Advanced Flat-Top Methods for Upcoming Summer Grilling

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

Get your griddle or steel ripping hot. You need to work quickly. We're preparing these for 30-60 seconds per side, and you want it shouting hot for that Maillard response, the sear that makes smashburgers legendary. I love to smash for good friends. The majority of the time, they have actually currently had our Baking Steel pizza, and I like to blend the menu.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I have actually made smash hamburgers on this thing that individuals still talk about. Smashing the beef thin takes full advantage of contact with the hot steel, activating the Maillard reaction, the chemical procedure that creates that deep, tasty, browned taste we all long for.

Your first burger and your 4th get the very same extraordinary edge-to-edge crust without the temperature level dropping. I 'd understand my family has actually been in the steel service for over 50 years at our shop in Hanover, MA. I understand this material, and I constructed these frying pans particularly to fix the heat retention issue that cast iron can't.

Flavorful Dinner Secrets for Summer 2026

Let it pre-heat for 10-15 minutes until it's ripping hot (around 500-550F). This is the same principle behind our pizza steels pack the steel with heat, and it does the work for you.

Right away smash them extremely thin (about 1/4 inch) with a stiff spatula or press. To prevent sticking, you can place a little piece of parchment paper in between the meat and the spatula. Season the smashed patties kindly with kosher salt and fresh black pepper. Prepare for 60-90 seconds. You'll see the edges turn a deep, crispy brown.

Use a bench scraper or stiff spatula to get under the patty, guaranteeing you scrape up all the crispy, browned bits. Turn it over. Instantly place a slice of cheese on the turned patty. Prepare for another 30-45 seconds to melt the cheese. Quickly toast your buns on a cooler part of the griddle for 15-20 seconds.

Comparing Flat-Top vs Outdoor Grilling Methods

Cheese melting completely on the Mini Griddle Cast iron is the standard option for smashburgers, and it works. I used cast iron for several years. But after testing both side-by-side for over a years, I switched to steel. And look, I'm not simply a guy with a viewpoint. My household has actually run considering that the 1960s.

I comprehend how it shops and transfers heat in a way the majority of people never ever believe about. That understanding is precisely what led me to develop the Baking Steel in 2012, and it's why I designed the Skinny Griddle particularly for stovetop cooking like this. Here's the distinction: That indicates it recovers temperature much faster between burgers.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Steel does not drop. You get the same screaming-hot crust on your first hamburger and your fourth. It heats up much faster and distributes heat more evenly. No locations, no cold areas. Simply constant, edge-to-edge browning. No spices, no babying. Simply cook, scrape, wipe clean. I've tested cast iron, stainless-steel, and every frying pan on the market.

Preheat the grill and steel for 15-20 minutes on high heat, then smash your burgers right on the steel. You get the very same amazing crust with the included advantage of outside cooking and that subtle smoky taste from the grill.

Mastering the Flat-Top: Essential Burger Methods

Pals lose their minds when they see it. They walk up expecting routine grilled burgers and rather they see me smashing patties on a piece of American-made steel on the grill. It's an entire thing. Perfect smash hamburgers made on the Baking Steel Original on an outside grill I designed each of these for a particular use case.

It fits on a single burner and is ideal for households or burger night with good friends. Exact same heat retention, smaller sized footprint. Utilize it in the oven for pizza, or take it outdoors and location it on your grill for smashburgers, steaks, and more.