Kitchen torches, what do you use?

[dragnlaw]

We've spoken before about torches used in the kitchen and if memory serves me correctly the two main points I remember are those 25$ butane torches are usually garbage and some use their butane torches from out of the tool box.
I know the one I bought at a kitchen supply store worked once, couldn't refill it no matter what I did. LOL, neither could my ex when he stopped by one day.

So what do you all use?
How often do you really use it?
Would you buy another to replace it if it goes belly up?

I know it's not the most important tool in the kitchen but consider this...
How often do you use your broiler function in your oven?
If you did not have a broiler function in your oven, would you consider getting one to do simple things like browning the top of an au'gratin, creme caramel, etc.

Lot of questions, I know, but answer as you would for yourself.

 

[Andy M.]

I don't do a lot of recipes that call for a torch. I have a plumber's torch with a nozzle that provides a wider flame and have used that for Creme Brûlée.

 

[dragnlaw]

Plumber's torch, thanks Andy, couldn't think of the name.

 

[caseydog]

I have two kitchen torches. One is an Iwatani butane torch, and the other is a Searsall attachment for a plumber's propane torch.

CB-TC-PRO2 Culinary Torch- Professional | Iwatani

www.iwatani.com

https://www.amazon.com/SEARZALL-Stainless-Steel-Culinary-Restaurants/dp/B00L2P0KNO

CD

 

[dragnlaw]

kWow casey! - those are some serious torches.

 

[caseydog]

kWow casey! - those are some serious torches.

Yes, but worth every penny to me, since I do a lot of sous vide cooking.

CD

 

[Aunt Bea]

I wouldn’t have a need or use for one.

In a pinch you can use a bit of booze to flame a crème brûlée.

 

[taxlady]

Yes, but worth every penny to me, since I do a lot of sous vide cooking.

CD

That makes sense.

Is using the torch to brown your sous-vide cooked food less likely to set off the smoke detector than a broiler?

 

[dragnlaw]

I should actually think so taxy. You are just giving it colour and I rather think it would be easier to judge doing it by hand.
However, never having done it....
trouble with using a broiler is learning different distances from heat source. As using various pans for various foods changes each time.
IMHO

 

[Linda0818]

I almost burned the kitchen down once attempting to fry rice noodles, if that counts

But aside from that, I've never made a recipe that needed torching. I've seen it done before, though, and it does look rather fun.

 

[dragnlaw]

Aside from boiling rice noodles, the only other thing I've ever seen done with them is to fry them in a good layer of oil.
They puff up immediately - tak'em out, salt and eat or use to sprinkle on something. Not only yummy but so easy, so fast and so spectacular to see!
Take a sheet of rice paper and do the same thing. Puffs up into a giant rice chip.
Saw it on youtube and have actually done it. Fun, super fast, not a lot of oil at all.

 

[Linda0818]

Aside from boiling rice noodles, the only other thing I've ever seen done with them is to fry them in a good layer of oil.
They puff up immediately - tak'em out, salt and eat or use to sprinkle on something. Not only yummy but so easy, so fast and so spectacular to see!
Take a sheet of rice paper and do the same thing. Puffs up into a giant rice chip.
Saw it on youtube and have actually done it. Fun, super fast, not a lot of oil at all.

That's what I did, fried them in oil. As soon as I dropped them in, they puffed up beautifully. Then the oil spilled over out of the pan and onto the burner and caught fire, LOL.

 

[dragnlaw]

Oops, misunderstood. Thought you were trying to "fry" them with a torch! LOL
Yeah, I do recommend you use a deep sided fry pan and minimum oil. I don't remember my oil bubbling up much but I can see it possibly happening. Too bad.
Did you like them anyhow? Were they good?

 

[Linda0818]

Oops, misunderstood. Thought you were trying to "fry" them with a torch! LOL
Yeah, I do recommend you use a deep sided fry pan and minimum oil. I don't remember my oil bubbling up much but I can see it possibly happening. Too bad.
Did you like them anyhow? Were they good?

Haha, no. Frying them. The "torch" came shortly after.

We didn't get to the eat them. The pan, with the noodles inside of it, was on fire. So the whole thing was ruined. Never tried that again.

Anyway, back to actually torching food (on purpose) I've heard that some people torch grapefruit. You cut the grapefruit in half, sprinkle it with brown sugar, then torch the brown sugar to caramelize it.

I personally don't like grapefruit. But I'd be willing to try that just to see what it tastes like. I'd use a pink grapefruit. I can tolerate the taste of those better than I can the yellow ones.

Don't some people also torch meringue instead of baking it in the oven? Or maybe torch it a little after it comes out of the oven?

 

[caseydog]

That makes sense.

Is using the torch to brown your sous-vide cooked food less likely to set off the smoke detector than a broiler?

I have six smoke detectors in my house (city code), but I don't have a smoke detector anywhere near my kitchen, so I don't have that problem.

But yes, it puts a crust on my steak without making a bunch of smoke. Here is one I cooked last night. Nice crust, no smoke. That blob next to the steak is instant mashed potatoes (they taste a lot better than they look).

BTW, code requires smoke detectors to all be hard wired to each other, so when one goes off, they all go off. That has only happened once, and of course it was at something like 2AM. Scared the *%&# out of me, and psychopoodle.

My sister has a security system tied to a service. Hers did the same thing, in the middle of the night, but the security company called 911, and she had the fire department at her house.

CD

 

[taxlady]

I really don't like the idea of all the smoke detectors being hard wired. Doesn't that mean that if the power is out, the smoke detectors won't go off? I much prefer our battery operated smoke detectors. I have one on each of three floors. We test them when we change the clocks from daylight time to regular time and then again in the other direction. They start chirping with about a 5 second interval between chirps when the battery is starting to get low. It can take a while to notice the chirping and longer to remember what it is, while you search the house for crickets or whatever. The one I have on the ground floor has a temporary off button. That gives you about a 10 minute period of time that it doesn't go off. I wish you could just shout something like, "Thank you! It was just toast. Turn off." But, it should understand, "Shut up! I know."

 

[dragnlaw]

I hear yuh taxy! But building codes in Quebec now require that they be hard-wired. No choice.
I solved my problem because everytime it rained those bloody alarms went off. There was one alarm very close to my stove... boil water in the kettle the alarm went off.
I went to the electrical box and threw the switch.

Yeah, ok, I bought a separate battery operated one and thankfully it did not go off in the rain, nor set off the rest in the house, nor by the toaster, or the kettle. I was a happy camper.

At the farm, it drove me crazy and took me days to find that bloody cricket!

 

[caseydog]

I really don't like the idea of all the smoke detectors being hard wired. Doesn't that mean that if the power is out, the smoke detectors won't go off?

They have backup batteries, so they work even if the power is off.

CD

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

I bought one of those inexpensive butane torches, but so far I've only used it a few times.
The first and best use I have for it is to light my tube pellet smoker.

I also use this torch for the meringue tops made from powdered mix