Culinary/creme brulee torch recommendation
August 10, 2011 9:20 AM Subscribe
Suggestions for buying a good culinary torch in the Toronto/GTA?
My sister would like to buy a culinary torch as a gift. She needs it by tomorrow, has no $$ restriction, and would like to hear your tried and true recommendations. Her queries:
- Does it have to have a pressure regulator and automatic starter?
- Do I need a canister of butane as well?
I did read the answers here.
It can be from a cookware store OR a hardware store, as long as it works well. Specific brand/model from specific stores would be great.
Thanks!
My sister would like to buy a culinary torch as a gift. She needs it by tomorrow, has no $$ restriction, and would like to hear your tried and true recommendations. Her queries:
- Does it have to have a pressure regulator and automatic starter?
- Do I need a canister of butane as well?
I did read the answers here.
It can be from a cookware store OR a hardware store, as long as it works well. Specific brand/model from specific stores would be great.
Thanks!
There seem to be three Williams Sonoma stores in Toronto. I'm sure there are lots of local cooking stores that would have them. Pretty much every cooking store has them, really. Some have piezo starters, some don't. I don't think mine does. It's not really a big deal. They come with gas, in my experience.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 9:42 AM on August 10, 2011
posted by Admiral Haddock at 9:42 AM on August 10, 2011
Best answer: You don't want a culinary torch. They aren't that hot and they're a pain to refill.
You want a plumber's torch, something like this.
posted by colin_l at 10:39 AM on August 10, 2011 [4 favorites]
You want a plumber's torch, something like this.
posted by colin_l at 10:39 AM on August 10, 2011 [4 favorites]
2nding colin_l. Expensive culinary torches are pretty, but totally underpowered, and not good for anything beyond brulee. You want a blowtorch from a hardware store, and a can of propane. Get one with a trigger, as they can be a dickens to light.
posted by Gilbert at 11:07 AM on August 10, 2011
posted by Gilbert at 11:07 AM on August 10, 2011
I've got both.
I've used the culinary to melt roofing tar for patching. (Because it's small and handy like that). But mostly, I use it for crem brulee.
My propane torch doesn't like being inverted (might be my nozzle or tank), and would be less than useful in the kitchen. Great for sweating copper joints, changing blades on my hockey sticks and heating up my branding iron, however.
posted by k5.user at 11:21 AM on August 10, 2011
I've used the culinary to melt roofing tar for patching. (Because it's small and handy like that). But mostly, I use it for crem brulee.
My propane torch doesn't like being inverted (might be my nozzle or tank), and would be less than useful in the kitchen. Great for sweating copper joints, changing blades on my hockey sticks and heating up my branding iron, however.
posted by k5.user at 11:21 AM on August 10, 2011
Response by poster: I thought colin_l's answer most useful (in case I ever want one myself), but after reading all these my sister ended up getting hers at the local cookware store. Thanks all.
posted by methroach at 6:53 AM on August 12, 2011
posted by methroach at 6:53 AM on August 12, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
That's where I got mine, a nice generic kitchen torch (a .ca link for you vs the .com/us site) . It had an auto-light trigger. Did need to buy a can of butane to fill it.
posted by k5.user at 9:35 AM on August 10, 2011