Like the famed Rally’s commercials, hamburgers are best when they’re a big greasy mess to eat.  Ironically though, the worst thing is that they can be a big nasty mess to make.  Any purist grill master well tell you that buying preformed burger patties sullies the art, and the final product.  A respectable chef always forms the patty himself.  That said, there’s no reason you have to get ground beef wedged underneath your fingertips.

A hamburger press allows you to form the perfect burger shape with almost zero effort, and virtually no mess.  The ideal burger size is about 5″ around and 1/2″ thick.  This is precisely the reason most presses yield those exact dimensions.  Just rip off a piece of burger meat, lay it on the surface of the tool, and press it down into a perfectly formed patty.  You’ll be the talk of the party, distributing mouth-watering, heart-stopping goodness through the hungry crowd like a machine.

Most of these easy to use devices produce single patties, though their are some double surface models available for rapid output.  In my opinion, however, the best hamburger press is a no frills, heavy duty, non sticking aluminum unit like the Burger Express, which requires the modest investment of $35.

Of course, as burger presses come in all shapes and sizes, they also come in many materials and prices as well.  For instance, if you’re looking for a little washable work horse that you’ll break out now and again at a neighborhood cookout, you may want to consider a plastic model.  Though they’re not quite as durable, they’re still washable, easy to use and quite a bit cheaper.  FMA produces a like unit for a little over $10.

If you enjoy making hungry people fat and happy, but you’re not a fan of getting your hands too dirty doing it, pick up a hamburger press, and turn your burger flipping world upside down.