Understanding Flat-Top versus Traditional Grill Methods thumbnail

Understanding Flat-Top versus Traditional Grill Methods

Published en
4 min read


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

Achieving Perfect French Spuds at Home

Get your frying pan or steel ripping hot. We're cooking these for 30-60 seconds per side, and you desire it shrieking hot for that Maillard response, the sear that makes smashburgers famous.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & SteakburgersFreddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers


I have actually made smash burgers on this thing that people still talk about. Smashburgers in your home are off the charts. Here's how I do it. More area equals more taste. Smashing the beef thin maximizes contact with the hot steel, activating the Maillard reaction, the chemical process that creates that deep, savory, browned taste all of us long for.

Your first burger and your 4th get the very same extraordinary edge-to-edge crust without the temperature dropping. I 'd know my household has actually remained in the steel organization for over 50 years at our shop in Hanover, MA. I understand this product, and I developed these frying pans specifically to solve the heat retention issue that cast iron can't.

Essential Culinary Tips for Juicy Griddle Patties

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

Right away smash them really thin (about 1/4 inch) with a stiff spatula or press. To avoid sticking, you can place a small piece of parchment paper 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, ensuring you scrape up all the crispy, browned bits. Flip it over. Right away position a piece of cheese on the flipped patty. 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.

Understanding Flat-Top versus Traditional Grill Methods

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

I comprehend how it stores and transfers heat in such a way the majority of people never ever consider. That understanding 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 suggests it recuperates temperature quicker between hamburgers.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & SteakburgersFreddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers


Steel does not drop. You get the same screaming-hot crust on your very first burger and your 4th. It heats up much faster and distributes heat more evenly. No hot areas, no cold areas. Simply constant, edge-to-edge browning. No seasoning, no babying. Just cook, scrape, wipe clean. I have actually tested cast iron, stainless-steel, and every griddle on the market.

Want to take your smashburger game outside? Put your Baking Steel Original directly on your outside grill grates. Preheat the grill and steel for 15-20 minutes on high heat, then smash your hamburgers right on the steel. You get the same unbelievable crust with the included benefit of outdoor cooking and that subtle smoky flavor from the grill.

Mastering the Flat-Top: Best Burger Skills

They walk up expecting regular grilled hamburgers and rather they see me smashing patties on a slab of American-made steel on the grill. Perfect smash hamburgers made on the Baking Steel Original on an outdoor grill I designed each of these for a particular usage case.

It fits on a single burner and is perfect for families or burger night with buddies. is compact and perfect for 1-2 burgers. It's fantastic for small cooking areas, houses, or solo cooking. Very same heat retention, smaller sized footprint. is the one that began everything. Utilize it in the oven for pizza, or take it outdoors and location it on your grill for smashburgers, steaks, and more.

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