Which blowtorch?

[albiston]

Hi there,

I was considering buying a blowtorch (for creme brulee and similar) and noticed that the ones on sale at my local DIY shop cost almost half as the ones I've seen in home appliances shops. Are the two different? Could it be possible to use the DIY shop ones or are they too hot?

Thanks for the help

Alberto

[alanamoana]

the best blowtorch i've used (of course we used them a lot in the restaurant and you may not need as heavy duty a one as we use), is usually sold under the ace hardware brand. it has an automatic lighting trigger and you can push a switch to keep it lit without keeping your finger on the trigger. it works off of regular propane tanks and i find that the best of those are the squat coleman tanks for camping. they are short and fat and therefore don't fall over as easily as the long skinny ones...much safer.

the torch head is sold on its own (sometimes comes with a tank of gas in the package) and usually costs about $45 (same pricing in san francisco and new york). this one will probably last forever with home usage...we kill them in the restaurant about every six months which is still pretty respectable.

i have a small butane torch (from williams sonoma or something like that) that i've never used, so i can't compare.

[Fat Guy]

There are two components to a torch: the head, and the fuel bottle. The quality of the head can be important to professional chefs who use and beat the crap out of these things all the time for high-volume cooking. So they may be willing to pay 50 bucks for the Bernzomatic head that JB Prince sells. For home use, that's probably not necessary -- whatever head they sell at the DIY shop is probably fine. In terms of fuel, propane and butane are both acceptable, but propane seems to be the preferred fuel source because it burns cleaner.

Edit: cross-posted; ditto the above.

[CanadianBakin']

It sounds like you all (in this thread and others) are using just the normal propane torches they sell at the hardware store. Do I need to make sure it says on the package that it is suitable for use in the kitchen? On the turbotorch site they specify that some are but not all. I know not to buy the mini ones at the kitchen shops. We sell one at work called UltraBlue that is used for plumbing. It's a really nice size and I'm wondering if it would be ok? It says not to store in the house, not to store the trigger on the propane bottle, etc. which makes me a bit nervous. Any advice?

[bripastryguy]

As a torch junkie, I have to agree with Alana. As I have purchased many in the past: Iwatani (great looking and working, too fragile), Chefmaster something and most recently a company called UltraBlue (awesome torch, but it uses its own type of propane can and not compatible with others). Stick with the benxomatic head and the squat coleman can

[chezcherie]

another vote for the ace hardware torch. mine lives atop my fridge, instilling fear and admiration in all who enter my domain. (it also has my business card taped on....in case i take it to someone else's kitchen---don't want to switch MY kitchen blowtorach with their kitchen blowtorch, ya know!)

[Alex]

How about this one?

[CanadianBakin']

As a torch junkie, I have to agree with Alana. As I have purchased many in the past: Iwatani (great looking and working, too fragile), Chefmaster something and most recently a company called UltraBlue (awesome torch, but it uses its own type of propane can and not compatible with others). Stick with the benxomatic head and the squat coleman can

←

We sell the UltraBlue where I work so I'm not worried about getting propane for it. I just want to know if you feel it's safe for use in the kitchen. It has all these warnings on the can which makes me a bit nervous. I've seen it in flame though and it looks like it would work well. Please let me know your experience.

[bripastryguy]

luv the ultablue. What are they charging for it? I just paid $24.99 + tax USD

Edited February 25, 2006 by bripastryguy (log)

[CanadianBakin']

luv the ultablue. What are they charging for it? I just paid $24.99 + tax USD

←

I think with our employee discount it's about $24 CAD + tax. Glad to hear you like it for kitchen use. I'll pick one up for myself tomorrow. WOO HOO, a new gadget!

Edited February 25, 2006 by CanadianBakin' (log)

[Richard Kilgore]

As a torch junkie, I have to agree with Alana. As I have purchased many in the past: Iwatani (great looking and working, too fragile), Chefmaster something and most recently a company called UltraBlue (awesome torch, but it uses its own type of propane can and not compatible with others). Stick with the benxomatic head and the squat coleman can

←

We sell the UltraBlue where I work so I'm not worried about getting propane for it. I just want to know if you feel it's safe for use in the kitchen. It has all these warnings on the can which makes me a bit nervous. I've seen it in flame though and it looks like it would work well. Please let me know your experience.

←

I have the Benozomatic Quickfire (trigger) head and propane tank, based on previous discussions in another thread.I think all torches have similar warnings on them. Anyone have a torch that does not have a lawyerly I-told-you-not-to-play-with-fire escape clause?

I am curious about the ultrablue mentioned upthread. Anyone have a link?

[Richard Kilgore]

Ultrablue link.

[CanadianBakin']

I just wanted to let you know I tried my UltraBlue torch on lemon meringue tarts tonight and it worked like a charm! The flame is fully adjustable, it has a trigger start and an open/lock feature for the trigger. I'm very happy with it! Oh, and the cannister is about the size of a spray paint can so it's very manageable.