Blowtorch used by Julia Child

Julia Child used this brass blowtorch and hose, attached to a fuel canister (not included in collection), for browning meringue (e.g., for Baked Alaska) and caramelizing crème brûlée. Julia introduced her students and fans to this tool adapted for the kitchen on her televised cooking shows. As an effective prop, it was also a new way of doing a technically difficult task. After watching Julia wield the blowtorch, aspiring cooks went to hardware stores and demanded blowtorches too. When smaller, specialized cook’s blowtorches became widely available, they replaced the large torches and tanks. This blowtorch was manufactured by the Bernzomatic Corporation in Germany.