Messermeister Cheflamme Butane Culinary Kitchen Torch

I was looking for a cooking torch to ignite cooking pellets in my Amazon Pellet Tube Smoker 6". I was using a butane torch compact lighter before. That worked very slowly, and the pellets would sometimes go out before really starting to smoke. I'd usually spend 5 or more minutes getting the pellets to light. NOT ANY MORE!!! The Messermeister FT-912 torch burns so hot and with such a long intense flame that the pellets are literally blasted into a bright ball of fire within seconds! Now I spend about 5 to 10 seconds torching the pellets to get them going. I then turn off the torch and let the pellets burn for another ten seconds before I blow out the flame and let the smoking commence. The torch works beautifully every time. All of the switches and levers feel very robust and do not move once you set them. The torch body stays cool other than the business end of the nozzle. I've used it about a dozen times now and I'm always impressed. I've also used it for melting the ends of cut paracord. The clean flame does not discolor or burn the paracord, but be careful as it would be very easy to overdo it. Refilling the torch is simple, just flip it over and press the butane can down on the filler port. This was not the cheapest torch I looked at buying. But it certainly earns the high praise it receives on Amazon and is worth every cent. Could you get by with a cheap torch? Sure. But, it won't last as long, work as well, look as good, or make you look for an excuse to fire it up like the Messermeister does.

So far I love this torch. I am using it mostly to create artistic jewelry (and for culinary uses, etc.). It came with easy to follow instructions. The burner is made of sturdy metal and is longer and thicker than the burner on the defective Blazer GB2001 which I returned for the Messermeister FT-912. The Messermeister's peizo ignition has ignited the first time and every time I have pushed the button (unlike the Blazer which stopped igniting after two ignitions). The Messermeister's flame appears to be more powerful and adjustable than the Blazer's flame (specs support my impression of the Messermeister's flame intensity).Messermeister says they are an American company, but this torch is made in Taiwan. It is not made in Germany as another reviewer alluded, but I can see why they thought it is a German torch based upon the quality of the torch especially the durable construction of the burner and the reliability of the piezo igniter I am experiencing so far.I've only had the torch for a few days now, so I will post a followup giving you more positives and negatives after more use (hopefully this torch will not become defective like the Blazer...but only time will tell).***UPDATE*** As of 11/20/14, my Messermeister FT-912 is still working perfectly for me. I've been using it for jewelry making and the flame is still powerful and the flame size adjusts nicely like the day I received it. So far, I am very happy with my purchase and the Messermeister has turned out to be a great torch for jewelry making (and for cooking too!).

This torch produces a nice strong flame, more than enough for any culinary purpose, and the push-button ignition is easy (although not 100% reliable). There is a safety lock which needs to be flicked down before you can push the ignition, a good safety feature. You can also lock the flame "on" by sliding the button on the left side, which is useful for longer jobs as it can be tiring to hold down the main button. The rubberised base is very useful, keeping the torch solidly planted on whatever flat surface you put it on, and the textured reservoir means the torch is not likely to slip out of your hands even if you have sweaty or wet palms.Mine has been working well for several months now, however I have noticed that it seems to have a very slow leak somewhere, meaning if I don't use it for a couple of weeks, I'm likely to need to re-fill it. This is not particularly confidence-inspiring, and I've knocked 2 stars off, as it can also be a bit of a safety issue (my leak is very slow, but what if you get one with a faster leak, or keep it in an enclosed space where the gas can't escape as fast as it leaks out?).I have used this torch for tasks such as searing the side of thick steaks, creme brulee, crisping up fish skin, and it does all that perfectly. If it weren't for the issue above re: leakage, then it would be a 5 star item in my books. Unfortunately, it seems Messermeister has cut corners, and this is disappointing.

I went through several cheap home torches trying to find something that could put a nice char on sous vide proteins.Everything was either a complete failure or a major disappointment. So I decided to spend a few extra bucks and try out the reasonably well reviewed Messermeister.From first glance I knew i had something different. It was huge for a home culinary torch and the handle was seemingly big enough to hold a full bottle of butane.Initially tried it on a sous vide steak which after cooking looks like the first picture above-- delicous but lacking eye appeal and outside texture. Using Vector butane it gave out a long powerful blue flame and produced an almost char broiled sear on my meat after a few minutes.It was one if the best steaks I ever cooked.Docking it one point because the flame occasionally goes out and it won't auto relight when it gets hot. By a combinanation of frustration, trial and error and plain dumb luck I discovered that simply blowing into the nozzle strongly a few times seems to get it autostarting again-at least for awhile. So try that if it happens to you. YMMV may vary of course.Recommended.WARNING: ONLY USE A WELL REFINED BUTANE! I found that out the hard way. Bought some cheap zippo type butane and the flame was less than half the length of the one pictured above with a very small blue hot area. It took nearly a whole bottle to semi char a t-bone.