Rant: Paid $150 for a kitchen torch from a fancy brand and a $15 one works the same

I was doing creme brulee for a special last week and my old torch finally died, so I grabbed this top tier brand one thinking the flame control would be better. Tested it out side by side with a cheap one from the hardware store and honestly could not tell a difference in how they caramelized sugar. Has anyone else been burned by buying the expensive kitchen gear that doesn't actually perform better?

2 comments

2 Comments

grant82618d ago

I heard somewhere that a lot of these "pro" kitchen tools are actually made in the same factories as the cheap ones, just with a different name stamped on. In my experience, that torch is a perfect example - the guts are probably identical, but you're paying for the fancy handle and the box it comes in. I read a review once where a guy cut open a $100 chef's knife and a $30 one, and the steel was literally from the same batch. Take it with a grain of salt, but I'd bet that $15 torch will last just as long if you treat it right.

-1

averywright18d ago

Funny you mention that knife test, I actually remember a different one where a metallurgist broke down a $200 Shun and a $30 Kiwi and the grain structure was completely different. The Shun had way better edge retention and hardness, it wasn't even close. Sure, some cheap stuff uses the same steel, but they usually skip the heat treatment or use lower grade variants... that's where the real difference is. I've seen cheap torches that leak gas after a few months because the valve seals are garbage, while my Bernzomatic has been going for years without a hiccup. You get what you pay for in the long run.