Burger press?


 
JohnTak

JohnTak

TVWBB Pro
Any recommendations for a burger patty press? My friends like Loco Moco, hamburger patty with gravy and rice with a fried egg on top. I have been weighing out the meat and forming 1/4 lb balls then pressing a plate down on top. Slow but works, looking for something faster.
 
I have the Weber branded one and I'm generally happy with it, but I don't have anything to compare it to. It's set up for 1/4# and 1/2# burgers, but I sometimes like 1/3# patties so I make it work. You need to put wax paper in it so you can get your patties out. Again, I'm not sure if this is normal with other presses. I'd love to hear other people's opinions too.
 
I have an adjustable aluminum one......and one that makes a juicy lucy.

90% of the time I just use my hands and make patties. It just seems like too much trouble to get out a press, and wash it afterwards. Even if I'm making 6 to 12 burgers.... It only takes a few moments by hand.
 
JohnTak said:
Any recommendations for a burger patty press? My friends like Loco Moco, hamburger patty with gravy and rice with a fried egg on top. I have been weighing out the meat and forming 1/4 lb balls then pressing a plate down on top. Slow but works, looking for something faster.
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i'd recco a good scale that does metric and other measurements. consistency is the key to good burgers. i weigh each raw ball, depending on what size burger i am making so they all cook at the same rate and get served at the same time.

you can make a good pub burger, say 5-8 oz by hand in no time. if you want smashies, go smaller on your ball size, say 2-4 oz, and then place a ball atop parchment paper and place another parchment paper atop the ball, then smash with a spatula for evenness. then peel the burger off the parchment paper and put on a plate until all your burgers are shaped. cold beef is easiest to work with. and work quickly and don't over compress your burger. the key is the longer you manhandle your meat, the more fat you'll melt out of it.

don't waste your time on a burger press. unitools are just that. and they waste space and you'll wind up not using it over time. JMO. do as you wish.
 
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I think a press is good if you want to freeze the patties. That way, the burgers are flat and there are minimal pockets of air between the burgers which might cause freezer burn. Fresh burgers - I'd do them by hand.
 
Brett-EDH said:
i'd recco a good scale that does metric and other measurements. consistency is the key to good burgers. i weigh each raw ball, depending on what size burger i am making so they all cook at the same rate and get served at the same time.

you can make a good pub burger, say 5-8 oz by hand in no time. if you want smashies, go smaller on your meal size, say 2-4 oz, and then place a ball atop parchment paper and place another parchment paper atop the ball, then smash with a spatula for evenness. then peel the burger off the parchment paper and put on a plat until all your burgers are shaped. cold beef is easiest to work with. and work quickly and don't over compress your burger. the key is the longer you manhandle your meat, the more fat you'll melt out of it.

don't waste your time on a burger press. unitools are just that. and they waste space and you'll wind up no using it over time. JMO. do as you wish.
Click to expand...
I have a scale and agree it is important. I weighed my eye ball estimates and guessing is just that! 😂
 
I have the Weber one, mainly so my 9 year old can use it and make the patties. Turns out, it’s too slow so hands it is!
 
Yeah we have the tupperware one. Oddly I thought this thread question was for a press to make smashed burgers
 
For making patties I have a Mainstays 1/3 lb. press from Walmart. I really like it because the meat sits on a removable plate with a handle for lifting the patty out of it and it also forms a nice dimple.
Patty Press.jpg
For a smashing press I've got a cast iron Cuisinart that has a rim around the parameter to make uniform thickness patties.
Smash Press.jpg
 
I have one but I pretty much only do smash burgers anymore. I have the half griddle for the Q and I'll smash and start on the griddle side, then finish on the normal grill side to get some actual flame and smoke on them. My wife loves thin patties so it's pretty much my go to process now.
 
I had to make 15 smash burgers the other day.
About the first thing I did was pull out the scale.
Making the burger balls didn’t take much time at all and after a couple I was real close to my target weight.
 
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