Short answer: Both the GTT Cricket and the Nortel Minor are single-stage, bench-mounted, surface-mix torches built for beads, small sculpture, and light boro, so this is a genuinely close entry-level decision. The Minor wins on availability, at about $325 on Nortel’s own US-dollar listing, and it is the torch most teaching studios already own. The Cricket is GTT’s most economical burner, listed on GTT’s own site at about $255 and tuned specifically to squeeze the most out of a small oxygen concentrator. Both sit in the entry band, about $70 apart with the Cricket the cheaper, so price is close and the decision comes down to oxygen supply and what each flame does. If you want the proven, in-stock studio standard, buy the Minor. If you are set on the GTT flame character and are running a modest concentrator, ask GTT about the Cricket.
If you are still mapping out your whole first setup rather than choosing between two specific torches, start with the complete glass torch buyer’s guide; this article zooms in on the Cricket-versus-Minor question.
The two torches at a glance
Both are surface-mix bench burners, which means fuel and oxygen stay separate until at or just past the torch face rather than mixing deep inside the head. That is the calmer, more forgiving flame family most teachers steer new workers toward. The figures below come from each maker’s own pages where we have them, and the oxygen numbers are our estimates, labelled as such. Configurations and prices change, so confirm the current spec with the maker before you buy.
| Spec | GTT Cricket | Nortel Minor |
|---|---|---|
| Mix type | Surface mix | Surface mix |
| Jets / ports | 5 jets | 7 ports |
| Stages | Single stage | Single stage |
| Mount | Bench | Bench |
| Fuel | Propane or natural gas | Propane or natural gas |
| Oxygen (estimate) | ~5.5 LPM at largest usable flame | ~9 LPM at largest usable flame |
| Price / availability | $255 (GTT’s own site), entry band | $325 (Nortel’s US list), entry band |
The last line in that table used to be the deciding one, back when we had no published figure for the Cricket. It is not any more: both torches are priced in the entry band and within about $70 of each other, the Cricket the cheaper, so the money is close to neutral and the real difference is oxygen appetite and flame character. Availability still differs, since the Minor is the torch most studios and teachers already stock.
GTT Cricket: the most economical GTT burner
The Cricket is Glass Torch Technologies’ most affordable torch: a single-stage, five-jet surface-mix bench burner. It is important to be clear about what it is not. The Cricket is standard surface mix, not Triple Mix. GTT’s patented Triple Mix technology begins with the Lynx and runs up the line above it, so the cheapest GTT burner does not carry it. The Cricket is a plain surface-mix torch with no premix element at all, so treat any claim that the entry GTT burner uses Triple Mix as simply wrong.
What makes the Cricket distinctive is the design intent behind it. GTT built it to get the best performance out of an economical concentrator in the range of 5 LPM at 5 psi, which is exactly the kind of single small unit a beginner or hobbyist is most likely to own. It is not limited to that: GTT notes it also does well on 10 LPM concentrators or on tanked oxygen. But the whole point of the torch is that it does not need a big oxygen system to give you its full, usable flame.
On the gas side, GTT rates the Cricket to run on fuel pressure as low as 1/4 psi and oxygen around 3 psi, which is consistent with GTT’s broader reputation for torches that light and hold a clean flame at very low pressures. In terms of work, GTT describes the Cricket as capable of a 1 inch solid borosilicate rod, up to a 2 inch boro pendant, and larger soft-glass pieces. That is a real working envelope for a torch positioned at the bottom of a premium maker’s range.
On price, GTT’s own site lists the Cricket at $255, which puts it in the same entry band as the Minor. Configuration and lead time still come from GTT directly, so confirm both, and the current price, before you order.
Nortel Minor: the studio-standard value king
The Nortel Minor is the torch a huge share of beadmakers learned on, and Nortel itself describes it as in use by the majority of lampworkers and teaching studios. That ubiquity is its real advantage. It is a surface-mix, seven-port bench burner with a stainless steel front end and precision needle valves, and it changes flame size through those valves rather than by swapping tips, so there are no tips to lose or switch out mid-session.
Our catalog records a flame running from about 1/8 inch up to 3/4 inch (Nortel’s current product page gives no flame dimensions), which covers the working range most bead and small-sculpture artists actually use day to day. The maker aims the Minor at beads, small sculpture, and marbles up to about 3 inches, and calls it primarily a soft-glass torch. It runs on natural gas or propane with either bottled oxygen or a concentrator, and Nortel says a single 5 LPM concentrator runs a Minor.
On pressures, Nortel’s Minor product pages (read 2026-10-06) list no fuel or oxygen pressure settings, so we do not quote one here; ask Nortel for the settings for your fuel, and do not assume a setting the manual does not state. As always, the manufacturer’s manual is the authority for your specific torch and gas supply, and it takes precedence over any general guidance here.
The Minor’s price keeps it firmly in the entry band: Nortel’s own US-dollar store lists it at about $325 (read 2026-10-17, a conversion from its Canadian-dollar price that moves with the exchange rate), about $70 above the Cricket. It is easy to find both new and used, which lowers the barrier to entry further. When people call the Minor the value king of bench torches, this combination of an entry price, wide availability, and a genuinely capable surface-mix flame is what they mean.
Oxygen supply is the real decision
For an entry bench torch, the torch is often the cheaper half of the decision. The oxygen behind it is the part that shapes your budget and your daily routine, and it is where these two torches actually diverge in a way that matters.
An oxygen concentrator pulls oxygen from room air and never runs out, but the common single unit delivers roughly 5 LPM at its best purity (larger 10 LPM units exist and cost more). Tanked oxygen can supply as high a flow and pressure as the torch needs until the cylinder empties, at the cost of refills and storage. A concentrator costs more upfront than a first set of tanks but tends to save time and money over years, which is why it is the common recommendation for beginners who plan to stick with the craft, subject to the flow limit per torch.
That flow limit is exactly why the Cricket’s design intent is relevant. With a catalog oxygen estimate of ~5.5 LPM at its largest usable flame, the Cricket is built to be satisfied by a single economical concentrator. The Minor’s estimate is higher, ~9 LPM at its largest usable flame (our placement, not a Nortel figure), so pushing the Minor to its biggest flame can ask for more than one small concentrator delivers, nudging you toward a larger concentrator, a second unit, or tanks if you want to run it wide open. Both torches will happily run smaller flames on modest oxygen; the difference shows up at the top of each torch’s range.
Editor’s note: oxygen figures here are estimates at the largest usable flame, not published specifications, and concentrator output varies by unit and altitude. Treat them as planning numbers and confirm your own supply against the torch before committing. For the full breakdown, see the guides on oxygen concentrators versus tanks and choosing a torch.
How they differ in practice
On flame character, both are surface-mix torches, so both give you the quieter, bushier, more forgiving flame that suits learning and soft-glass work. The Minor’s seven ports and needle-valve flame control give it a familiar, well-documented range from a small pinpoint to a 3/4 inch flame. The Cricket’s five jets are tuned around efficiency on modest oxygen, and GTT’s stated envelope reaches a 1 inch solid boro rod and a 2 inch pendant, so on paper the Cricket has a slightly higher boro ceiling while the Minor has the longer track record.
On glass suited, both handle soft glass comfortably and step into light boro. If your work is mostly beads and small soft-glass pieces, either torch is more than enough and the decision comes down to price, availability, and oxygen. If you already know you will push into boro pendants and small solid work, the Cricket’s stated range is worth weighing, keeping in mind you will confirm pricing with GTT.
On growth path, the Minor sits inside a large, well-known Nortel bench line, so stepping up later to a Mega Minor or beyond is a familiar route many artists have taken. The Cricket sits at the bottom of the GTT range, with the Bobcat, Cricket’s larger sibling (compared in GTT Bobcat vs GTT Cricket), and the Triple Mix torches above it, so it is also a clear on-ramp into a premium lineup. Neither torch is a dead end.
Which one should you buy?
The honest entry decision comes down to three questions.
- Do you want a known price and immediate availability? Buy the Nortel Minor. At about $325 in the entry band, stocked new and used, and already the default in most teaching studios, it is the lowest-friction way to get a capable surface-mix flame on your bench. This is the safe, proven choice for most beginners.
- Are you running a single small oxygen concentrator and want a torch designed around it? The GTT Cricket was engineered for exactly that case, and its lower oxygen appetite means you are less likely to starve the flame on a modest supply. GTT lists it at about $255; confirm the current price, configuration, and lead time with GTT before you order.
- Is a specific glass envelope your priority? If you want a slightly higher stated boro ceiling out of an entry torch, the Cricket’s 1 inch solid rod and 2 inch pendant range is worth the conversation with GTT. If your work is soft-glass beads and small pieces, the Minor covers it and saves you the wait.
For a broader entry comparison that includes the Cricket’s larger sibling, see GTT Bobcat vs Nortel Minor, and for every bench option at this price, best glassblowing torch under $500. Whichever way you go, confirm the current specification, configuration, and availability with GTT or Nortel directly before buying, and match your oxygen supply to the flame you actually intend to run. This article informs your decision; it does not replace the manufacturer’s instructions for your specific torch and setup.
Related guides
- How to choose a glass torch
- Surface mix vs premix torches
- Best beginner glass torch
- Oxygen concentrator vs tanks for lampworking
- GTT Bobcat vs Nortel Minor
Sources
- Glass Torch Technologies, Cricket product page: https://www.glasstorchtech.com/cricket
- Glass Torch Technologies, Cricket instruction sheet (minimum pressures, concentrator use): https://www.glasstorchtech.com/_files/ugd/0f433e_c1b6702c87824daabfa5936f526f3aa1.pdf
- Glass Torch Technologies, Flow Rate Chart (oxygen flow at the largest usable flame, tested on propane): https://www.glasstorchtech.com/_files/ugd/0f433e_940fa1536d544665a118116eb9542e62.pdf
- Nortel Manufacturing, Minor bench burner: https://www.nortelglass.com/minor-bench-burner/
- Nortel Manufacturing, Minor Bench Burner store listing (glass types, oxygen supply): https://www.nortelglass.com/product/minor-bench-burner/
- Bethlehem Burners, frequently asked questions (surface mix and torch selection): https://www.bethlehemburners.com/resources/frequently-asked-questions/
- Bethlehem Burners, oxygen concentrator questions: https://www.bethlehemburners.com/news/oxygen-concentrator-questions/
- Lampwork Etc. forum archive, oxygen concentrator flow discussion: https://www.lampworketc.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-183385.html
- D. A. Clarke, “Oxy Boxen” (community notes on oxygen supply): https://www.daclarke.org/ArsBrevis/oxyBoxen.html