Andrew James Professional Blow Torch for Cooking & DIY, Adjustable Flame Chef Blowtorch, Kitchen Great for Crème Brulee, Searing Meat, & More, Butane Gas Commercial 1300°C

Arrived quickly and product was very well packaged. I use these a lot, mainly for melting cheese, charring veg etc, in fact just about anything that would otherwise be put under the grill. Especially useful for individual portions. Sadly my old Torch died, so it was time for a new one. I chose the Andrew James model because it looked well designed and was a reasonable price. First of all, it was very well packed and presented. The Torch itself is supplied empty, so remember and buy some gas if you don’t have some already. Filling is straightforward and exactly like my old one. Just turn Torch upside down and push nozzle of gas can onto the filling tube and push down till full. This Torch is a bit bigger than my old one and quite ‘posh’ looking. It is easy to use and lit first time. The flame is very controllable, from a strong jet, down to a whisp of a flame for delicate work. All in all. A good, well made Torch at a very reasonable price. Recommended.

Grand wee torch with an intense flame. I tried to use it in a vaporising tool in beekeeping and it worked well for a few turns. Unfortunately it caused the head to heat when it usually wouldn't and this melted the insulating plastic sleeve on the wire producing the pizo-electric spark so it would no longer ignite. (The vaporising tool encloses the nozzle and transmits heat back into it nozzle and then the head, so this would not happen if it was used correctly for its intended purpose)

Decent looking blowtorch .. flame looks very powerful and effective.. the only challenge was getting the gas filled a lot gas was lost during this process..

I purchased another brand of torch a few weeks back to help with lighting my log fire as everyone seems to say it makes it easier. Firstly it makes it a hell of a lot easier than trying to light bits of paper or fire lighters at different spots in the fire. One quick blast across it all and there is a nice healthy flame. Firstly nicely packaged but thought the returns process under the two year warranty was a bit rubbish *must return in original colour box* I mean I am sorry but we are encouraged to recycle now and I can’t imagine many people to want to keep a box for two years on a just in case basis! The torch itself seems really robust And is nice and easy to use. To fill the torch just flip it upside down and push the gas nozzle in. (I used swan has from Poundland cheap and cheerful) it filled the tank i assume as the torch lit and worked. One thing that is missing on this torch to the other that I purchased is a gauge to see how much gas is left. If it had this I think it would be the perfect item! Only had it a few days so far but it seems like it will last and we have been nice and toasty with the fire on.

Very user friendly

I bought this as a present for a family member after they saw my kitchen torch in use with a cocktail smoker kit. The torch certainly looks the part in a very smart matt black finish, and the weight gives the impression of quality; it certainly feels like it won't tip over on the worktop. The integral hand guard makes it easy to pick up and feels safe to use. Filling is easy via the gas valve on the base, but the gas regulator is a combined knob on the rear of the unit and it is here that the problems start: unlike some torches that have a combined trigger/gas valve, this unit requires you to turn on the gas via the knob, and then ignite it via the trigger, making it fussy to use, and requiring two hands to set the right gas level and then ignite it. This is not nearly as easy to use as the torches that combine the gas and trigger into one control and have the gas adjuster on the side. On the unit we bought, the igniter failed to spark, so we needed to light the torch via another burner, making it even more tricky to use. It has been returned for another unit.

This is a great product and it also looks great in the kitchen. Pretty much puts the other stuff around it to shame. And it's not just a pretty face, it actually functions as a torch too. It has a good range of flame, and at its strongest setting is more than enough for most kitchen uses. I also use it to bend acrylic and it does that very well too. I saw people complaining about the fact that it comes without any gas in it. I'd imagine shipping something a gas filled recipient can be quite dangerous, especially on a plane. Luckily, it was extremely easy to fill, and it works well with all the different brands of butane I've tried. Overall, I'm really pleased with it and I love how stylish it looks.

Initial struggle was filling this with gas. I had a load of gas cans used for a camping stove so assumed I could use those, but with no adapter they didn't fit (why no adapter supplied with torch!?). Tried to buy a gas can that would fit and ended up hunting through different brands in shop to find one with the correct fitting. Maybe I was unlucky? Successfully used this for a year or so (to light pizza oven no more than 10 times). This weekend half-way through lighting the oven the dial to open/close the gas valve just popped out of the device and it seems one of the o-rings around it had broken too. I'd been struggling to refill it, it didn't seem to be holding gas, so not sure if that o-ring was involved in that. Anyway, I made sure it was empty and dumped it straight in the bin. Bought one of the blowtorch attachments that goes straight on top of the gas can instead. Looks less pretty but also must be much more reliable! The one time I tried this Andrew James torch directly on actual food, the food ended up tasting of fuel! I read that this is caused by the flame not burning efficiently (yellow rather than blue). I could never get the flame pure blue from this, always had the odd bit of yellow. Would not buy again!