Introduction: $10 Kitchen/Cooking Torch
I was interested in a cooking torch to help make sous-vide dishes look better and to help make créme brûlée. Most of the torches designed for the kitchen are $25-$50 and require the use of small butane canisters, which cost more per ounce ($2.20/oz vs. $0.20/oz for propane). Secondly, torches designed for the kitchen are usually not powerful enough to use with sous-vide.
Solution:
Then I painted the container black to make it look good in the kitchen.
It turned out quite nice and makes a powerful flame.
16 Comments
8 years ago on Introduction
It was almost black to begin with, and it being in the kitchen, not something i personally would worry about.
Thanks for the thought though, probably not something to keep outside next to your grill in the sun.
8 years ago
Ok. I have a plumbers torch that I use for cooking and was worried it wasn't the same thing as a chefs torch. My husband says you can not cook with mapp gas.
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
I am inclined to not because of the additives but many people do including chefs. Just cleaner, simpler, cheaper, IMO.
8 years ago
What's the difference between this and a plumbers torch?
Reply 8 years ago
there's no crack! I'll see myself out.
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
~crackin~ ME dafuq up!
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
What do you mean? I believe this is a plumbers torch.
8 years ago
At my homedepot the price for MAPP is $.70/oz vs $.20/oz for propane. But if what fzumrk says is true then I just need a new torch for my propane. I will give that a try. Thanks for the tip!
8 years ago
One thing to consider is that propane torches give an off flavor to meat. Consider using a mapp gas torch. The gas isn't much more expensive than propane but the torch is. The benefit to mapp gas though is no off flavor. I use it for exactly the purposes that you discuss here.
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
Where do you source the containers and what do they typically cost per ounce/lb?
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
You can buy MAPP cylinders at hardware stores and home centers. It is more expensive than propane. I haven't bought any in a while so I don't know what a cylinder is going for currently.
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
My understanding is that the "off flavor" has more to do with using a carburizing vs. oxidizing flame with the torch. You want a solid blue flame with propane, which is an oxidizing flame, or excess oxygen. If the tip is orange or yellow, it is a carburizing flame and will leave behind unburned carbohydrates.
8 years ago
it doesn't sputter out when you invert it?
8 years ago on Introduction
Very nice!
I'm not familiar with propane enough I guess... is there any concern with fumes when you use this indoors?
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
If you were using this to heat your house I would be worried.
To brown a juicy steak, no problem.
I have heard os some people using these to heat their house.
Reply 8 years ago
yep - they even have ventless propane fireplaces. These fireplaces have residual fumes after combustion, but have been found to be safe enough to humans that the government has approved their usage in the home without ventilation. Not sure if they require a filter, but if it's anything like a natural gas ventless fireplace, you mainly need to make sure that you have a carbon monoxide detector near the source. They usually have one built into the assembly, but it's a good idea to have the redundancy. In your case, I wouldn't be too worried about fumes if it's just for intermittent usage in the kitchen. Just make sure you store it in a place that is nowhere near a heat source because that little tank could really do some damage if it got hot enough!