Bought a $300 blowtorch for creme brulee, used it twice

Got talked into a fancy torch at a kitchen supply store in Portland last spring. The guy said I'd use it every day for caramelizing, searing, all that. I've done maybe 2 batches of creme brulee and one half hearted attempt at torching meringue since then. My old stick lighter works fine for what I actually make, which is mostly line cooking, not pastry. Anyone else got a gadget sitting in their locker they regret shelling out for?

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patmartinez6d ago

Kept the torch in my knife bag for about six months before I finally admitted the stick lighter does 90% of what I need. The one thing it's actually good for is searing fish skin when the flat top is full during a rush, since it gets way hotter than a little lighter and you don't have to wait. But for creme brulee? Two batches is about right, that's all most of us ever make. A $300 torch for that is wild, my guy at the supply store was just working the sale.

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casey_harris6d ago

Waited six months? I would've given up on that thing after two weeks.

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