luck with this.

dcarch

a) What you're seeing on the kickstarter is a prototype, not the final mass produced tool

b) working at that level of heat limits the amount of styling you can do to the product since plastics and most paints would not be able to survive

c) I actually like the industrial look it has and I think it a design that tried to make it too cutesy would lose the impression of power I get from the device.

[Jeff K]

I am surprised that the Searzall, which is a useful concept, is such a lousy looking thing, totally lacking in visual appeal. It belongs in an automobile repair shop, not in any modern kitchen.

 

 

 

 

maybe i never got over my form-follows-function modernist austerity kick from art school, but i disagree. i'd MUCH rather have something that looks like a refugee from an auto repair shop in my kitchen than some cutesy precious looking thing geared toward the kind of folks who'd choose a painting based on whether the color scheme matches their sofa. i also think that searing torches are something that will appeal to the kind of people who'd choose a painting based on whether it matches their sofa.

 

so, in short, i think it's beauteous. but hey i'm the guy who thinks Orphan Espresso's Pharos is a most beauteous coffee grinder.

 

that said, the gadget lover in me wants one--but i have a gas-powered infrared stove that throws down some serious heat, i'll probably experiment with pan searing and/or rigging something to hold a steak upside down over the flame before i invest in a torch. too many gadgets beckon (including a sous vide circulator).

[paulraphael]

 

It isn't clear that it'll fit my preferred torch, the Bernzomatic JT680 Jumbo, if not,  that's a real bummer!

 

My torch will work, but according the site it's much less powerful than their recommended model. And since power is the whole point of this thing, I don't know if it would make sense to get a searzall without upgrading. Something to consider for anyone who doesn't have the top torch ... an upgrade can effectively double the price of this endeavor.

[rotuts]

Has anyone here received an update on this ?  timeline ? etc ?

[dcarch]

If you don't have Trigger Start/igniter Torch, with the Searzall on, how do you light the torch?

 

 

dcarch

[Chris Hennes]

It isn't clear that it'll fit my preferred torch, the Bernzomatic JT680 Jumbo, if not,  that's a real bummer!

 

While they recommend the Bernzomatic TS8000BT High Intensity Torch Head, I think that this will work with basically any normal-sized torch head. There is some info on their original Kickstarter page about what size nozzle you have to have.

[Chris Hennes]

Now that the product is actually starting to arrive in our hands, it's clear that they only recommend the TS4000 and TS8000. Whether for liability reasons or for some genuine problem with the other torches it's not clear, but they only want you using the TS4000 or TS8000 heads and the 16.2 oz propane tanks. No MAPP, no smaller tanks, etc.

[Chris Hennes]

For completeness, here are a couple shots of my Searzall after it has been burned in (the initial two-minute burn designed to burn off the solvents in the insulation and add an oxide layer to the screens).

 

 

 

As you can see from the first photo, no amount of design prowess on their part was going to make this look like anything other than a hardware-store torch with a camping tank attached, so I think the utilitarian look works just fine all things considered.

[Martin Fisher]

Are you happy with it?

[cdh]

oooh.  How did you get yours already?  I thought they were shipping from NJ... You'd image that NJ to OK would take longer than NJ to PA. 

 

/anxiously awaiting.

[Martin Fisher]

It's my understanding that they're being shipped from Amazon distribution centers all over the US.

[jmolinari]

i can't believe people have theirs already. I haven't even gotten an email from amazon notifying me of shipping or anything.

[cdh]

Got the email from amazon... but no goodies yet.  Not that it would do me any good... the dang torch is 2 weeks late... need to light a fire under that vendor now that the toy is imminent.  Now the track link in the email works, and indicates the Searzall is coming from Arizona... which explains how OK got it first.  

Edited October 12, 2014 by cdh (log)

[rotuts]

the wider tanks make sense as this looks a bit top heavy.  should it tip over right after use .......

[Martin Fisher]

No email for me yet.

[cdh]

You might check your spam folders.  My email came from "Booker and Dax <fba-customer-ship-confirm@amazon.com>"