This page may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
As you get serious about cooking, you quickly realize the power of having a handheld flame that you can direct exactly where you want it. Whether you’re making a crackling, glassy top on your crème brûlée or developing a rich brown seared crust on your sous vide steak, a torch is the tool to take you from competence to excellence.
But with so many torches out there, it can be hard to decide. To help you make your choice, we did a hands-on review of the EurKitchen Butane Culinary Kitchen Torch, including plenty of testing. This torch is our #1 pick on our list of the best crème brûlée torches, so you can already imagine that it performs well. Read on to learn exactly why we love it so much, and what you can expect when you buy it!
Table of Contents
Quick Summary/Overview
The EurKitchen torch reaches for—and achieves—the perfect balance between practicality and power. With a flame of up to 6” long and 2370° F, you’ll find that this torch works well for both delicate applications and serious searing.
While it’s not the cheapest torch out there, it’s relatively affordable compared to many of the higher-end options. And for the quality you’re getting, it’s a real bargain! It was only about $10 more than the basic kitchen torch you can see in our comparison pictures, and it’s immediately clear that the EurKitchen torch is a far better value.
First Impressions
The EurKitchen device shows up well packed in a simple, vaguely retro-looking blue and orange box. All of the instructions you’ll need are written on the sides and back of the box, eliminating the need for a manual inside.
As soon as you take the torch out of the box, it’s clear that it’s a high-quality build. It’s comfortable and solid in the hand, but light enough to be easy to use. Most of the torch is made of aluminum (with a few plastic parts), which immediately makes it feel better-quality than cheaper all-plastic options.
Starting It Up
If you’ve ever used a kitchen torch before, starting up the EurKitchen will be familiar. You turn it upside-down and fill it with fuel, disengage the lock, turn the dial, and light it with the trigger.
The only issue we had with starting up the torch was that it took several rounds of filling it to actually approach the “Max” fill line. The instructions say to fill the torch for a maximum of 10 seconds, but the first 10-second fill didn’t even register on the gauge (even after waiting for 1 full minute for it to reach equilibrium, as instructed).
The second fill started to show up, and the third almost reached the “Max” line, so we stopped there. This isn’t an issue if you’re expecting it, but just don’t be alarmed if it looks like nothing is happening after your first 10-second fill. (But be sure to wait 1 minute between fills to make sure it’s not just a pressurization issue!)
As soon as I turned on the flame, I was pleasantly surprised. This isn’t some dinky little torch that can barely brûlée! The flame immediately sprang forth at almost exactly 6” long, burning hot and bright. If you’re used to smaller, cheaper torches that you struggle to cook with, be prepared for this one to immediately impress you with its flame.
The Cooking Process
One of my pet peeves with kitchen torches is when they insist on shutting off if you use them at unusual angles. Sometimes I find myself dramatically tilting or twisting a torch to try to get into a hard-to-reach corner or edge, and all too often, a torch shuts off during this process.
So as I was using the EurKitchen torch in its various test runs, I made sure to use it at every angle. Right side up, upside down, sideways, diagonally… you name it, I tried it.
To my delight, the torch worked at every angle as long as the fuel level was relatively high. Once the fuel started going down enough that the flame began to shrink, the torch was more inclined to shut off when held at unusual angles. With around 19 minutes of full-strenth torching time, though, this doesn’t worry me much!
Unfortunately, we don’t have a thermometer capable of measuring temperatures as high as those created by this torch! (For context, the torch is supposed to go up to 2370° F, and the fantastic Lavatools Javelin thermometer only goes up to 482° F.)
So instead of offering a precise temperature, I can just say that it worked exceptionally well in my brûléeing and searing tests. The surfaces of the foods got hot very quickly. The overall temperature struck me as higher than other torches I’ve tested. On a chilled crème brûlée, the sugar started bubbling and caramelizing almost immediately, instead of requiring a few seconds to come up to temperature first.
Putting the EurKitchen Torch Through its Paces
First, we measured the flame length of the torch to see if it matches EurKitchen’s claims. We found that their stated 6” maximum flame length was almost perfectly accurate; our repeated measurements came in at 5.9”, and we’re willing to round up that last 0.1”.
Be aware that this measurement is for the medium-intensity part of the flame. The very brightest central part measures only about 2” long at maximum intensity. This is normal and to be expected, but I wanted to clarify in case you’re not used to kitchen torches!
We also ran a test to see how long the EurKitchen torch would last. To do this, we filled it with fuel exactly to the “Max” line, then turned it on high and let it run. Every minute or two, we would move it around at different angles to better replicate real use.
Here’s what we found:
At 11.5 minutes: the fuel gauge showed the torch was empty. However, the flame itself was still going strong.
At 19.5 minutes: the flame got noticeably smaller (but was still large enough to use for some tasks).
At 27 minutes: around this point, the flame had become tiny and essentially unusable. However, we kept the experiment going to see how long the torch would run.
At 35 minutes: the torch fully ran out of fuel and the flame died.
While we appreciate an effectively almost 20-minute torching time, we were surprised and disappointed to see just how inaccurate the fuel gauge was. The torch managed approximately 8 minutes of full-strength burn time after the gauge showed it was empty. And it didn’t fully burn out until almost 25 minutes after it showed as empty.
Despite this issue, we still recommend getting the version with the fuel gauge. It will give you at least some idea of how much fuel you have, and will help ensure that you don’t overfill the torch.
Other Comments and Considerations
The flame adjustment dial isn’t as sensitive as we’d prefer. About 1/3 of its rotation is just full throttle, with no apparent adjustment to the flame level. The next 1/4 brings the flame from full through medium and small to extinguished. The remaining rotation does nothing; you’re just turning the dial until eventually the safety lock engages.
This isn’t a significant problem, but it does mean that the dial isn’t as sensitive as it could be. If the gas level were adjusted throughout the entire range of the dial instead of just over half of it, it would be easier to get the exact level you want.
Specs & Features
- Maximum flame length (claimed by EurKitchen): 6”
- Maximum flame length (measured by Cuisine Technology): 5.9”
- Maximum temperature: 2370° F/1300° C
- Continuous time at or near full-strength flame: up to 19.5 minutes
- Time until fuel gauge registers empty at full-strength flame: 11.5 minutes
Pros & Cons
Audience
We feel that the EurKitchen torch is an ideal fit for the creative home chef who wants a versatile and flexible kitchen tool. It’s also perfect for anyone who typically wants to torch desserts (such as crème brûlée and meringue) or smaller savory applications (such as shepherd’s pie) with the occasional sous vide steak thrown into the mix.
Finally, the EurKitchen torch makes a great gift even if you’re on something of a budget. It’s high-quality and useful enough to be a cherished gift, but affordable enough that you won’t need to break the bank.
While the EurKitchen strong enough to sear meats, there are other torches that truly excel in that regard (our top pick is the Bernzomatic TS8000 High-Intensity Trigger Start Torch WITH the Searzall Booker & Dax Torch Attachment—or you can read our list of the best sous vide torches for other options!). The problem is that most of those torches are too high-powered for other uses, and that’s why we only recommend them if you plan to exclusively use them for more intense purposes such as steaks.
If you want an all-around kitchen torch that’s capable of handling meats but also well-suited for more delicate purposes, the EurKitchen torch is ideal. That’s why it’s our top recommendation for just about anyone in the market for a torch that isn’t exclusively for searing meats.
Pricing
As you might expect, the EurKitchen torch isn’t one of the very cheapest options. Nor should it be, given its high-quality build and powerful flame! For what you get, though, the price is excellent. If I had needed to blindly guess the price after testing it, I definitely would have estimated that it was higher than it is.
There’s another version of the same torch available without the gas gauge for a few dollars less. If those few dollars make the difference between getting this torch and a different one from a different brand, go for the version without a gauge. If you can, though, we recommend the version with a gauge despite its shortcomings. It’s nice to have some sense of how quickly you’re going through fuel, and how full the torch was when you started.
In short, while this isn’t the cheapest torch out there, we recommend buying it if you can. It’s absolutely worth the extra money, as you can see in our pictures comparing it to a generic kitchen torch (which cost only $10 less!). For this very reasonable price, you’ll get a sturdier build, a more versatile torch, and a more powerful flame.
Final Verdict
The EurKitchen torch isn’t perfect, and there are a few things about it we would change. The gauge isn’t accurate after a certain point, and the dial could be more sensitive and have less wasted rotation.
But overall, especially considering its very reasonable price, the EurKitchen is a fantastic choice. It’s our top pick for most home cooks, and one of the few devices that we can really recommend without hesitation or second thought.
As always, the big question is whether the product tester decides to keep the device. As normal people with normal-sized home kitchens, it’s not realistic for Cuisine Technology’s product testers to keep everything they try out for reviews!
So what’s the verdict—will the tester keep the EurKitchen torch, or give it away?
Our tester says: “That’s not even a question! I’m absolutely keeping this torch, and it’s replacing the several others that I had collected in the search for The One. I’m thrilled to have finally found a versatile butane torch that’s perfect for everything from desserts to sous vide meats.”
Alternatives
For a super-powerful torch ideal for searing sous vide meats
The Bernzomatic TS8000 High-Intensity Trigger Start Torch WITH the Searzall Booker & Dax Torch Attachment. This combination is so powerful that it almost stops being a torch and becomes more of a handheld broiler. If you plan to use your torch primarily or exclusively to sear meats, this setup is ideal.
For a basic kitchen torch that may be more affordable if you’re on a tight budget
The Butane Torch Kitchen Blow Lighter by FunOwlet. This one doesn’t have the power or quality of the EurKitchen, but it’s extremely affordable. Plus it also excels at working at any angle, which is a feature we love!
