How to Use Grill Press for Hamburgers

Nothing beats the joy and summer sizzle that comes with grilling from the comfort of your home. When the weather is a bit chilly, you might not have the luxury of using the huge grill stationed at the backyard, and with that you can turn to quick fixes like burgers. A grill press has several other names, so you might come across it as steak weight, hamburger press or cast iron press.

However, only one thing remains unchanged: it’s the only hack to perfectly-grilled hamburgers. This on the other hand equally depends on how best you can handle this gadget. So, if you have been having trouble catching up, here’s all you need to know about how to use grill press for hamburgers cooksillustrated:

Why Use A Grill Press?

You can never appreciate how key a grill press is unless you try making a number of patties by hand. You’ll see how much time and energy a single piece can consume; something you can solve using this appliance. With it, you’re guaranteed of perfect shapes achievable in just minutes. Basically, it does all the work, from shaping, pressing to grilling.

The better part is that it’s not only limited to hamburgers and as the name suggests, it’s basically great for grilling any type of meat.  At the same time, all these are only achievable when you have a quality and effective grill press brands.

A simple Guide on How to Use Grill Press for Hamburgers cooksillustrated

Divide. First determine the burger sizes you prefer, then dive the meatballs into the desired patty sizes. From each meatball, shape them further into big and smaller balls.

Press. You don’t have to use your bare hands here, so place the bigger ball in the press dish and create a depression by pressing using the smaller cap. Place all your seasonings in the depression and cover it up with the smaller meatball afterwards.

However, you have to be selective with the fillings or seasonings used here so that you don’t end up with delicate stuff which don’t go well with the weight of the press. Press the stack, making sure that you trim off the excess meatballs on the sides. You can cut down the number of times you have to press patty pieces by investing in a versatile brand that can handle two or more at the same time.

Cook. Place your patties on a preheated and seasoned grill plate, ensuring that the pieces are well spaced. Cover them with the grill press and let it cook to your perfection.

Things to Consider When Using a Grill Press

• Pre-heat correctly

The best way to ensure that you get the plates ready in minutes is preheating them directly, over a medium heat. To have them ready at a go, you can heat them up side by side if you have several burners. With such, the heat will equally be retained longer, making the food get ready evenly.

• Patty position

You need to space the patty in such a way that it evenly gets the heat from both the grill plate and the press. Otherwise, you’ll have to grill the sides in turns so that they get ready evenly. If you always make more, you should consider investing in a large-sized grill press to accommodate more pieces in a single round.

• Monitor the cooking

The duration your patties take to get properly-cooked depends on how well you preheated the grill and also on the thickness. This is basically why the cooking time is estimated, so that you don’t end up with burnt or half cooked pieces.

Something to mention is that leaving the press on the food for long could also crush or smash whatever you’re grilling. Therefore, always remove it the moment you achieve your ideal sear.

• Nature of steak

Now, a grill press is highly recommended for juicy burgers, but then before using it, here’s something you should know. As its nature, the pressure from the cast iron will certainly push most of the moisture out of the meat, which then leaves you with a delicious crust. Therefore, if you prefer your steak medium-rare and are not willing to sacrifice this juice, you can explore other options.

Conclusion

The secret to a better-performing grill press is maintenance, considering that most of them are made with cast iron. So, as you continue learning how to use grill press for hamburgers, you should also remember to season, clean and store the appliance properly before and after use. That’s the only guarantee to durability and efficiency.