Pro Chef Reacts... To the WORST Hamburger (Epicurious) 

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I’m glad that Emily has learned from her mistakes and has become a pretty good home chef!

So proud of Emily for being since promoted to a Level 2 Chef! She deserves it. I always love this bunch ❤

I feel like there's going to be a point where Lorenzo really can't be considered halfway between the home cook and the chef anymore. It already feels like he's more like a 7 out of 10 if you know what I mean. I almost always would prefer to eat his food!

I'm a 'new' home cook despite reaching middle-age. I spent the first seven years of my adult life using a microwave, and only discovered the joy of actual cooking once I I got a single burner that was meant for camping (unique living situation, and we will leave it at that.) I absolutely love this channel. Lorenzo and Frank are my absolute favorites, but as a beginner-level cook, I like to see that beginner level and how I might avoid certain pitfalls. I'm still learning and still screwing up, but I've moved on to other channels like Guga Foods and am pretty damn confident that I can cook a steak better than anyone I know.

13:50 while not caramelized onion, but Frank did add the onion slice to saute/grill underneath his burger patty reminiscent of an Oklahoma onion burger style. speaking of which you should check out Oklahoma onion burgers.

As a former butcher, no shop worth it's salt should be putting filler in their grind. They will have MORE than enough trim just in regular operation of processing beef to make up your grind for the day. The trim either goes into grind or gets thrown away, so there's no need for filler.

You know, watching this video now shows how much Emily has improved over the years. This video was from 4 years ago, and while she's definitely still learning, she has progressed quite a bit. I think in the more recent videos, she's even been promoted to a Level 2.

They also didn't add Jalapenos! Or at least Banana Peppers! Personally, I tend to avoid lettuce on my burgers unless it is crisp and fresh, otherwise it can drag all your ingredients off the burger when you eat it and it won't snap away. If I want a crunch on the burger, I can go with cabbage, or something like Cheetos Flamin' Hot Crunchy 'chips' on top for that added texture and heat. I also love a spicy aioli - I used to go to a friends restaurant who had a habanero aioli that was so delicious, unfortunately the restaurant is gone. I wish I had learned how to cook when I was in my 20s, but fast food was so much easier - and I worked for a pizza place, so I ate at work a lot.

Man I love your review videos. Great, subtle commentary. Never harsh, always constructive criticism. You're a really nice guy.

The humble, wholesome down to earth, fun atmosphere in this video is infectious. The two guys are having so much fun, especially lorenzo. You can tell he's having the time of his life.

As a chef of 30 years I believe the most important component of a burger is the meats used in the grind. Everything else is a matter of personal preference. A mix of chuck, brisket, and sirloin has been very popular for me. A fat percentage of 70 to 75% works well as people like the “juiciness”. Loving your videos and professional approach. Cheers!

I know it gets said a lot, but it's great to have your commentary on these videos. Seeing how a dish is made is one thing, but why things are done a certain way as well as some better options really helps people learn to cook. Thanks!

Everytime they have Lorenzo on the show, he gives good vibe. Frank's patty looks delicious, but I give the points to lorenzo. I use gouda and always go for toasted sourdough. If I add tomatoes then I don't put ketchup.

The fun thing is that I recognised my own development in those different "levels". I started out doing pretty much the same stuff as Emily, and now I'm somewhere between Lorenzo and Frank in terms of progress :) It's always nice to see that learning curve both in others as well as oneself. The only thing I can't do is to make my own ground meat, merely because I lack the adequate tools for that, but once me and my wife buy my father's house (where we currently live to save up for that moment) I'll finally have plenty of space to store kitchen appliances, and there will be major changes in the way things are run in this house (fresh veggies, large cuts of prime meat that I portion myself, no more store-bought ground meat, and I'll even butcher chickens, ducks and lambs myself) :)

Another important note about seasoning burgers: adding salt to the meat before you form patties can cause protein structures in the meat to break down and bond with one another, creating an undesirably tough final product. Always form patties first, then season just the surface right before cooking. Also, at one point Lorenzo says that searing the burger will “seal in the juices”, but that has been proven to be a myth for a long time. Searing the surface of any kind of meat doesn’t just magically make it water tight. Edit: caramelized onions are my favorite topping for burgers!! You know what’s up 😆

I like how polite you are when you speak. However, you facial expressions clearly convey your honest opinion. :-D Love it.

I really would love to see a collaboration with you and the guys at epicurious and Uncle roger as well. I really hope you get to that some day!

Seems the first cook isn't a Level 1 cook, rather a Level 0 cook. But she does seem very cheery about it all.

I like that you mention food safety and the chain of cold. I am surprised nobody knows about this.

Even if you don't have a meat grinder, what I've found works surprisingly well is dual-wielding heavy knives/cleavers over a sturdy cutting board. Just go to town for like five minutes. It won't be as fine as grinding it, but you should still be able to form a patty and the texture inconsistency is actually kind of unique and not a bad thing.

I love watching your content and listening to you go on about how stuff actually is done in a professional kitchen. Almost makes me wanna get a jumpstart on my cooking channel and have you review it!

In addition to your smooth commentary I'm glad that while you point out techniques that are less than ideal you also acknowledge their necessity when filming. Just found your channel last week and I enjoy both your commentary and your delicious recipes. +1 for the caramelised onions!

Lorenzo's cooking is getting better over time, I think it's thanks to the pro chef vs homecook series.

To be fair to Frank, he did have caramelized onions on his burger when he put onions on top of the raw patty before flipping it. I wish he had shown us the end result of the onion though. Also, Lorenzo said medium rare for his burger. He did not specify if he bought the ground meat or made it. I always cook store bought ground meat well done. You don't know how it was made and how long it was there. I do not trust the packaged date. lol

One thing, that is often overlooked, is where to put letuce. It should go between bottom bun and meat as lorenzo did, not on top of meat as emily did. It is there to prevent bottom bun to get soggy from meat juices.

Ghee in cast iron is a joy. The pan can be smoking and the ghee just melts like a dream. And a nicely aged Swiss is lovely on a burger when you are not in the mood for biting cheddar.

Didn't Frank use an onion on his burger? He said that it would carmelize when he put it on the bottom. I wonder, would you do a video on best kitchen practices, such as proper technique on cutting, and other kitchen recommendations (even how to crack and egg - I wrote you about that earlier). There are probably many techniques that you can share that will make us home cooks even better.

Chef James! Loving all the reviews you have been doing. Just a recommendation maybe to do a video where you rate all the different RU-vid recipes of the same dishes like burgers, pasta or fried rice!

Caramelized onions, and Bacon and Blue cheese. You have good taste in burger toppings sir. I like my patties at a straight medium for a normal patty (you mentioned the contents sliding, if the burger deconstructs at all [breaks], no Bueno). If I'm making a smashburger, the goal is extra crust so they will be a little bit more done.

Gas stove, non-stick skillet, preformed 80/20 or 85/15 patties about one half to 3/4 inch thick… Turn the flame to medium/medium-high, give it 30 seconds to a minute to warm up while you salt and pepper the meat, and then place the patties in the pan. They won’t sizzle too much at first, but will heat up fast, while rendering out some of the fat. Before long, they’ll be sizzling nicely. Watch the meat turn light brown on the bottom half and when that line reaches just more than halfway up, flip and press one time, holding firmly for a few seconds. By then the burger is sizzling well. The juices will start running red, and that means it’s got another couple minutes to go. That’s also a good time to toast the buttered buns on high heat in a separate pan, moving them around occasionally. When the buns are golden brown and crispy around the edge, take them off and get them ready. Once the red juices running from the meat appear shiny and lose some color, the burger is ready for the cheese. Place a slice on top, grab the lid to the pan and pour a tablespoon of water into the pan, then clamp the lid down to steam the cheese, about 30 seconds should do it. Then the burger is ready. It’ll be a little pink inside but hot throughout and that’s what you want. Garnish it however you like, but IMO it should definitely have some Mayo on both sides of the bun. Heinz 57 or HP sauce add complimentary flavors to the Mayo. That’s the way I make them and they’re so good.

Many people make the mistake of adding a lot of seasoning to their patty. It's a burger, not meatloaf. Some might think it sounds too simple, But my favorite in summer is to make a smash burger with cheddar cheese, bacon, caramelized onions, and a bit of mayo.

It's easy to make fun of Emily for burning the burger. But I like to think we've all burned a burger at least once, I know I certainly have.

Loved your inputs on the video. I completely agree with you that caramelized onions are a must in a burger (along with bacon ofcourse). I have also tried to use onion rings that are just grilled on the cast iron and then used. They have a bite and also get a bit of sweetness similar to caramelized onions. I was surprised no one put in a little bit effort to make a good sauce for the burger. If you donot season your patty separately, you need a good sauce to have a little bit more flavor than just beef. A simple one is mixing mayo, dijon mustard, ketchup and siracha with a pinch of salt (adjusting the quantities based on preferences). I actually like pepper jack in my burger and something that I picked up in one of the restaurants i visited is to put pickle slices underneath the patty while putting the onions and bacon on top of it. It makes it a little bit easier to eat. Also, I have tried Gordon Ramsay's beef patty recipe and its really good. He adds egg yolk along with a bit of seasonings.

When you are describing how too much sauce can cause the condiments slides out. Im thinking it's the water park for condiments 😂

I learned the method of covering the burger to more quickly melt the cheese from my dad who was an informally trained catering chef, and it always surprises people when I show it to them because it's one of those things that seem so obvious once you see them. You have to wonder why it's not more commonly taught.

Oh my god how much Emily has evolved leaps and bounds from this is delightful to see!

Lorenzo's bacon🍔 gets 1st 🏆. Franks slider gets 2nd.👍 Emily corrected it. Thank you Chef for your informative review.

I love your descriptions. Absolutely best at these videos. I learn so much. Thank you.

I'm recently single, and learning to cook for one. I love watching your videos... I've made a couple decent meals and getting better.. thank you for your expertise.. very helpful

Thank you for the added information you provide in this reaction video. They are very helpful indeed. I just want to mention that butter has a low smoking point so I agree when you suggested to use regular oil preferably with higher smoking point. It's much better to use animal fat (just like what Lorenzo & Chef Frank did) because they are more stable, chemically speaking. Trans fat that is produced when the butter reaches its smoking point or burning it is really bad for our health.

Emily graduated to level 2 chef. I'm so proud of her

I think we are on the same page with burgers- THINLY sliced tomato and caramelized onions are a must!

Bacon, cut in small strips, cooked low. Add diced onion once half cooked, finish together. Then cook burger in the fat. Medium low 4/10, iron pan, prevent center from puffing up. 3/4 inch well formed patty with defined edges. Bun toasted on inside, then bacon/onion mix on each side, cheese slice on top of each half, then half melt cheese slices on each half. My favorite way.

I vote Lorenzo as he's a good and doesn't overcomplicate things, Frank usually tries to be to fancy and overcomplicates things unnecessarily. Edit : after watching, I think both lorenzo and Frank were good in their own ways.

I would love to see you do a collab with them! And have Uncle Roger judge!😂

12:39 I do most of my stuff on the cutting board because it’s far cheaper to replace a cutting board than it is to replace my countertops. It also helps with clean up.

I love your taking the temperature, fiddling with your hands and use a thermometer coaching. 😂

We appreciate your effort and hard work. God bless you.

I think the Lvl 3 pro is a bit too fancy. Lvl 2 is the best. What the hell was the lvl 1 doing?? LOL

When using store ground beef you need to cook the meat through unless you want to risk getting sick from EHEC. This is the best thing with grinding your own beef, you can cook the patty so it is slightly pink which gives a juicier burger.

When I grew up we always had access to elk meat because Dad went hunting. Hamburgers on elk are really good. I like the leaner and more flavourful meat of elk over beef, but I think that's because I'm so used to it. Regarding condiments, two of the must-haves for me are garlic and mushrooms. Doesn't matter if the garlic is raw or cooked, but the mushrooms should be cooked in oil (and garlic, haha, I love my garlic). Parsley is also important, preferably in the meat. A couple of months ago, I had a hamburger in a restaurant. It was served with whipped blueberry cream as a condiment. I was a bit hesitant at first because I didn't know how it would taste, but it was absolutely delicious.

wow, I have so many comments, they are trivia tho.... :P 1- Frank and Lorenzo are your favorite, you laughed when Emily put Ketchup, so you are actually a fan of the show. 2- you said no one added caramalized onions, but Frank caramalized some onions with his meat. 3- food tourists go to Italy and Japan mostly, sometimes Thailand or France, but most tourists who go to spain go for the other fun activities (bull fighting - running from bulls - tomato wars etc..) so it's not likely they will visit spain... you can visit their countries if you want tho. 4- if you are going to be a food tourists, I suggest Asia instead, you are already good with European/Western cuisines, and you'll find that the cuisines of Latin America and Middle East are not that different, but Asian cooking is different, they use different style of tools, different ingredients, and even their common recipes are different.

Love the little helpful tips you give like chilling your metal equipment like it make sense but would never think of it

always pleasure to watch your videos. great work James !

If I had been presented those burgers, I am not sure if I would have chosen Frank or Lorenzo's. Both look equally as amazing.

As a true old school Cajun, I would put my burger against all of these. I was taught cooking by my mother, both grandmothers (born World War I era), my great grandmother (born in 1898), my great great aunt (born in 1883), the Italian cook we had when I was stationed at the American Embassy Rome (who did not speak English) and so many others that I knew and watched over the years. I think the only fair competition would be to put the chefs/cooks in the same exact kitchens with the exact same ground meat and allow them to bring their ingredients and make the best with what they have. I volunteer to be a taste tester 😉

Love how he just explains without criticism... Thanks

Very happy to see you do a reaction vid covering something pretty basic/everyday. Hey, I like sharp cheddar, too (I find a lot of people don't, 'round here) and caramelized onions (only a regular make-at-home thing for me) There's always something new to learn and the results are better than going out for something simple that I can make myself.

I love carmalized onions on burgers too. I keep some ready made in the freezer so I always have some handy.

I toast garlic in a good amount of butter, getting it brown on the outside and then lowering the heat and cooking it until it is soft, it becomes slightly crispy and sweet, i mash it up and mold it in to the burger meat, i also then toast the buns in the garlic butter that is created as a byproduct

My favorite burger is venison with pork to 80/20, bacon, caramelized onions, blue cheese, and couple leaves of fresh spinach. Have to grill the burger for the desired effect but it's amazing.

7:10 yeah, I use oil as well at home, even if its just a little bit, it helps with searing faster. Especially if the pan isn't cooking how I want. Just don't splash yourself. Though if you have a good seasoned cast iron then oil is less necessary.

If someone handed me a bathroom scale to cook on I'd mess up too. If there's no fire it's not cooking!

Wow thanks for the chilling of grinder components tip. I’m always grinding up trimmings from breaking down my caribou or moose. I’ll definitely give it a try.

A little bit of Oregano is my hack for making burger mix w/ Worcestershire. Black pepper & Lawry's coating. Rendered bacon fat = win for practically everything. I bake my bacon and reserve fat from a kilo. I agree James, caramelized onions & mushrooms are the pinnacle :D

I enjoy watching your videos, I've been catching up on the collection since the beginning of the channel :) Comparing cuisines from all over the world (so far I've mainly played with old Polish cuisine and a bit of Chinese) teaches a lot, and you pass the knowledge coolly - an extra plus. Hamburgers are such a total non-Polish dish that the best I've had is at MacDonalds :D Sorry. But we have something similar here, only we use pork, not beef. And it's best if it's finely chopped, not ground (but I'm rarely desperate enough to chop). An egg is added to the meat, some caramelized onions. Some also coat in breadcrumbs before frying. In addition - we serve only on one half of the bun, the toppings are different, mainly lettuce and pickles. But we mainly treat it as a cutlet and eat it with side dishes.

I love a good burger. I think a lot of burger places (at least near me) overdo it with too much meat and topping. I also find a lot of them too greasy as well. My perfect burger is good beef (slightly pink or just barely cooked through), Edam, bacon, pickles, red onion, ketchup, yellow mustard and a toasted brioche bun. A bit middle of the road perhaps, but I never tire of it.

problem with a meat thermometer is juices tend to leak out of the hole you make if you flip it. I have a great thermometer but I hate the juice leak :(

I just literally made burgers yesterday when this video came out. After watching it today, I am happy that I used caramelized onions. Sure the patties were store-bought, but of a high-quality brand/meat. I will definitely try a different cheese than cheddar next time, probably a stronger flavoured one, as I barely tasted the cheese under the strong taste of the meat and caramelized onions. Instead of ketchup, opted for a nice barbecue sauce instead, and ruccola for the salad. Just used a very sparse amount of sunflower oil and spread this over my thick bottomed grill-pan, later added the bacon. I might next time first throw in the bacon and leave out the oil though. The patties about 3-5 minutes on each side and then having the cheese melt on top of it worked almost perfectly, since the pan is square, I don't have a proper lid to melt the cheese faster. The meat was just slightly pink-ish and super juicy (and the caramelized onions and bacon also added some juices). I also toasted the buns in the same grill pan; store bought as I don't have that much time. I really would have loved to add pickles, but since they come in big jars and I don't eat pickles otherwise, I didn't get any.

I do agree with you on the use of a thick wall pan but.. I use a thin walled stainless steel pan at home for burgers but.. I'll turn the heat on high then once it comes to temp while I get everything ready while it's coming to temp. I will then turn my burner down between medium and low pop the burgers in for less then 30 seconds on the first side. Then after I flip them I place the lid on the High Wall Frying Pan I use. I never burn them or kill the meat/make well done.

Cooking is fun. Whether you keep it simple or add the extras, it is fundamentally important to get the basics. The burgers all looked da bomb but having the caramelized onions would have made it perfect

While I was a meat cutter many years ago we always ground our meat frozen, but that was an industrial size grinder. I recommend soft freeze to the smaller grinders.

As a professional chef for 23 years I have to say, please don't put bread in your burgers. It's not meat loaf and you don't need filler to make more money like restaurants. Also don't use seasonings that will burn in the cooking process, add them later. Bread does not add flavor. It might help hold moisture, but if you don't press your burgers while cooking, and use enough fat content, it'll turn out great. Another way to add moisture is to marinade the ground beef. Wrapping it in plastic wrap and leaving it overnight gives the meat time to soak up the juices. I recommend making pickles much longer than 1 week before serving. Fermenting genuine dill pickles takes 3 to 4 weeks at 70°F. Refrigeration pickling takes even longer.

Love this channel so much!

Love caramelized onions on my burgers. Mushrooms are a close 2nd. I buy a 1/4 cow (grass fed) every year so the butcher processes all my ground beef at that time. I do tell them what cuts I want made into the ground beef then the scraps are added as well.

Hello Chef! 😀 I have to address the work the meat thing first... NO!!! People worry about that too much but I do agree there is a point you want to be easy. I learned this a long time ago and quite fitting that I'm half Italian I do a brief mix for the seasonings, then make them 8oz. patties on a sheet tray 5 rows of 4 balls. I quickly pack them into meatballs place them on the sheet tray, and then use a ring to press them down easy peasy and the meat is in good shape and cooks nicely. I had plenty of chefs that didn't have a patty press, but it's more fun this way. Finally, the way Lorenzo stacked his burger is the same way I do it. It's simple physics, why do so many pile everything on top, especially if one side of the patty puffed up a little, they pile it on anyway. Oh, and caramelized onions!!! 😄😄😄😋😋😋 P.S. I used to meat grind and my boss would have me grind prime rib cut and we sold those burgers out extremely fast! 😋😋😋😋😋😋

You don't need all that stuff in your burger! Salt and pepper. I've always just pulled the beef off the corner of the ground packaging, gently form into circle. Then salt/pepper and toss into the cast iron. Comes out so juicy every time and if you don't move the burger around a lot in pan, it won't fall apart. Flipping I just use a fork and my finger to gently set it down. Once the crust forms it holds together pretty well. Also, caramelized onions are easily the best burger topping haha. I'll typically toss a nob of butter into the pan after flipping it the first time. Drizzling a little olive oil over the nob will prevent it from burning. Then you get that beautiful foamy butter which works great for caramelizing onions right in the same pan.

James, 100% right. I always put caramelised and light seasoned onions on my wagyu burger.

Great video! I would use hard cheddar as my go-to cheese for the burger, as it's fairly easy to get good ones here and IMO superior to American cheese. And I agree with caramelized onions! Sometimes caramelized onions can make up for the subpar taste store-bought patties can have (the ones here use throwaway cuts and are pretty tough to chew if you grill them straight from the freezer).

3:20 - Breadcrumbs were added to any kinds of meatballs here mainly out of poverty. When I do burgers, I do prefer to add half an egg to an egg to it for the same effect. Dont konw if thats the best approach. But its the one I enjoy. 6:00 - I take a tad bit more fatty meat and just add a tiny bit of oil on the spot where I drop it and let the beef fat do the rest. And get it a bit more crusty on the outside.

Hi Chef James Makinson, I recently watched one of your older videos where you briefly talked about kitchen appliances and their manufacturers. I think with your expertise, you could create an informative video where you list the most important kitchen appliances and mention the best manufacturers according to your opinion. Would you be interested in making such a video? I believe it would be very helpful for those of us who are looking to upgrade our kitchen appliances. Thank you! (You mentioned Rational ovens and Josper grills)

I recall a Sorted video where they explain that where you put the salt has a huge impact. I think on of the suggestions was putting it on the tomatoes.

Emily was great on Epicurious... so delightfully inept. Having been taught from an early age by a professionally trained cook (my grandmother was a child minder and kitchen aide/line cook for a rich Jewish family in the interbellum), it was fascinating for me to see how oblivious Emily was to things going completely wrong, often of her own doing. She did improve over time though.

It's almost 11:30am and now I'm hungry 🍔 Great video as always James 🖤

great video mate. you are true professional

I actually like a LITTLE bit of bread crumbs in my hamburgers, but not as much as most people add, I also skip adding liquid or eggs to the crumbs because it waters down the beef flavor and gives it that meatloaf texture people talk bad about when adding it to burger meat. The meat doesn't need a binder and you want the crumbs to absorb the meat juices not other liquids. If done right, the burgers won't lose as much fat through cooking and stay Juicier without losing beef flavor or change texture to something that doesn't resemble burger patties.

in NC we have what we call a carolina style burger where they add coleslaw and chili to the burger, its so messy but so good

I wouldn't be able to tell if I would prefer Frank's or Lorenzo's burgers. I do mix in salt and MSG with the ground beef nowadays. I might have to try on the outside of the burger right before cooking next time. The salt is definitely a key to a good burger. The MSG gives it an extra boost, though gives it a fast food burger taste.

13:51 Yes!! I was thinking the exact same thing! Personally I like aioli on my burger too. Dope video!

I use provolone on my burgers, unless I'm doing a barbeque burger, then it's cheddar. But for toppings, for a regular burger, provolone, ketchup, mustard, bacon, sautéed onions, egg over easy. For BBQ burger, cheddar, BBQ, bacon, crispy thin onion rings, sautéed onions, egg over easy.

How awesome would it be to see you yourself on Epicurious, Chef!

I learned that I already make a pretty decent burger - and I totally agree on the caramelised onions! My favourites are red onions with a dash of balsamic, paired with arugula salad, and a dijon mustard/ honey condiment..

Also I agree I love grilled and caramelized onions on my burgers one of my favs is with onion, mushrooms, special sauce and bacon :)

My grandmother always insisted you had to select the meat you wanted and then have the butcher grind it or grind it yourself at home. She also knew what a roux was, which baffled all of us because we couldn't figure out where on earth she'd learned that stuff - she wasn't an enthusiastic cook, she didn't collect cookbooks, and this was in the days before cooking tv. But I learned to pay attention to the contents of your ground meat from her for sure. (My current favorite for burgers - since we are in the RV and I don't have as many of my tools as normal - is ground waygu or Kobe mixed with Penzey's Greek Seasoning. The salt in the Greek seasoning does change the texture of the meat a little but for the Greek flavor I find it works because it makes it feel a little more like a gyro than like a burger with greek stuff sprinkled on top. Cucumber salad with yogurt and garlic and mint and salt and pepper, and either pita bread or rice pilaf, and you have a nice meal that's easy to make in the RV with limited kitchen space and limited water for cleaning up.)

I think epicurious is probably the worst representation of what you should do at home EVER. George Motz will show you how to make a good burger that most of us will enjoy. If you want a transcendent burger, swing by a decent butcher ask for a custome blend between pork/beef, grab your favorite cheese and toppings, or do pure like i do. Next start your prep, you can mix in onion or garlic powder into the ground beef for flavor if youre using store bought (personally i dont, i like to share some with the dog). Set aside your toppings and depending on how much you want to add your burger start heating the pan, i work off of an induction cooktop and i set it to 325 on a cast iron skillet because of how well the skillet holds heat. Next I add a few patties to the skillet, personally i prefer a pub style patty so its usually a little over a quarter lb patty for a double and a thicker roll to hold up to the size of the half lb burger, but potato rolls are next level with smash burgers especially. Cook till brown on one end flip, and cook till brown to desired doneness, ideally with thicker burgers you want a thermometer to be sure the center hits 130ish (especially with butcher blend). You can toast your bun in butter if you like, honestly i do it before i cook the burger for less mess. There is a cool thing i saw via Kenji Lopez Alt, he has a flat strainer he can slap over the pan to avoid splash from the burger and still let the air through so you dont have condensation dripping back into the grease and creating that grease splash and pop. Lastly you want to combine all the ingredients, I personally believe that burgers are an expression of whatever you want, if you like thick as hell tomato slices and big ol leafy lettuce go for it, slidy messy burgers arent really a downside if youre home cookin. Couple tips, some really good burgers to look into are Kenji Lopez, George Motz, and Guga. Not a fan of anyone elses per se, i think Gordon Ramsay makes a crap burger. Get a decent spatula, a nice wide spatula changes things. Also get some good sauce recipes, you can look into how to make Freddys Fry Sauce, Big mac sauce, a decent bbq sauce, and mayo all homemade and itll be amazing addition. Theres a really good video by Ethan Chelbowski (hope im spelling that right) he has a recipe for some really good pickled red onions.

On the rare occasions that I make from bulk ground beef burgers I actually mix in a fair amount of honey to the meat. When I make the paddy I do minimize the amount of handing. Between both of those I get some sweetness to the meat and a tender burger. I also only cook in cast iron with a lid as my burgers tend to be on the thick side and having the lid makes sure that everything is cooked through as I like my burgers well done.

I have to say, rarely i get to eat burgers where things dont fall out after the first bite. Its like all small restaurants or food trucks and even my friends want to put so many things inside it to make it interesting and i just need something i dont need a fork and knife to eat. It made me burger averse :)

im pointing out since everybody says supermakets put scraps meat into the grinded meat here in portugal, at least in everyplace i know its common practice to only grind meat at the costumer request, it will most likely be of the meat on display called "rojoes" wich are basicly cubes. or u get prepacked grinded meat and those u can clearly see some more fat added

I do think your point about induction burners is relevant to these Epicurious videos. I'm guessing they all have gas or resistance coil electric at home, and the induction seems to catch them out sometimes, like when Frank messed up his paella.