Searing Sous-vide with electric heat gun
After looking at various searing approaches incorporating the use of gas torches I wondered if heat guns might be a useful tool for searing. Heat guns are relatively inexpensive and have various tips to adjust the heat pattern. Having used both tools I believe the heat gun might be easier to use in this application. An inexpensive variable output gun can attain either 750 or 1000 degrees F. Has anyone tried this approach?
Best Answer
I doubt that it will work. A butane torch can provide a temperature of up to 1700K (1,430 °C; 2,600 °F) (according to Wikipedia), whereas I haven't seen any electric ones claiming to go above 600°C (1100°F).
While 600°C seems plenty warm to get a decent Maillard reaction going, it will take much longer than with a higher temperature, and you will probably dry out the underlying layers.
(The 'Searzall' looks like a modified butane torch, rather than an electric heat gun.)
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Can you use a heat gun for sous vide?
So a heat gun is perfect for sous-vide cooking, when you just want to add a bit of flavor and color to the outside of your steak, without further cooking the inside. I've also used the heat gun to add color to sous-vide chicken skins, and that works well too if you use a lower temperature.What is the best way to sear a sous vide steak?
Heat guns can be used to cook a variety of red meat, but they work really well in cooking steak in a precise and delicate way. Cooking meat with a heat gun offers a way for chiefs to prepare their dishes in a clean, smoke-free way, making for an unusual meal.Sous Vide HEAT GUN Experiment! Searing HUGE STEAK with a HEAT GUN
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Answer 2
Yes. The crew at Momofuku in New York invented a heat gun called the Searzall for exactly this purpose. Bon Appetit has an article on it; they're raising production funds through Kickstarter.
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