Mapp gas vs propane torches

I've read conflicting information re: mapp gas vs propane torches for finishing or browning food. Some publications recommend Mapp gas while other sources state that one should not use Mapp gas, but propane. What gas, if any, do you recommend?

Find more posts tagged with

What About Tools?

Comments

Chris_Young_80640

We are fine with both MAPP gas and propane. MAPP gas burns slightly hotter.

When people claim that certain fuels should be avoided, it's usually because they've had the experience of the food tasting like fuel. The problem is not the fuel, however, it's how the blowtorch is used. Never point the end of a blowtorch at the food before the flame is lit and burning blue—something referred to as an oxidizing flame. Unburned fuel squirts from the tip when the torch is first lit; a yellow flame is a telltale sign that the fuel is not being completely combusted. Good torches can always be adjusted to control how much fuel is being mixed with air to ensure complete combustion. Always adjust the flame before bringing the flame to the food.

Chris

Chris_Young_80640

We use blow torches a lot, especially to presear a large, awkward shaped piece of meat like a whole rib roast. It's also a really nice way to sear a tranche of foie gras after cooking it sous vide. You will get a very delicate crust without overcooking the foie gras beneath it.

Chris

Grace_95227

Any recommendations on blowtorch? Looking to get my first one...

michaeltran

Even though it's not a welding torch, I like the Iwantani Torch burner. It burns hot and lets you use standard butane cans.

http://korin.com/Iwatani-Torch-Burner

Brendan_Lee_56950

Yup, that's the one I've been using and I like it a lot. Can get the canisters from the local asian grocery 4/$5

prince_of_porcelain

@Grace Chris recommended the fatboy torches in another thread. I recently picked one up and it works great. Far superior to the small creme brulee torch I had.

I think he recommended this one: http://www.amazon.com/Bernzomatic-TS8000BT-High-Intensity-Torch/dp/B0019CQL60 or the 4000. I got the 8250 because it had the torch offset from the canister and I thought that would be more manueverable. Home Depot had them a little cheaper than Amazon and came with a gas cylinder, so you may want to check your local hardware store.

Grace_95227

Cheers @Brian! Must have missed that thread. Will check them out and let you guys know.

Mason_Perry_34060

@Grace the short answer is there is really no difference in a cooking application, since the MAPP (Long version below, explains they don't make MAPP gas anymore so you are buying a hopped up propane product in a yellow bottle) gas you can get only burns 200F hotter than propane in a normal 21% oxygen atmosphere IE the air in your kitchen. Propane is significantly cheaper and easier to find. This is a great torch that will last you forever and comes with a bottle when you buy it (One bottle in the kitchen should last you well over a year for normal cooking use) this has the variable fuel ratio like @Chris stated so you can get that perfect blue flame and not worry about a taste of fuel. It also has a trigger ignitor so all you do is pull the trigger and it will start, no worrying about unburnt fuel escaping before it's lit. It's 29 dollars and should be in stock at any major hardware store, this link is from Lowes.

lowes.com/pd_97778-13877-330879_4294772357__?productId=3734571&Ns=p_product_avg_rating|1&pl=1¤tURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_avg_rating%7C1&facetInfo=

LONG VERSION: MAPP gas is a trademarked name that was developed by DOW chemicals based on the chemical make up of a welding gas they developed to use in place of acetylene for welding and cutting applications like oxy/acetylene torches. MAPP was MUCH more stable than acetylene since it has a significantly smaller flammable range (the ratio of flammable gas to oxygen in which the flammable gas will combust, so think too little flammable gas and it won't light (Lower flammable limit LFL), too much flammable gas and not enough oxygen and it also won't light (Upper flammable limit UFL). Acetylene has the highest flammable range of any commonly used gas making it quite dangerous in any ratio of oxidizing agent. (LFL is 2.1% and UFL is 81%) where as propane for example is LFL 2.5% and UFL 9.5% so you can see that propane is much safer.) MAPP was intended to be used in place of acetylene since it could also bne mixed with an oxidizer and could reach temperatures nealy as high as acetylene but was easier to transport and store.

So how does this relate to cooking and you? Well since it was trademarked and only produced by DOW that made it expensive, in most cases it was over 4 times as much to produce than propane and about twice as much as acetylene. DOW sold the recipe to Linde Group since they didn't see much profit in something so expensive, Linde followed suit in 2008 and shut down the only plant making it due to costs, which means that when you are buying "MAPP" gas you are actually getting a cheaper substitute called "MAP pro" which is just a mixture of LPG that contains more propylene which is a hydrocarbon that is slightly more volitile than propane. It is a by product of oil refining and natural gas processing so it is redily available. As for price it is about the same to produce as propane but since the original MAPP gas was sold at a higher price they kept the price point.

So the long answer is the same as the short answer, you probably won't ever notice that 200F in the kitchen, propane is cheaper, "MAPP" gas isn't made anymore, there really isn't much difference, so you might as well save some money and get propane.

Butane (the same as the liquid in a cigarette lighter) torches are readily available and the flame temps are very close to propane, I have a portable butane one burner stove that I got at my local asian market for 15 dollars, refills for this are about 5 dollars a can but they do not hold anywhere near the capacity of the propane canister I linked above. Most kitchen butane torches have a small flame due to the capacity of the canister. I haven't used one in cooking since I have a welding business and have bigger torches for that (if I had to buy one now it would be the one I linked you). I think the best bang for your buck is still propane as trying to sear a whole rib roast would be near impossible with a small kitchen butane torch. From what I have seen and read most people who have tried those have moved up to something larger, either MAP or Propane.

I hope this answered more questions than it raised.

Mason

Chris_Young_80640

@Mason - Awesome. I will add that I have always had bad luck with getting butane torches to burn steady--several common butane canister torches I've used would suddenly erupt into an plume of incompletely combusting fire, ruining the food.

Mason_Perry_34060

@Chris that happened to a chef friend of mine it basically blew itself out and then he sprayed raw unburned butane onto an entree and had to scrap the meal and the torch, the next day he called and asked if he could borrow a propane torch, he still uses it and still hasn't paid me or given it back! I still use a butane pen torch for small soldering jobs like copper plumbing repairs when a large torch would burn other near by items, but it's really finicky and I wouldn't use something like that around food where it could get ruined.

When it warms up I will break out the oxy/acetylene torch and post some pictures, not sure what 6300F will do for searing but should be fun. I have cooked stuff on super heated metal before but nothing fancy, would be fun to see if I could compose a whole meal that way.

Jack_Mayer_85396

@Mason thanks for a great and detailed explanation. I have the Iwatani head that fits on butane canisters and after reading your treatise I think I may need to switch to propane.

Mason_Perry_34060

@Jack no problem, I teach a 4 hour HAZMAT class on flammable liquids and fire extinguishers, the in class demonstration is combusting non dairy creamer by sprinkling it over a lit torch. Don't try it at home, it's dangerous, but I think to be a good firefighter you need to be a pyro at heart.

Chris_Young_80640

@Mason – I can recommend oxy-actylene torches as a way to ignite a coal-fired spinning rotisserie...

Mason_Perry_34060

Thats awesome, I love fire. The visual of the week was sweet.

Grace_95227

Thanks @Mason!

Mason_Perry_34060

No problem

alyarb03_641248

I have to use the EurKitchen Culinary Torch. It is protective to fingers and also hand. The minimum temperature is 1300 0C. It is safe, effective, flexible, durable and light weighted. It gives your food special touch, taste and quality.