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Can I use a crafts heat gun to brulee the top of Creme Brulee?

4 years ago

last modified: 4 years ago

I don't have a torch to brulee the sugar on top of Creme Brulee, but I do have a craft heat gun -- the heat gun is from when I make embossed greeting cards.

If you aren't familiar with the greeting cards, an image gets rubber stamped with special ink pad ink, then embossing powder is put over the area, the excess embossing powder is shaken it off (the rest of the embossing powder remains stuck to the image that was stamped). A heat gun is used on the image and the embossing powder melts into a dimensional outline.

I know I could probably experiment with this tomorrow, but wondered if anyone might know tonight?

Smiles,

Featured Answer

HU-455869934

4 years ago

I suspect it will melt but not brown the sugar, and too much heat will get to the rest of the creme.

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Comments (7)

plllog
4 years ago
I think it isn't hot enough. My kitchen torch says it gets to 2200 degees. Not sure if that's C or F, but it's really hot. You can do creme brulee under a very hot broiler. if yours goes 450- 500 F, it should work. Put the shelf way up near the top. Check the web for hints and tricks. A heat gun is basically a low power blow dryer without the blow. Great for crafts because it doesn't burn your fingers.
Sooz thanked plllog
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Sooz
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks! I wanted to avoid the broiler at all costs because It trips the smoke alarm lol! Hey, I also have a heat gun for peeling paint! What think you?
plllog
4 years ago
Wow! That's one sensitive alarm! Or too close to the oven. ;) But a quick google search shows that 500°F is required for stripping paint. If your paint stripper works well on paint it might do the creme brulee as well. Just clean the whole head well and do it on a good flameproof surface with nothing flammable nearby. My kitchen torch scares the glue out of me and that has a very focused flame. The paint stripper is diffused.
Sooz thanked plllog
Sooz
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks for the suggestions, Plllog!
lindac92
4 years ago
I am sure you will heve better success with the broiler.....just fan the smoke alarm.....and in the future get an alarm that isn't triggered by heat but by actual particles in the air.
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
4 years ago
It takes time to get the heat gun out from where you keep crafts tools, plugging it in, wait a few second for it to heat up, and many times longer for it to do a not very good job. Worst, if the refrigerator happens to be working at the time and someone is microwaving something, you can blow a fuse because a heat gun takes a lot of watts.

A kitchen butane torch is small, cheap and instant-on. you can use it also to brown a steak, start a BBQ fire, etc. etc.

dcarch

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