Best Overall
Cuisinart Smashed Burger Kit
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Everybody loves a good burger after a long day. Delicious, affordable, and accessible, burgers are an easy food choice for anyone who's wondering what to eat. However, the only thing better than eating a burger is making it yourself. But to be able to make your own burgers whenever you're craving them, you would first need a smash burger press. To prepare the juiciest and steamiest burger patties, just use the best smash burger presses of 2024. We tested the best on the market and found that the Cuisinart Smashed Burger Kit is the best item to purchase. But if you want options, we've prepared plenty below!
Smash Burger Press: Buying Guide
There is a variety of griddle equipment available for chefs and home cooks to prepare delicious foods easily. However, your needs as a home chef differ from those of a professional chef, and therefore the quality of your equipment should also be important. This is not to say that you should consider low-quality products, but you’ll need to consider several factors before deciding which burger press will be the right fit for your kitchen. To help you out, we’re bringing this detailed guide with all the information that you might need regarding smash burger presses. Read on to discover how you can find the perfect burger smasher.
Smash Burgers vs Regular Burgers
A smash burger is a burger that has been smashed down with a burger press or a spatula. Smashing a burger enhances its taste and can increase juiciness. The pressing or smashing of a patty increases the surface area touching the flat surface and thus increases the amount of caramelization. This creates more flavor. A regular burger, on the other hand, is not smashed, as the patty is allowed to cook in its original form. These burgers are usually thicker than their smashed counterparts and opt for a different mouth feel. Regular burgers let you decide how well done you'd like your burger to be at the cost of caramelization. Both burgers can be equally delicious, depending on how you season and cook them.
Basting Smash Burgers
Basting is a cooking technique where a smashed burger patty is cooked in its own juices and fat that leaks out with the smashing and cooking of the patty. Basting allows the burger patty to absorb the moisture content and enhances the taste of the patty, making the burger even juicier. This method also gives a special aroma to your patty, making your burger even more delectable. You can practice basting by covering your patties, and other foods, with a basting or steaming cover. A basting cover, also called a basting dome, traps heat while your patty is cooking and promotes softness as well as juiciness.
Types of Burger Smashers
You will normally find two different types of smash burger presses or smashers: a cast-iron smasher or a stainless steel smasher.
Stainless steel smasher
If your smash burger press is made of stainless steel, here’s how you can use it to make the perfect burgers at home:
- Clean your burger press by washing it with water and soap and drying it with a towel.
- Once it is clean, you can place it on your seasoned patty and press down hard. Since steel is light, you may want to increase pressure for a better burger.
- As you smash your burger, you want to push slightly away from you. This will further smush the burger onto the griddle and prevent the meat from sticking to the smasher.
- After use, you can either wash it by hand or place the press in a dishwasher for cleaning.
Cast-iron smasher
In case you have a heavy-duty cast-iron burger press, you can do the following steps to use it properly:
- Clean your burger press by wiping it with a soft cloth or paper towel. Do not put it in water.
- Season the press with a little vegetable oil. Wipe the surface of the press with the oil to season.
- Press it down on your pre-seasoned patty to your desired thickness. You can also use it with patty paper.
- After using the press, wipe it clean with a dry towel or cloth and avoid scrubbing.
How To Choose the Perfect Smash Burger Press
Below are a couple of features that you should account for when buying a smash burger press:
Weight
A heavyweight burger press is usually preferred over lighter weight presses, as the weight helps with smashing the patty more intensely, which enhances the flavor. Cast-iron presses are heavier than steel presses, which makes them overall better candidates. However, the press should not be so overly heavy that you cannot lift it.
Shape
There are two shapes of burger smashers out there: round and rectangular. A round burger press is more common and perfect for grilling burgers. They evenly spread the meat to allow for even cooking. Round grill presses also come with a lip that restricts the thinning down of a burger patty, ensuring consistent size and thickness. Rectangular grill presses are used for steaks, bacon, and generally larger cuts of meat that need to be smashed down to encourage faster cooking.
Size
Depending on how big or small you want your patties to be, you can choose a larger or a more compact press. A regular round burger press is around 6 to 8 inches in diameter. This is perfect for a regular smash burger patty.
Material
The most common material for a grill press is cast iron. This is because cast iron is heavy-duty, durable, heat resistant, and can be found in many shapes. The weight of a cast-iron press helps with smashing patties more efficiently. You may also find stainless steel grill presses, but they are not as common nor as good as cast-iron smash burger presses.
Top Picks
- Best Overall: Cuisinart Smashed Burger Kit
- Most Ergonomic: Wener Bacon Press
- Most Durable: Hulisen Stainless Steel Burger Press
- Also Great For Steak: Geesta Smash Burger Press
- Most Versatile: The Burger Iron Burger Smasher
Reviews
Most Ergonomic
Wener Bacon Press
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Most Durable
Hulisen Stainless Steel Burger Press
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Also Great for Steak
Geesta Smash Burger Press
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Most Versatile
The Burger Iron Burger Smasher
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FAQs
How can I keep the meat from sticking to my press?
You can use patty paper on your patty before using the burger press. This avoids any mess and stickiness on the surface of the burger press.
Should I press my burger patty before grilling?
It is advisable to press your burger patties nicely before grilling. This enhances the taste and makes your burgers juicier.
Why do people add ice cubes to a patty?
Adding an ice cube to your patty while grilling prevents overcooking. It also adds moisture content to your patty, making it even juicier.
Should I leave the press on top of my burger after pressing?
You can leave the press on your burger in order to increase cooking speeds. That said, doing so will create a less moist burger, so you may not want to. Think of the press as a way to increase surface area; once that is done, it isn't necessary to leave it on.
Should I season my burger before, during or after cooking?
For smash burgers, you want to season them during cooking. For thicker burgers, seasoning the meat before cooking is fine as the seasoning will be better distributed through thicker meat.