Burgers for dinner tonight, and as has been the case for the last few times we've done them under the broiler, the kitchen ends up smokey and we end up opening windows. Plus, it's a pita to scrub the grilling rack and get rid of the accumulated grease at the bottom of the pan. Yes, I know many of you will reply that you grill outdoors 365 days a year, but I've put away the grill for the season because I have no intention of standing outside in 30 degree weather to grill a couple of burgers. I've tried frying them on the stovetop, but the grease splatters all over.

So I've started to think about other options, like a Foreman type countertop grill/griddle. I'd like to hear from those who have or have used one. Are some better than others? Are they any better that just using a grilling surface on the stovetop (ours is gas)? Any better and less messy options that are easy, quick and could be used for a steak or a chicken breast as well as a burger? It needn't be big, as we'll do only two at a time, no matter what it is. Let's hear about your preferred way of cooking up a couple of burgers.

My fam demands smash burger style - [www.seriouseats.com]

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Burgers, chops, chix, steaks:
cook in sous vide, char in cast iron skillet on induction cooktop.

Only use the Megachef griller/griddle when large quanity is involved.

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Foreman style grills get gross with clumps of fat and grease and with all the crevices they never really get clean. They're really only good for quesadillas and maybe experiments with leftover pizza when you're a little tipsy.

Consider browning your burgers slowly in a non-stick pan over a medium-low flame, then broiling them just at the end to add a little char. It takes longer, but there's little to no smoke and the cleanup isn't bad.

...Or fry up some Beyond burgers in a non-stick frying pan. (Impossible burgers are decent meat substitutes, but Beyond goes a step farther, tastes better than meat.)

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Foreman type grills with removable plates work well and are easy to clean. But I’m of the “ put on a coat and grill in the snow “ family..

Sous Vide the burgers, then quickly sear them for color.

Very Rare to Rare: 115°F, 40 minutes
Medium-Rare: 124°F, 40 minutes
Medium: 130°F, 40 minutes
Medium-Well: 138°F, 40 minutes
Well-Done: 145°F, 40 minutes

(personal hint - go one doneness under your desired to allow for additional cooking while browning, especially if you are melting cheese on them)

While the burgers are in the water bath, you can get toppings ready, toast the buns, whip up the side dishes, etc.

No greasy mess, perfectly cooked

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....boy meet......grill......

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Sous-vide, torch

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“There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in."

We BBQ on a propane BBQ 12 months a year, even if it means digging it out of several feet of snow.

That said...we just ordered an outdoor flattop griddle to replace the BBQ. More and more we're doing burgers (or veggie burgers), chicken pieces, brats or the like which do fine on a griddle. Even an occasional steak will be fine. The griddle will open up a whole new world of outdoor cooking: breakfast foods, bacon, fried rice, stirfrys, cheese steaks, etc.

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NewtonMP2100
.....can one just go to Shake Shack or Five Guys......???

This!

We grill outside in the Winter also but I just put whatever we're cooking on the grill and run back inside for a few! Our grill is on our back deck so it's just a few steps out to it...

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Thanks, everyone. You folks are far more patient than I.

Sous vide. Pffft. The whole point of a burger is to have something we can eat in ten minutes. I'm not about to boil a hamburger for forty minutes, only to then have to sear it for a few more. I don't care how good it may taste afterward. In fact, I'm having a heard time wrapping my head around the concept of "While the burgers are in the water bath".

Similar reason why I'm not hauling out (or keeping out) the grill in the winter. I can't see firing up briquettes for 20 minutes in order to cook up a couple of burgers in 10.

A Foreman type grille is tempting, but that just means another appliance to make room for on the countertop or in a cabinet.

Oh, and as for the smash-burger method, all I had to read was the first comment about smoke detectors going off and a grease fire and I closed that tab.

I may just look into a grille insert for our stove. We have a griddle insert I sometimes use for pancakes, but it might be nice to see if the ridges of a grille insert make it any easier or less messy to clean up for burgers.

Thanks again.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/23/2020 06:58AM by wurm.

If the grease splatter is a major issue for you when frying burgers on the stovetop maybe look into a splatter screen with handle? My mom has an old one made of fine mesh. They make them in silicone now as well.

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Wurm,

My wife and I invested in a Ninji Foodi Grill. Love it! Works well. Easy to clean. Useful for grilling and a slew of other tasks. Just wish it didn't take up so much counter space. Still, living in an apartment, a real grill is out of the question. The Ninja was the best of the alternatives.

Robert

I just use a good cast iron fry pan most of the time. If I want grill marks, then I pull out the cast iron grill pan. Cleanup is easy enough, and they make scrapers that have a matching profile for cleaning out the grooves

Smoky kitchen? Then you need a better exhaust fan.

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wurm
all I had to read was the first comment about smoke detectors going off and a grease fire and I closed that tab.

I've never had either problem.

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I take my induction cooker and a steel pan out onto the porch for stuff like this. Including fish. But since we live in a city, we fry and the neighbors all know.

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Markintosh
We BBQ on a propane BBQ 12 months a year

The secret to winter outdoor cooking is propane. I know many charcoal fans, but none of them use it in cold weather. Look into a quality propane camping 'grill' that you can light and have it ready in 10 minutes. Not recommending this particular unit, but something like this at Bezosville.

Our indoor burger grilling solution, was seen here about three months ago....


As noted by others, a decent ventilation fan helps.

No more burgers for us until next year. Just finished up Spousal Unit’s, Baby Buzz’s/SteveGmas’s tri tip birthday/holiday extravaganza, and have a gorgeous, boneless NY roast for the next round of birthday/holiday celebrations coming up. We usually cook a lot of extra stuff, so we can have leftovers for a few days afterwards.... and that way we don’t have to cook as often, but still have tasty food.

There are ample ways to make a decent burger indoors, trick is getting them the right doneness and accessorized properly for all the eaters’ tastes. We’ve had pretty good luck with Cuisinart’s George Foreman-type contact grills, as well as a variety of pans. Just make sure the non-cooks stay the heck away from the kitchen!
Good luck.
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wurm
I'm not about to boil a hamburger for forty minutes, only to then have to sear it for a few more. I don't care how good it may taste afterward. In fact, I'm having a heard time wrapping my head around the concept of "While the burgers are in the water bath".

LOL

That's SOP at military "dining facilities".

I never knew just how badly you could screw up a burger until I had one of these things.

In a pinch, I make Grillers Prime in a microwave ... you'd swear they'd been grilled or at least pan-fried: for veggie burgers, they have that crispy texture and in a certain way, they actually taste better than real burgers. Top with ketchup/catsup or BBQ sauce, pickles, lettuce, onions, cheese if you are so inclined. The big advantage is speed: this can be done in less than five minutes total. Surprisingly tasty.

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numbered

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Markintosh
We BBQ on a propane BBQ 12 months a year

The secret to winter outdoor cooking is propane. I know many charcoal fans, but none of them use it in cold weather. Look into a quality propane camping 'grill' that you can light and have it ready in 10 minutes. Not recommending this particular unit, but something like this at Bezosville.

Takes longer to light, and uses more fuel, but charcoal is all I use regardless of weather.

I use an airfryer and a little liquid smoke in the burger. Wrights liquid smoke is the best though it may be hard to find in some markets.

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Portsmouth, Va