Mastering the Griddle: Best Burger Methods

I make smashburgers on steel often. They are bad ass and when you attempt it by doing this, you'll never ever go back. I created the Baking Steel back in 2012 for pizza however truthfully, smashburgers might be the important things I cook on steel more than anything else nowadays. The work is getting your burger bar together: chopped pickles, onions, cheese, special sauce.

Get your griddle or steel ripping hot. We're cooking these for 30-60 seconds per side, and you desire it shrieking hot for that Maillard response, the sear that makes smashburgers legendary.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I have actually made smash hamburgers on this thing that individuals still speak about. Smashburgers at home are off the charts. Here's how I do it. More surface location equates to more taste. Smashing the beef thin makes the most of contact with the hot steel, activating the Maillard response, the chemical procedure that produces that deep, savory, browned flavor all of us crave.

Your first burger and your 4th get the same incredible edge-to-edge crust without the temperature dropping. I 'd understand my family has actually remained in the steel business for over 50 years at our store in Hanover, MA. I comprehend this material, and I constructed these griddles specifically to solve the heat retention problem that cast iron can't.

Professional Flat-Top Strategies for 2026 Summer Grilling

Let it pre-heat for 10-15 minutes until it's ripping hot (around 500-550F). This is the very same concept behind our pizza steels pack the steel with heat, and it does the work for you. Gently divide the ground beef into 4 x 4 oz (115g) balls. Do not overwork the meat; simply form it into a loose ball.

Season the smashed patties generously with kosher salt and fresh black pepper. Prepare for 60-90 seconds.

Prepare for another 30-45 seconds to melt the cheese. Quickly toast your buns on a cooler part of the frying pan for 15-20 seconds.

The Ultimate Guide to Flat-Top Grilling Success

Cheese melting completely on the Mini Frying pan Cast iron is the standard option for smashburgers, and it works. After checking both side-by-side for over a decade, I switched to steel.

I understand how it shops and transfers heat in a manner many people never ever believe about. That knowledge is precisely what led me to invent the Baking Steel in 2012, and it's why I designed the Skinny Frying pan particularly for stovetop cooking like this. Here's the distinction: That implies it recuperates temperature quicker between burgers.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Steel doesn't drop. You get the exact same screaming-hot crust on your very first burger and your fourth. It heats up faster and disperses heat more equally. No hot spots, no cold areas. Simply consistent, edge-to-edge browning. No spices, no babying. Simply cook, scrape, wipe clean. I've evaluated cast iron, stainless-steel, and every griddle on the marketplace.

Preheat the grill and steel for 15-20 minutes on high heat, then smash your hamburgers right on the steel. You get the exact same incredible crust with the added benefit of outdoor cooking and that subtle smoky flavor from the grill.

Savory Dinner Inspiration for Summer 2026

They walk up expecting routine grilled hamburgers and instead they see me smashing patties on a slab of American-made steel on the grill. Perfect smash burgers made on the Baking Steel Original on an outdoor grill I developed each of these for a specific usage case.

It fits on a single burner and is ideal for families or burger night with buddies. is compact and perfect for 1-2 hamburgers. It's great for little kitchens, apartment or condos, or solo cooking. Very same heat retention, smaller footprint. is the one that started everything. Utilize it in the oven for pizza, or take it outside and place it on your grill for smashburgers, steaks, and more.