This Burger Press Is the Secret to My Dad’s World-Famous Hamburgers

While smashburgers might be all anyone’s talking about these days, a good old-fashioned thick-pattied burger is my dad’s specialty. He’s a strict man when it comes to hamburgers and little else: They're always cooked medium-rare and topped with American cheese, onions, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and that’s it, no substitutions allowed.  

But I’ll let you in on a family secret: What makes them special isn’t a unique blend of lean to fat ground beef, or a special sauce written on the back of a cocktail napkin. It’s this now-$25 tool he picked up from Amazon a few years back. 

To buy: Weston Hamburger Press, $25 (originally $27) at amazon.com

The Weston Hamburger Press is designed to create patties that are 4.5 inches in diameter. But when it comes to the thickness, well, that’s up to you. It can adjust from 0.25-inch patties to 1.5-inch patties in thickness. My dad likes to make burgers that are about 0.75-inch thick, and what’s nice is the gadget locks the thickness in place, so you get a consistent result every single time.

It’s easy to use: Line the inside with a square of wax paper, and then add a ball of beef (my dad uses a scale, like this one, to measure the weight out — he is a scientist, after all). Press the two sides together and push the spring-triggered button on top. Out comes a perfectly shaped patty that has a thickness consistency that your hands just can’t compete with. That means you’ll know exactly how long to leave them on the grill for flawless, juicy results.

It’s not just my dad who loves this tool. It has collected over 6,700 five-star ratings at Amazon. One shopper who says they have been making their patties by hand for a very long time, decided to give this a try. Not only does “it save time,” but the results are great, as they write that it’s “easy to crank out perfectly formed patties,” 

Another shopper adds that it’s “easy to clean” and they like that it’s made with “quality material.” And as for my dad, well, he keeps his on the kitchen counter because he uses it so frequently.

This summer, make your burgers better than ever. Grab this dad-approved burger press for just $25. And send me an invite to your next cookout. 

At the time of publishing, the price was $25.