Crate & Barrel Hamburger Press
Full Burger Press
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There’s a burger I like to make, it’s called “The Frisco.” Why? I have no idea. But at some point in my adult/grilling life, the idea for a ½ pound of ground buffalo meat stuffed with gorgonzola cheese along with some chives, a dash of Louisiana Hot Sauce, a drop of Olive Oil, and sea salt was conjured up. This is to be served on two slices of fresh lightly grilled sourdough bread, with one generous slice of Grainger County Tomato, and a dollop of chipotle mayo. Perhaps I’ll take the time to write about it in an article, though I doubt it’ll stack up to the Gear Burger.
With grilling season upon us and, consequently my cravings for burgers increasing, I’ve been keeping my eye out for some tools to aid in the production of said burgers.
The Hamburger Press from Crate & Barrel fits the bill perfectly. It’s functional, stout, and pretty reasonable at 20 bucks. It helps prepare two perfectly sized ½ lb. burgers that fit most types of buns and, in this case, “The Frisco.” All you do is mix your ingredients, mash the appropriate amount of ground-deliciousness into the press, and grill away. The non-stick finish also makes removal a breeze. Press your way to burger heroism.
Editor’s Note: It’s official, the Hamburger Press is now one of my requisite grilling tools.
Cost: $20
Eric,
I LOVE making burgers! Especially, coming up with different recipes. The one thing I haven't been able to nail down in my burger making is the actual making of the patties. This tool looks perfect! I really want to try this. Great find!
I'm with you, Torrey. Without fail, at least one of my burgers falls apart during grilling.
I have to agree: it's the size and chunkiness of my burgers that perplexes me most. Too fat and they are a little rare; too thin and they're too dry. I reckon this burger press will help me get around my burger-thickness-anxiety issues nicely. Anyone out there got any cooking tips tho: turn once, press down flat while cooking, close lid on BBQ…? Thanks!
Here are some tips.
- Never use all lean meat. You need the fat to make them juicy and tasty. This is no time to be "health conscious". You need to use a little chuck.
- Don't over mix the meat. Squishing and squeezing leads to lead bricks.
- NEVER EVER press the meat down on the grill. It forces out all the juices. See my first tip.
- If you grind your own meat, use my great aunt's trick, ice cubes. I swear, you'll get the juiciest burgers ever. Just a couple cubes per pound of meat.
- Lastly, if you are uncertain, use an instant-read meat thermometer. For pre-ground meat, I cook to almost well done because bacteria thrives on the outside of meat. Once it is ground, you move bacteria to the inside. If I grind it myself, there is no time for bacteria to flourish yet. I'm not afraid of dry burgers because I follow the rules.
Hope this helps.
Jason -
Awesome tips. Never heard of adding ice cubes, but I'm game for anything that produces a juicy burger.
A long time friend of mine reminded me that I called the above mentioned burger "The Frisco" because of the origination of sourdough bread in San Francisco. My hopes of a more original reason have been dashed.
A long time friend of mine reminded me that I called the above mentioned burger "The Frisco" because of the origination of sourdough bread in San Francisco. My hopes of a more original reason have been dashed. Thanks Tim.
well I was bidding on one on Ebay but some of you guys must of been doing the same. I gave up and went the the C&B website. Should be here later this week.
This is a great Grill tool…It goes right with the vegetable basket for your grill. Not all men need both, but those that are married know that the wife likes the grilled vegetables. Not to mention this makes things that much easier after a round of golf while checking up on your My Golf Spy updates during the grilling process.