High-capacity tabletop cigar lighter
Alec Bradley Burner Review
The Alec Bradley Burner is a refillable tabletop cigar lighter with a broad Bunsen-style flame, piezo ignition, adjustable gas valve, and a large 1.4-fluid-ounce fuel tank. It excels as a shared indoor table lighter, but its exposed flame and wide footprint make it unsuitable for pocket carry or windy conditions.
Quick verdict
A distinctive table lighter built for capacity and even coverage
The Burner trades portability for a large tank, stable base, and wide circular flame intended to toast a cigar foot evenly. Its valve-and-button ignition takes an extra step compared with a pocket lighter, but the adjustable output and long runtime make sense for lounges and shared smoking spaces.
Best for
- Cigar users who want a dedicated tabletop lighter
- Shared smoking areas where tank capacity matters
- Readers who prefer a broad adjustable flame for even toasting
Not ideal for
- Anyone who needs a pocketable or windproof lighter
- Buyers who want one-button ignition, a fuel window, or an integrated cutter
Key Specifications
Flame
Broad Bunsen-style blue flame
Fuel
Refillable butane
Fuel capacity
1.4 fl oz
Ignition
Gas valve plus piezo button
Adjustment
External gas-control valve
Dimensions
About 3.25 H × 5 W × 3 D inches
Format
Tabletop; gift boxed
Specifications are drawn from current specialty-retailer listings. Runtime varies with flame setting; published estimates range from one to two hours. Availability, package contents, and seller terms may change.
What We Evaluated
This review examines the Burner’s documented flame style, ignition sequence, fuel capacity, controls, dimensions, intended use, availability, and recurring owner-feedback themes. Published facts are separated from editorial assessment.
How this review was prepared: This update uses current listings from established cigar retailers, the existing Butane Torch Shop article, and historical reporting from Cigar Aficionado. It does not claim independent laboratory or long-term hands-on testing.
Design, Controls, and Everyday Carry
The Burner resembles a small kettle or laboratory burner, with a chrome tank forming the base and a long handle extending from the burner head. Its broad footprint keeps it planted on a table but rules out pocket carry.
Operation uses two controls: open the gas valve until fuel can be heard, then press the piezo ignition button. The same valve adjusts flame height and must be closed fully to extinguish the lighter.
There is no fuel window, cutter, or punch. The design is intentionally specialized around capacity, stability, and a broad flame rather than portability or integrated accessories.
Flame Performance and Cigar Use
The mushroom-shaped burner produces a wide blue flame rather than a narrow pocket-lighter jet. That broader heat pattern can toast more of a cigar foot at once, but it requires space above the unit and careful flame adjustment.
Where the Burner fits best
Cigars: The broad flame and large tank suit shared tables and frequent sessions where repeated refilling would be inconvenient.
Outdoor use: Current retailer information conflicts on wind resistance. Treat the exposed flame as best suited to indoor or sheltered use rather than as windproof.
General utility: It can handle occasional lighting tasks, but a purpose-built butane torch is more suitable when sustained or precisely directed heat is required.
Fuel, Refilling, and Maintenance
The Burner is refillable with butane through the underside of the base. Follow the instructions supplied with the unit for refill orientation, stopping point, settling time, and safe flame adjustment.
Fuel quality and correct filling can affect ignition consistency, flame strength, and valve performance. Our guide to choosing butane fuel explains compatibility and purity claims, while the fuel guides hub collects product-specific information.
Stop using the lighter if it leaks, fails to shut off, produces an abnormal flame, or shows damage around the valve, cap, or burner. Never refill near an ignition source, and do not store a pressurized lighter in a hot vehicle or direct sunlight.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Large 1.4 fl oz refillable tank
- Broad adjustable flame for even cigar lighting
- Stable tabletop format
- Piezo ignition
- Distinctive conversation-piece design
- Current retailer availability
Cons
- Not portable
- Not reliably windproof
- Two-step valve-and-button ignition
- No visible fuel window
- No integrated cutter or punch
- Handle and plastic-component durability receive occasional criticism
Owner Feedback and Reliability
Current retailer reviews most often praise the Burner’s appearance, large capacity, adjustable broad flame, and suitability as a shared table lighter. The recurring drawback is the handle or plastic component feeling less substantial than the chrome tank.
Published runtime ranges from roughly one to two hours depending on flame setting. Treat that as a seller estimate rather than an independently measured result, and expect actual runtime to vary with flame height and use pattern.
How It Compares
| Decision | Alec Bradley Burner | Colibri Rebel | XIKAR Element ELX |
|---|---|---|---|
| Format | High-capacity tabletop lighter | Current pocket lighter | Premium pocket lighter |
| Flame approach | Broad Bunsen-style flame | Double-jet pyramid flame | Double jet |
| Notable feature | 1.4 fl oz tank and stable base | Visible XL tank and large adjuster | Fuel window and 9 mm punch |
| Main tradeoff | Not portable | No integrated cutter | Higher price |
Choose the Burner when tabletop stability and fuel capacity matter most. Choose the Colibri Rebel for a current pocketable double-jet lighter. Choose the XIKAR Element ELX when an integrated punch matters.
Is the Alec Bradley Burner Worth It?
Yes—for cigar users who specifically want a shared tabletop lighter with a large tank and broad adjustable flame. It is distinctive, useful, and currently available from multiple established cigar retailers.
Skip it if portability, one-step ignition, or outdoor wind resistance matters. Within its narrow role, however, the Burner offers something pocket lighters cannot: a stable communal flame source with substantial capacity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of flame does the Alec Bradley Burner produce?
It produces a broad adjustable blue flame from a mushroom-shaped burner head, similar in appearance to a Bunsen burner.
How much fuel does it hold?
Current specialty retailers list a 1.4-fluid-ounce butane capacity.
Is the flame adjustable?
Yes. The external gas valve controls flame height and must be closed to extinguish the lighter.
Does the Burner include butane?
Assume fuel is not included unless the seller states otherwise. Read our fuel-selection guide and follow the supplied filling instructions.
Does the Burner include a cigar cutter?
No integrated cutter or punch is documented for the Burner.
Is the Burner windproof?
No. Retailer information conflicts, but its exposed broad flame should be treated as best suited to indoor or sheltered use.