Butane torch

A butane torch is a tool which creates an intensely hot flame using a fuel mixture of LPGs typically including some percentage of butane, a flammable gas.

A small butane torch made for kitchen use

Consumer air butane torches are often claimed to develop flame temperatures up to approximately 1,430 °C (2,610 °F). This temperature is high enough to melt many common metals, such as aluminum and copper, and hot enough to vaporize many organic compounds as well.

Applications

Brazing, soldering, plumbing

Often used as daily task tools, butane torches work very well for home improvement and work to solve problems with plumbing, soldering and brazing. Most of the times copper, silver and other metals are used for home repairs of tubes and other house things.

Culinary

Using a torch to caramelize a crème brûlée

Butane torches are frequently employed as kitchen gadgets to caramelize sugar in cooking, such as when making crème brûlée.^[1] They may be marketed as kitchen torches, cooking torches, or culinary torches. Use of the butane torch in the kitchen is not limited to caramelizing sugar; it can be used to melt or brown toppings on casseroles or soups, to melt cheese, to sear meats, and to roast or char vegetables such as peppers.^[2]

Cigars

Pocket butane torches are commonly used as lighters for cigars, capitalizing on the intensity of the flame to light quickly and evenly the large, relatively damp, burning surface of a cigar.

Bartender

Many bartenders and mixologists use butane torches in their recipes. Smoked and flaming cocktails are now a trend.^[3]

Drug use

Butane torches are sometimes used in vaporizing cocaine free base (crack), black tar heroin, methamphetamine^[4] or hash oil^[5] for inhalation.

References

^ Lauterbach, Barbara (2005). The Splendid Spoonful: From Custard to Crème Brûleé. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. p. 50. ISBN 0811845028.
^ Blowtorches. CooksInfo.com. Published 02/22/2007. Updated 12/02/2007. Web. Retrieved 11/25/2012 from http://www.cooksinfo.com/blowtorches
^ "10 Last Minute Gift Ideas For The Mixologist in All of Us". DrinkWire. Retrieved 2018-01-15.
^ Lee, Gregory D. (2005). Global Drug Enforcement: Practical Investigative Techniques. Taylor & Francis. p. 40. ISBN 978-0-20348-898-0.
^ Breathes, William (June 10, 2013). "Crazy High Times: The Rise of Hash Oil". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2013-09-23.

[Lauterbach-1] Lauterbach, Barbara (2005). The Splendid Spoonful: From Custard to Crème Brûleé. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. p. 50. ISBN 0811845028.

[2] Blowtorches. CooksInfo.com. Published 02/22/2007. Updated 12/02/2007. Web. Retrieved 11/25/2012 from http://www.cooksinfo.com/blowtorches

[3] "10 Last Minute Gift Ideas For The Mixologist in All of Us". DrinkWire. Retrieved 2018-01-15.

[4] Lee, Gregory D. (2005). Global Drug Enforcement: Practical Investigative Techniques. Taylor & Francis. p. 40. ISBN 978-0-20348-898-0.

[5] Breathes, William (June 10, 2013). "Crazy High Times: The Rise of Hash Oil". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2013-09-23.

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