Who needs an oven when you’ve got a perfectly good blowtorch?
Searzall, a simple contraption invented by NY-based designer Dave Arnold, lets you skip the Betty Crocker routine and unleash your inner pyromanaic in the kitchen. It’s basically a fixture that fits onto the end of any standard-sized blowtorch and makes it better for cooking food. It works by forcing the flame through two layers of heatproof alloy mesh, thereby diffusing the heat of the flame and making it radiate out in a less direct way. The benefits of this process are twofold. First, the diffused heat helps cook food more evenly, and second, it eliminates that gassy taste that torches often impart into the foods they sear.
Admittedly, not everyone will find everyday applications for this product, but if you’re a serious home chef or cooking professional, Searzall just might be a welcome addition to your culinary toolbox. It’s ideal for all kinds of gourmet fare like foie gras, creme brûlée, seared fish, and finishing off meat cooked sous vide.
Sous vide enthusiasts in particular should have good use for this device. Sous vide is one of the biggest trends in both home and commercial cooking these days, and involves placing food in an airtight, vacuum-sealed bag and cooking it in a water bath at the lowest possible temperature until it’s done. This gives meat a flawless consistency and unrivaled flavor, but generally leaves the surface of things like steak pale and crustless. With Searzall, getting that perfect brownish crust on a piece of sous-vide meat only takes about 30 seconds.
Booker & Dax, the studio behind the device, is currently raising money for Searzall on Kickstarter. It’s only got a few days left in the campaign, but it’s already blasted past its initial funding goal, and is currently working on stretch rewards. If you back it now, you can lock one down for just $65 bucks. Find out more here.