Review: Alec Bradley’s Mega Burner Lighter
Eleven years ago, Alec Bradley released The Burner, a unique butane table lighter that emits a tall, conical flame resembling a Bunsen burner. The Burner is a fun and effective way to light up your cigar, and now Alec Bradley has debuted a larger version with a much larger fuel tank. After all, bigger is better, right?
Called the Mega Burner, the new tabletop lighter has the same lighting mechanism as the original Burner. Igniting the device starts with a turn of the small gas knob. When you hear a gentle hiss, you click the starter to create a tiny spark that ignites the gas. The same valve can then be turned to adjust the clean blue flame to the desired height.
Cigar Aficionado received a sample of the Mega Burner late last year, and we’ve been testing it ever since. Firstly, the larger fuel tank, which is about 135-mm tall with a diameter of 80 mm, is a nice addition. While it takes a lot of fuel to fill the tank (and a little more time), it’s certainly an improvement as it means you won’t have to refill as often.
According to Alec Bradley, the larger tank has a burn time of a little more than eight hours. So if it takes you about five seconds to light up a cigar, the Mega Burner’s tank is good for approximately 5,760 cigars.
While we didn’t smoke that many cigars during our testing process, we did use the new lighter to toast hundreds of cigars. We’re pleased to say that the Mega Burner performed remarkably well, its flame never sputtering or misfiring. The adjustment valve also gave us lots of control over the flame, making the device perfect for lighting up both thin and fat cigars and also good for touch ups. Additionally, we have not had to refill the Mega Burner tank—and we smoke a lot of cigars here at Cigar Aficionado.
The Mega Burner is on sale now at AlecBradley.com for $79.95.
According to Alec Bradley, the company plans to add limited-edition art series Mega Burners in the coming months. Instead of a chrome finish, the art series has painted designs and are expected to carry a higher price.
