Professional Flat-Top Methods for 2026 Summer Grilling

I make smashburgers on steel typically. The work is getting your hamburger bar together: chopped pickles, onions, cheese, unique sauce.

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

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I've made smash burgers on this thing that people still talk about. Smashing the beef thin optimizes contact with the hot steel, activating the Maillard reaction, the chemical process that develops that deep, tasty, browned flavor we all crave.

Your first burger and your fourth get the very same unbelievable edge-to-edge crust without the temperature dropping. I 'd understand my family has been in the steel company for over 50 years at our store in Hanover, MA. I understand this material, and I built these griddles particularly to resolve the heat retention issue that cast iron can't.

The Complete Guide to Flat-Top Grilling Excellence

Let it preheat for 10-15 minutes till it's ripping hot (around 500-550F). This is the very same concept behind our pizza steels fill the steel with heat, and it does the work for you.

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

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

Advanced Flat-Top Strategies for 2026 Summer Grilling

Cheese melting perfectly on the Mini Frying pan Cast iron is the standard choice for smashburgers, and it works. After testing both side-by-side for over a decade, I changed to steel.

I comprehend how it shops and transfers heat in such a way many people never ever think of. That knowledge is exactly what led me to invent the Baking Steel in 2012, and it's why I developed the Skinny Griddle specifically for stovetop cooking like this. Here's the distinction: That means it recuperates temperature faster between hamburgers.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

You get the very same screaming-hot crust on your first hamburger and your fourth. Just cook, scrape, wipe tidy. I've checked cast iron, stainless steel, and every griddle on the market.

Desire to take your smashburger video game outside? Put your Baking Steel Original directly on your outdoor grill grates. 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 amazing crust with the included benefit of outdoor cooking and that subtle smoky taste from the grill.

Comparing Flat-Top versus Outdoor Grill Methods

They stroll up anticipating regular grilled burgers and rather they see me smashing patties on a piece of American-made steel on the grill. Perfect smash burgers made on the Baking Steel Original on an outside 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 friends. is compact and best for 1-2 burgers. It's fantastic for small kitchen areas, homes, or solo cooking. Same heat retention, smaller footprint. is the one that started all of it. Utilize it in the oven for pizza, or take it outside and place it on your grill for smashburgers, steaks, and more.