Fry top - cast iron or carbon steel?

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Soldato
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Looking to get a fry top/griddle for smash burgers and steak (the latter we don’t cook that often tbh)

Madein do a carbon steel one but it’s just a little too small to go nicely across two of the rings on our range https://www.madeincookware.co.uk/products/carbon-steel-griddle

Pro Cook do an enamel coated cast iron one which is a lot cheaper — but I’m assuming that wouldn’t work as well for smash burgers, and you’d damage it by scraping etc? We have a couple of Le Creuset casserole pans and tbh they’re great for slow cooking, but they do my head in because everything sticks to them to start with (eg browning meat). So I’d imagine the Pro Cook one would be the same.

On the flipside, I’m debating swapping a lot of our frying pans with some stainless steel, so maybe if we get a set that includes a big flat pan then we can use that for smash burgers…
 
That looks the bees knees the one you’ve linked. I’ve no idea if madein are any good or not.

I wouldn’t get the enamel coated one either for the reason you suggested.

I’ve got a flat le creuset grill rectangle one that’s cast iron which works great for exactly what you want.

I made them the other day :-


bxwEQhP.jpeg

aMnG4Cm.jpeg

Don’t have a photo with the fries.

Yes, stainless steel uncoated pans are the way to go
 
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Reuben klang said:
That looks the bees knees the one you’ve linked. I’ve no idea if madein are any good or not.
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Cheers. I’m a bit suspicious of Madein still because my insta feed is full of ads about them- whilst they profess not to be an “influencer brand”. But my friend bought some pans and said they’re really excellent, and I found an old Serious Eats article where they were well recommended too.

Burgers look good, btw. I need space for four patties though. Two doubles all the way
 
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I've got enamelled baking trays and I scrape them silly all the time, metal utensils, and hardly a mark on them. Nearly as good as non-stick with a bit of fat involved. They have a shiny finish unlike my le creuset casserole which has a dull finish with quite a few marks on. Think I'm trying to say, don't dismiss enamel out of hand.
 
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Scam said:
Cheers. I’m a bit suspicious of Madein still because my insta feed is full of ads about them- whilst they profess not to be an “influencer brand”. But my friend bought some pans and said they’re really excellent, and I found an old Serious Eats article where they were well recommended too.

Burgers look good, btw. I need space for four patties though. Two doubles all the way
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Not sure if you’d manage to fit 4 on it in one go. FWIW this is from the order:-



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Cast Iron Rectangular Griddle


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£105.00


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32 cm

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Cerise

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1

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Looked a lot better on the post before that! It’s a 32cm one I got!
 
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Raymond Lin said:
thought about getting one of these to make burgers
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Thing is, a lot of the flavour from smash burgers comes from the burnt bits that you have to scrape off. I’m just not sure cast iron would work well for that. And you might wreck it?
 
Scam said:
Thing is, a lot of the flavour from smash burgers comes from the burnt bits that you have to scrape off. I’m just not sure cast iron would work well for that. And you might wreck it?
Click to expand...

I hadn't thought about it enough but good point. I also don't make enough burgers to warrant it anyway. I still use my carbon steel for burgers.
 
Reuben klang said:
That looks the bees knees the one you’ve linked. I’ve no idea if madein are any good or not.

I wouldn’t get the enamel coated one either for the reason you suggested.

I’ve got a flat le creuset grill rectangle one that’s cast iron which works great for exactly what you want.

I made them the other day :-


bxwEQhP.jpeg



Yes, stainless steel uncoated pans are the way to go
Click to expand...


That is enamelled btw :p
 
I've been thinking about something like this for a while now and up till now it has been the hob, BBQ or electric type, but I guess cookies got me from here and Blackstone popped up the other night on Youtube and has reignited my interest yet again.

Was this video and tbh the featured one here would be too much for just us two, but they make smaller units and would be something we could be interested in

 
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Reuben klang said:
Every days a school day!

It’s different from this style which does get scratched if you use metal. I always thought this was enamelled. My skillet certainly feels the same material.
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I've just ordered one of these to try on my outdoor burner... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08KGVCJHQ?th=1

It has the same finish as my enamel baking trays which are great.
Looks a bit flimsy but should be ok on a big 6 arm support ring thingy.

will let you know
 
Smash burgers need a surface they will initially stick to otherwise they end up being a squash burger, like the ones in the photos above. Sorry, Reuben, but as tasty as your meal might have been, they ain't a smash burger by a long shot.

Carbon steel, stainless steel, baking steels - all workable. Unless milled flat, cast iron causes issues with the textured surface and your scraping utensil of choice and enamelled surfaces are as bad as non-stick for not making a crust and being poor at the heat levels you need for a smash burger.

For those lattice-y, crispy, crunchy smash burgers you have a trade-off between making a mess of your kitchen or doing it on a dedicated surface, perhaps away from the kitchen if not outside as higher ratios of fat in your mince can be a dangerous proposal when working with a ripping hot cooking surface.

While something like the Made In griddle would be great for occasional burger cooking, if you cook them regularly and do other similar types of cooking, a plancha/flat-top/Blackstone-style device is the way to go.
 
Smash burgers are meant to be extremely thin patties, cooked on a high heat to develop a noticeable crust via the maillard reaction. 2oz (56g) or 3oz (84g) would be the typical weight per patty, doubled or tripled up.

This is what a smash burger is meant to look like.

U0tUm1E.png


Reuben's is what a squashed burger looks like, which is commonly served across the UK by places playing at serving smash burgers. Too thick, no crust to speak of, no lacy edges, just a smushed patty of beef cooked at too low of a temperature and using the wrong technique.

Look at the video that plays on this page. That's how you make a smash burger at home.

www.seriouseats.com

Classic Smashed Burgers Recipe

Classic smashed cheeseburgers with maximum juiciness and a deep brown, beefy crust. This simple, quick recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner.
www.seriouseats.com www.seriouseats.com

If Reuben enjoyed the burger and likes how it was done, that's all good - their home, their dinner, their decision. But it ain't a smash burger.
 
Cheers @glitch - that’s a really good explanation. I only asked for clarification as Google presents loads of results exactly like the images above but usually lacking the description you’ve provided.
I’ve never made smash burgers myself but they are on the ‘to try’ list and I want to do them properly so thanks again.
 
aVdub said:
I've been thinking about something like this for a while now and up till now it has been the hob, BBQ or electric type, but I guess cookies got me from here and Blackstone popped up the other night on Youtube and has reignited my interest yet again.

Was this video and tbh the featured one here would be too much for just us two, but they make smaller units and would be something we could be interested in

Click to expand...
Meh, Air fryers and heating draw!
 
Thekwango said:
Cheers @glitch - that’s a really good explanation. I only asked for clarification as Google presents loads of results exactly like the images above but usually lacking the description you’ve provided.
I’ve never made smash burgers myself but they are on the ‘to try’ list and I want to do them properly so thanks again.
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My pleasure and do give them a go, but be aware that getting them 'right' is no easy feat. Even restaurants fail time and time again - I've not had a single decent burger from any of the Shake Shack locations since Covid and 7Bone have totally lost their way, serving up squashed, grey, flabby patties for what seems like years now.

Serious Eats, as always, are a great source of information and technique, but there are plenty of other resources out there. I would recommend watching any videos on YouTube from Hamburger America as George Motz is an excellent tutor and scholar of the burger world.

And again, no offence meant to Reuben here at all. If I got served that up, I'd gladly eat it. But when someone says smash burger, I want that thing to be smashed like this.

www.instagram.com

STREET on Instagram: "Top-tier beef, carefully selected and expertly smashed, with cheese melting just right. "

street.smash on March 17, 2025: "Top-tier beef, carefully selected and expertly smashed, with cheese melting just right. ".
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com
 
Ad_Augendae said:
Meh, Air fryers and heating draw!
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I was the same, until I realised that there are outdoor air fryers and the like already and if the chance is there to cook outside, then what a great idea to keep it all outside.

Just add a built in wine and beer cooler and they can take my money :D
 
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