ZORACook Torch Lighter Review 2026: Brass Blow Torch vs Handheld Butane Torch
If you love cooking at home and enjoy techniques like caramelising sugar on desserts, charring vegetables, or lighting charcoal for a weekend BBQ, a good torch is a genuine must-have. But with so many options in the market, how do you know which one is actually worth your money?
ZORACook makes two butane torches, and they are built for different people. This review covers both honestly: the Brass Blow Torch (₹219) and the Handheld Butane Torch (₹238).
Quick verdict
| Brass Blow Torch | Handheld Butane Torch | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ₹219 (MRP ₹729) | ₹238 (MRP ₹789) |
| Body | Solid brass | Compact, ergonomic grip |
| Flame | Fixed, steady jet, ~1,300–1,430°C | Adjustable blue jet, ~1,300°C |
| Safety lock | Yes (On/Off lock) | No (trigger + gas knob) |
| Needs refilling? | Yes — refill it from a 225g butane can | No — mounts on the 225g butane can |
| Best for | Kitchen + workshop, light soldering | Kitchen, desserts, trigger grip |
They are only ₹19 apart, so the choice is about what you'll do with it, not budget. Buy the Brass Blow Torch if you also want a tool that handles DIY jobs. Buy the Handheld if you mainly cook and want a trigger grip.
What is a butane kitchen torch?
A butane torch is a tool that delivers a concentrated jet flame that reaches high temperatures within seconds. Unlike an ordinary lighter, that focused heat is what lets you caramelise, sear and char with precision.
Whether you want to perfectly finish a crème brûlée, get a smoky char on paneer tikka, or light a charcoal grill without lighter fluid, a torch handles it in seconds.
ZORACook Brass Blow Torch — ₹219
The differentiator here is the material. Most torches at this price are plastic or plastic-aluminium mixes; this one has a solid brass body, which is heavier in the hand, dissipates heat better and simply survives more use.
- Fixed, steady flame — one strong blue jet for crème brûlée and tougher jobs, and it lights diyas and candles easily
- Refilled from a standard 225g butane can (no proprietary canisters), with an On/Off safety lock and an ignition button
- Doubles as a light workshop tool — handles copper joints up to ~15 mm (½") for small soldering jobs
- Kitchen caramelising, dhungar smoking, BBQ char work and grill lighting
The honest caveat: its flame is fixed (it does not go low/high), with an On/Off safety lock, and it lights with its own ignition button. It is refilled from a 225g butane can rather than mounted on one. If there are young children in the house, store it well out of reach.
For the full picture on what it can and can't do in a workshop, read our honest DIY plumbing guide.
ZORACook Handheld Butane Torch — ₹238
This is the kitchen-first option. Compact, ergonomic, with an adjustable blue flame reaching around 1,300°C and — the key difference — a trigger grip and it mounts straight on top of a 225g butane can.
If you reach for a torch several times a week for crème brûlée, sugar glazing or browning a cake top, the trigger grip and the can-mounted design are worth the extra ₹19. It is the one we'd recommend to most home bakers.
How Indian home cooks actually use a torch
Dhungar technique: Give dal tadka, raita or biryani that authentic smoky flavour. A torch lights the charcoal piece in seconds instead of minutes. Full method in our dhungar guide.
Caramelising desserts: Crème brûlée or caramel custard at home — that golden, crackling sugar top is genuinely hard to get any other way.
Charring and roasting: Char tomatoes for chutney, roast baingan for bharta, or put grill marks on paneer tikka without a tandoor.
BBQ and grilling: The fastest way to get charcoal burning evenly. Many people pair a torch with the ZORACook Arc BBQ Lighter (₹189) — arc for speed and wind, torch for stubborn or damp coals. See our home BBQ guide.
How these compare to ZORACook's other lighters
The Premium Steel Gas Lighter (₹149) is for everyday gas-stove lighting — long reach, stainless steel body, nothing to charge or refill. The Arc BBQ Lighter (₹189) is flameless and windproof, best for outdoor grilling, candles and diyas.
Neither of those can do what a torch does. A piezo lighter gives you a spark; a torch gives you sustained, directed heat. If you only light a stove, you don't need a torch. If you cook, you probably do. Full comparison: best butane torches under ₹500 in India.
Running costs
The Handheld Butane Torch mounts straight on top of a standard ₹199 butane can, so there is no refilling — when a can runs out, you mount the torch on a new one; the Brass Blow Torch is refilled from the same can. That is the real argument against disposable lighters — you buy the tool once and swap cans for years.
One thing to get right when you order that fuel: both torches run on a cassette-type butane can, the same 225 g can that runs the ZORACook stoves. A threaded EN417 screw-on camping canister is a different standard and will not fit either torch. The two fittings are set out side by side, with a comparison table, in cassette vs screw-on butane.
Who should buy one?
Home cooks who experiment, anyone who hosts BBQs, baking enthusiasts who want restaurant-quality dessert finishes, and anyone tired of cheap disposable lighters. If you also do small DIY jobs around the house, the brass one earns its place twice over.
Safe use
Use only in ventilated areas, keep away from face, hair and anything flammable, and never leave a lit torch unattended. Let the nozzle cool fully before storing. Keep out of reach of children. (If you also own a refillable torch from another brand, see our step-by-step refilling guide.)
Final verdict
Both are worth buying, and at ₹219–₹238 neither is a big commitment. Pick the Brass Blow Torch for durability and dual kitchen/workshop use; pick the Handheld Butane Torch if you cook more than you tinker, or if you want a trigger grip.
Free shipping across India with no minimum order. All payment methods accepted — cash on delivery, UPI, cards, wallets and net banking.
The brass model is covered end to end in the brass blow torch guide, and the rules for using either one safely indoors are in the torch lighter safety guide. Neither torch replaces a burner lighter: for the stove itself, the kitchen gas lighter range is the right shelf.
And if you are weighing up the gas rather than the tool — why these are butane and not propane, and where a propane or MAPP torch is genuinely the better buy for heavier copper work — that is answered in butane vs propane vs LPG.
Frequently asked questions
Do ZORACook torches have a safety lock?
Only the Brass Blow Torch has one. The Brass Blow Torch (₹219) has an On/Off safety lock; the Handheld Butane Torch (₹238) does not. The Handheld lights from a trigger and has a gas knob at the back; the Brass Blow Torch has a fixed, steady flame. Store either one out of reach of children.
Does the ZORACook Brass Blow Torch have a built-in igniter?
Yes. The Brass Blow Torch lights with its own ignition button: release the safety lock, open the gas valve and press the button. It does not light by itself when the gas is opened. The Handheld Butane Torch lights from its own trigger.
Is the Handheld Butane Torch worth ₹19 more than the Brass Blow Torch?
It depends what you will do with it, not on budget. For kitchen work — crème brûlée, searing, browning — the extra ₹19 buys a trigger grip and a torch that mounts straight on the can, which is good value. For workshop use and light soldering, the solid brass body of the ₹219 torch is the more durable tool.
Which ZORACook torch is better for a home with young children?
Only the Brass Blow Torch has a safety lock, so it is the safer pick on that count — but keep either one out of children's reach. Whichever you own, store it out of reach of children, let the nozzle cool fully before putting it away, and use it only in a ventilated space.
Is a solid brass torch body actually better than a plastic one?
For durability, yes. Brass is heavier, so the torch sits steadier on a worktop, and it takes repeated heating without softening or deforming the way a thin plastic body can. The trade-off is weight — for long one-handed sessions over a pan, some cooks prefer the lighter Handheld.
Browse ZORACook torches and specialty lighters →
Both torches run on a 225 g butane can that is bought separately, so budget for fuel as well: the butane gas cylinders collection carries the cans they take, from ₹199.