I think it’s been a while since I’ve reviewed any kitchen supplies or products so I’m due for one and the one I have today can be used in the kitchen or not as it’s a torch powered by butane so you could use it for culinary purposes or just as a torch as it’s gets hot enough to melt solder surely. I like products that have multiple uses. This torch is from a company called CounterTop and it’s well made with an aluminum housing and nice safety features. Read on to learn more…
Specifications and Features
CounterTop Brushed Aluminum Crème Brûlée Culinary Torch
Professional Culinary Torch. This is a versatile tool that makes you more efficient in the kitchen while adding the perfecting touches to your dishes. Your guests will take note of your attention to detail. It might be the crispy skin on a salmon fillet you prepared sous vide or the toasted cheese on an 8 year olds grilled cheese sandwich or the perfectly browned dessert. When you are making a tomato sauce this is the practical tool to quickly remove the tomato skin. The CounterTop torch deserves a spot on your counter.
-CounterTop kitchen torch gourmet to go portable, powerful flame; use it like a handheld grill or broiler
-Caramelize sugar on creme brulee, brown meringue, roast marshmallows on s’mores. Sear meat from sous vide or slow cookers
-Melt cheese on soup, no more sloshing bowls in the oven
-Make instant appetizers; melt a dab of blue cheese on halved strawberries or other bite-sized fruit or veggies
-Convenient CounterTop design; takes no more space than a coaster. Safety lock, adjustable flame. Butane not included
Price: $29.99 (from Amazon at time of review)
The Review
Let’s start with a video unboxing and sort of a mini review as I do fill it up and use it in the video:
The packaging is an easy open plastic clamshell where you can see the torch totally. The instructions are on the back of the package so be sure to save it, it’s actually an insert inside of the plastic.
The torch is about 7.25 inches tall and the top, or the actual torch part is slightly over 5 inches long and it’s made of plastic and metal. The base is about 3.25 inches long and about 2.25 inches wide and it turns and it’s made of plastic. The center section where you hold the torch is about 1.75 inches across and it’s made of aluminum with the CounterTop logo o it.
The torch does not come filled with butane for safety reasons, you’ll need to buy your own. The fill port is on the bottom of the torch and it’s easy to fill, you just push the butane can into the opening and let it fill, it’s just like filling any other butane fueled product.
The head of the torch has controls on it. On the front side is a sliding red switch that allows you to select to have the flame on or just temporarily on while you hold the igniter button in. The switch also turns the butane on, in the forward position as long as you hold the igniter button down the torch works and when you let go the torch goes out. When the switch is toward the rear position you can press the igniter and let go and the torch will remain burning and then just slide the switch forward to turn the torch off. On the back of the head is a large red button which is the igniter but under that is a small silver ball which is actually the safety switch. To use the torch you need to pull the silver ball down and then push the red igniter button in to ignite the butane and produce the flame.
On the back side of the head is the butane adjustment slider, or the flame size. The slider is labeled with + and – markings for you to adjust the flame size. Towards the front, on both side of the torch is a silver ball slider that can be used to adjust the flame strength temporarily, you push forward and the flame is more of a free flame and not a straight torch like flame.
The torch works well but the safety switch take getting accustomed to, the ball is very small and I found it hard to pull down myself. This can be a good thing though as it’s not easily lit. Using it I found it ignites most of the time when used in the temporary mode but every time when used is the always on mode.
Conclusion
As is I can’t find anything really wrong with this torch, it seems well made and it works well. The only small issue is the tiny safety switch, the ball you need to grab to pull down is tiny and if you’ve got bigger hands/fingers you may have an issue with it. I have another torch similar to this one, handheld, and the safety is different on it, you have to turn and then push the igniter button in so it can’t be done with one hand and it’s easier to use than the tiny pull switch on this torch.
The flame can get very hot very fast so you need to be careful or you will easily burn what you’re trying to brown. If you’ve never used a torch like this in the kitchen I would highly suggest you practice first to get a feel for how it works. Testing it on a couple slices of bread is a good way to learn, you can toast or brown the bread easily with the torch, but you can also burn it easily as well if not careful.
Overall it’s a decent product that works well.
+Seems well made overall
+Flame options
+Fairly simple to use
Cons:
-Tiny safety switch
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Disclosure: This product was given to us for review by the company for review purposes only, and is not considered by us as payment for the review.
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