When I started brewing I got one SQ-10 bayou classic burners. May not be the greatest fit for brewing, (more on that later) but it's one of those things that's just good to have.
Living in MD, blue crabs are a summer favorite, and these cookers are great for steaming crabs. Like cooking Thai and other Asian foods? Woks work so much better on a really potent burner. Deep fried turkey? Still haven't tried that one yet...
When I started brewing I did a few full volume extract kits, helped show me a few things I hadn't considered before I switched to all grain BIAB. I've since gone electric, and haven't looked back. No CO to worry about in my garage, and opens up a realm of possibilities for automation/control. I'm a full time engineering tech/EE student, and I'm steady drooling over ideas for control panel design. You may not have the space for an electric setup, but as a EE you'd probably get a kick out of it.