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The Best Smash Burger Press of 2024
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!
Our Top Picks For Smash Burger Presses
View all ContentsThe Best Smash Burger Presses of 2024
Best Overall
The first product on our list is the four-piece smash burger kit by Cuisinart. It consists of a cast-iron press, seasoning shaker, hamburger patty papers, and a spatula. The cast-iron press is a manual, heavy-weight press with a 6-inch diameter that can help with making 6-inch flat patties. The 1cm raised edge of the press locks in the moisture and fat in the patty, ensuring that you get juicy burgers every time.
The hamburger patty papers allow you to transition from one meat patty to another without making a mess; all you need to do is place the patty paper over the patty before pressing down. You can fill the seasoning shaker with your favorite spices, including onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and more. Also, the spatula has sharp edges that make flipping the patty extremely easy.
Pros
- Heavy-weight press for consistency
- Sharp spatula edges for easy flipping
- Patty papers keep mess to a minimum
Cons
- Can go through pressing paper quickly
Most Ergonomic
This single-piece bacon press from Wener comes with a wooden handle, making it comfortable to hold, while the cast iron is hefty enough to perfectly smash patties with its 2.6 lbs weight. The press comes preprocessed and seasoned with vegetable oil, ensuring it’s ready to use as soon as it’s unpacked. The round grill press is perfect for use on any surface, whether grill or stovetop. It’s also ideal for cutting out excessive fat from patties, allowing for easy cooking. You can further reduce the cooking time of your patties by heating the press.
Pros
- Perfect for making evenly spread patties
- Useable on multiple surfaces
- Heavyweight cast-iron
Cons
- It can be a little hard to clean
Most Durable
This option from HULISEN is a stainless steel burger press with a stain-resistant, rustproof surface. The round grip handle is made with laser welding technology to maintain the grip’s firmness. The diameter of this press is 6.2 inches, making it ideal for cooking regular-sized burgers easily. You can even use the press for grilling patties, cheese, bread, paninis, etc.
Since it is a stainless steel burger press, it is lighter than iron and needs to be pressed a little harder to spread meat evenly.
Pros
- Dishwasher-friendly stainless steel press
- Firm steel handle
- Makes large burger patties
Cons
- Potential to rust if left out for extended periods
Also Great for Steak
This 5.5-inch rectangular burger grill press from Geesta is an excellent choice for pressing steak and larger cuts of meat, but you can also use it for burger patties. It is made with high-quality stainless steel and does not require excessive maintenance and caretaking like a cast-iron grill press.
This burger press is durable and long-lasting, and the ergonomic wooden handle of the press allows for an easy grip without being overly hard on your hands, meaning you can use it to apply pressure to ensure even cooking on a heated grill. Since the steel surface is flat, there is less chance of the meat sticking on the press, which makes for an easier clean-up process.
Pros
- Rectangular grill press for larger meats
- Low maintenance stainless steel
- Easy to grip wooden handle
Cons
- Wooden handle may not last very long
Most Versatile
This stainless steel burger press from Burger Iron is different from others because it allows you to press your burger patties however you like without a thickness-restricting lip. This means that your patties can be as thick or thin as you like without any design limitations. The 6” diameter of this round burger press gives you the optimal size for pressed patties and other cuts of meat. The smooth surface of the press gives a clean look to your patties and discourages any stickiness on the press. This makes cleaning and maintenance extremely easy.
The handle is tightened with two screws on either side, adding reliability and strength. There is enough space between the handle and the press for you to comfortably clutch it without touching the top of the press, which is essential because the press comes with a caution notice that it should not be left on a heated grill directly. Doing so will allow it to heat up and may result in burning your hand if touched directly.
Pros
- 6” round grill press gives the perfect shape
- No restrictive lip/ridge
- Little stickage on the press
- Easy to clean and maintain
Cons
- The wooden handle may spin
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.
People Also Asked
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.
