Alcohol burner

An alcohol burner is used to produce an open flame. It can be made from brass, glass, stainless steel or aluminum. Alcohol burners are among the most economical ways to sterilize tools used for agar work.

While they do not produce flames as hot as other types of burners, they are sufficiently hot for performing some chemistries, standard microbiology laboratory procedures, and can be used for flame sterilization of other laboratory equipment.

Use of alcohol burners inside a still air box is not recommended because alcohol vapors used to disinfect the interior are flammable. Sterilization of scalpels or other tools should be done outside of the still air box.