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Cooking with a Heat Gun

Heat guns are an awesome piece of kit that blow out concentrated hot air and are used for a variety of purposes, such as welding metal and plastic together as well as in manufacturing. However, another industry where heat guns get put to good use is in the culinary industry as they have been used by premium chiefs to help crispen up a variety of dishes that range from dessert to decadent meats. 

However, there’s an art to cooking with a heat gun; if done incorrectly, it can quickly become a tool that destroys your meal. With that in mind, here is how heat guns are used in cooking and what dishes it’s best used for. There’s a reason that this device is now a common kitchen item in the best restaurants as it offers great control and awesome results. 

Searing 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.

As a leister heat gun can easily reach temperatures of 1300F, it has become an effective way of cooking luxurious meats super quickly, with sous-vide meat only taking approximately 5 minutes to sear depending on how much browning the diner wants. When using a heat gun, you’re supplying concentrated heat to the surface of a steak, which makes it an ideal way to prepare a thinner cut of meat. It’s also really hard, if not impossible, to overcook a steak with this method, making it a great way to add a bit of color and flavoring to a rare steak. 

Adding a Unique Touch to Ground Beef


The heat gun's precise and intense heat can be skillfully applied to beef patties or meatballs, creating a beautifully seared exterior while preserving the meat's internal succulence. Take Wagyu ground beef, for example. This method accentuates the rich, buttery flavors inherent in wagyu beef, thanks to its superior marbling. The heat gun ensures that these flavors are highlighted without overpowering, offering a clean and sophisticated way to enjoy this luxurious meat variant.


Desserts 

Heat guns are also great at browning and melting other types of food, particularly sweet treats. It’s a really great tool for roasting marshmallows as it requires no fires to be started and offers a precise stream of hot air, meaning you can make the marshmallows exactly as you like. It’s also a great finishing tool to make decadent items such as souffles, or melting sugar over a delicious crème brulee. Of course, desserts are far more delicate than steak, and because of this, it’s important to reduce the temperature when using this method; otherwise, you’ll burn the items instantly. 

Crispy Chicken 

Heat guns aren’t just great at searing steak. They can also be a great tool to make your poultry super crispy and tasty. When used at a lower setting, the heat can be applied to the skin of roast chicken or chicken wings to add an extra element to the skins. Be sure to cook the chicken first as the heat gun won’t be able to penetrate the whole dish. 

It’s also great at searing the skin of pork, which can be a delicious idea as it can create some awesome crackling. Using a heat gun is a super clean and easy way to make meat juice, but it also produces super snappy pork crackling, which can intensify your hog roast or BBQ and take it to the next level. 


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