Advanced Flat-Top Methods for 2026 Summer Grilling

I make smashburgers on steel frequently. The work is getting your burger bar together: sliced pickles, onions, cheese, unique sauce.

Get your griddle or steel ripping hot. You need to work fast. We're preparing these for 30-60 seconds per side, and you want it shrieking hot for that Maillard reaction, the sear that makes smashburgers legendary. I love to smash for friends. The majority of the time, they've already had our Baking Steel pizza, and I like to mix up the menu.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I have actually made smash hamburgers on this thing that individuals still talk about. Smashburgers in your home are off the charts. Here's how I do it. More surface area equals more taste. Smashing the beef thin maximizes contact with the hot steel, setting off the Maillard response, the chemical process that develops that deep, mouthwatering, browned flavor we all crave.

Your very first hamburger and your fourth get the very same incredible edge-to-edge crust without the temperature dropping. I 'd know my family has actually remained in the steel company for over 50 years at our store in Hanover, MA. I understand this material, and I constructed these frying pans particularly to resolve the heat retention issue that cast iron can't.

How to Cook a Premium Flat-Top Burger

Let it preheat for 10-15 minutes up until it's ripping hot (around 500-550F). This is the very same concept behind our pizza steels load 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.

Immediately smash them very thin (about 1/4 inch) with a stiff spatula or press. To avoid sticking, you can put a little piece of parchment paper between the meat and the spatula. Season the smashed patties generously with kosher salt and fresh black pepper. Cook for 60-90 seconds. You'll see the edges turn a deep, crispy brown.

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

How to Prepare a High-Quality Flat-Top Burger

Cheese melting completely on the Mini Griddle Cast iron is the conventional choice for smashburgers, and it works. I used cast iron for many years. However after checking both side-by-side for over a years, I switched to steel. And appearance, I'm not just a guy with an opinion. My family has actually run since the 1960s.

I understand how it shops and transfers heat in such a way the majority of individuals never ever believe about. That understanding is exactly what led me to develop the Baking Steel in 2012, and it's why I developed the Skinny Griddle specifically for stovetop cooking like this. Here's the difference: That indicates it recuperates temperature quicker between burgers.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Steel doesn't drop. You get the same screaming-hot crust on your first hamburger and your 4th. It heats up quicker and distributes heat more evenly. No hot spots, no cold spots. Simply constant, edge-to-edge browning. No flavoring, no babying. Simply cook, scrape, wipe tidy. I have actually tested cast iron, stainless steel, and every griddle on the marketplace.

Pre-heat the grill and steel for 15-20 minutes on high heat, then smash your hamburgers right on the steel. You get the same extraordinary crust with the included benefit of outside cooking and that subtle smoky taste from the grill.

The Ultimate Guide to Griddle Grilling Success

They walk up anticipating routine grilled burgers and instead they see me smashing patties on a piece of American-made steel on the grill. Perfect smash hamburgers made on the Baking Steel Original on an outside grill I created each of these for a particular use case.

It fits on a single burner and is ideal for families or burger night with good friends. is compact and ideal for 1-2 hamburgers. It's fantastic for small kitchen areas, apartments, or solo cooking. Exact same heat retention, smaller sized footprint. is the one that began it all. Utilize it in the oven for pizza, or take it outdoors and location it on your grill for smashburgers, steaks, and more.