Great Kitchenware Site

[meganjane]

I do a lot of online shopping as I'm a loooong way from any good shops! I've found a great site that has kitchen gadgets. I've finally succumbed and bought a kitchen blowtorch there solely for creme brulee! It was only $40, so I though, 'What the heck, I love creme brulee, I don't go to restaurants to be able to order it...so I have to make it myself. Therefore, I need a blowtorch!'


Speaking of creme brulee, I made the most divine one tonight and have posted the recipe here

[faffa_70]

  Thank you have forwarded it to DH - that should see some nice things for Mothers Day and Birthday coming my way hopefully lol

[Very Happy Jan]

Thanks meaganjane. Always good to have these sites to see whats available. Glad you got the blowtorch

[Amanda]

Oh dear, now I'll be in trouble.
I love kitchenware shops!

[judydawn]

Glad you finally talked yourself into getting the blow torch MJ - pretty impressive to whip that out when you have visitors. No chance of setting fire to the kitchen with one of those is there 

[trudy]

Book shops and kitchenware shops are my favourites!!

[I Love Bimby!]

Thanks MJ. All I can say is my bank balance is very lucky that my pc is broken! 

[meganjane]

The bad news is, that I came down with a stomach bug the night I ate my delicious creme brulee. I wasn't able to get the toffee coating on it as I my blowtorch had only just been ordered online.
That damn brulee churned in my stomach for 6 hours before it finally came up and what didn't come up found it's way out in another way, if you know what I mean.
I've been ill for two days and I don't think I can ever face a creme brulee again!!

Maybe, I'll make a chocolate one and see if I can manage that OK.....

[Thermomixer]

Thanks for being suh a sharing person MJ  - no I meant about the kitchenware site .

As if I need any excouragemnet - now I don't even have to leave home 

[Deeau]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but this site doesn't have many of the goods you order in stock ( even though they say they do online) There has been discussion on other forums about them taking orderes not delivering or refunding, I just yesterday got a refund ( not from them but through my credit card company ) for an order placed on Feb 2nd, they don't return calls and I got one email from them saying they are in "discussions with the QLD dept of fair trading " I think they would be best avoided.

[meganjane]

Oh dear, thanks for that. I'm still waiting for that kitchen blowtorch! They did send an email saying that it would be posted in two weeks. They've had my money for well over a month.
This is a much better site!

[stacelee]

Hi Guys,

Its worth doing a bit of homework on some of the more "commercial" items that appear on some of the kitchenware websites.  I recently was in the market for a preserving kit and the identical one on the previously referred to website is considerably more expensive than the $179 I paid for it at Mitre 10.   You may be better making a couple of phone calls to catering equipment supply companies that sell "smallwares" or "tabletop" or "kitcheware"......they may be able to give you a better price.  I speak from experience as I work for one of those types of companies and my friends constantly sit on me when we go shopping in DJ's, Myers,  Robins etc and I see the prices they are charging.  There are some companies that will not sell to the public but there are others that are quite happy to.  It really can be worth shopping around.

Have a great afternoon
Stacey

[andiesenji]

Those "micro-flame" torches are not very efficient nor are they particularly safe.  It takes three times the amount of time needed to caramelize just one portion of creme brulee and is not very practical for other kitchen and/or household uses.

I tried one several years ago and another more recently but found them totally unacceptable and went back to using my Bernzomatic which is 20+ years old and the only change has been that I went to the compact propane canister when they became available a few years back.
All the professional chefs I know use these, which are found in hardware and home improvement stores, but also in restaurant supply stores.   

I know Bernzomatic torches are available in Australia because friends have them and use them constantly.  They don't cost much more than that little one and are much safer to use because there is no plastic close enough to the flame to melt with prolonged use.   They are larger and heavier but once you get used to holding one, you will not even have to think about it. 
I'm sure there are other brands available there but I know about these.

I use mine for a lot of different kitchen tasks (as well as a few household tasks)  singing off the remaining pinfeathers on turkeys or game birds is much easier and far faster than plucking them one by one.   When I roast a whole ham in the big electric roaster, rather than brown it in the oven, I sprinkle the (diamond patterned) fat cap with brown sugar and use the torch to caramelize it. 
It takes perhaps three or four minutes but would take an hour with the little one. 

[meganjane]

Thanks andie, I may just cancel my order with them.
I found this site which sells the torches you're describing. I may enquire with them about one of the Bernzomatic Micro Torches instead.
Great for doing the skin on duck too!

[Thermomixer]

Thanks Deeau and andie - much appreciated advice.