Last weekend, my boyfriend came home with a bag of pre-shaped burger patties and cheap hot dogs. (Someone brought too many to a cookout.) I was thrilled, because I love burgers and hot dogs, no matter the price point. We had hot dogs one day and burgers the next, and still had plenty of each leftover, which was great because, again, I love both of these foods.
I tend to get a little involved when making burgers, however. My preferred burger is a thin and crispy smash burger, but these pre-formed patties did not want to smash well. (I suspect it’s because they’ve been over-handled during the patty-shaping process, or maybe it’s just a matter of cheap meat.) Since smashing was out, speed of preparation became my new focus: How quickly could I cook a burger, and with what? Chapati Making Stick
Almost as soon as I posed the question to myself, I knew the answer. I suspected my waffle maker, which is essentially a George Forman grill with extra, intersecting grill lines, could make quick work of the thin, all-beef patties, and I was right.
I turned my waffle maker on, let it get nice and hot, then smashed a heavily salted burger patty in between the two plates. Four minutes later, the burger was cooked through, and while it didn’t have as much browning as a smash burger, it had just as much as a classically grilled burger with classic grill marks.
This one feels fancy for the price: Oster Belgian Waffle Maker with Adjustable Temperature Control
This one has a built-in drip guard (but only one temperature setting): Dash Deluxe No-Drip Waffle Iron Maker
Claire’s first waffle maker: Cuisinart Classic Waffle Maker
Just a little guy: DASH Mini Waffle Maker
I warmed a bun in the air fryer and melted a slice of cheese on the top half, then slid the waffle burger on top of the bottom bun and finished it off with mustard and onions. It wasn’t a smash burger, but it was a good burger. The waffle maker provided some much needed in browning to the lackluster pre-formed patty, and it did so in under five minutes, which makes it the fastest burger I’ve ever made, turning a mediocre puck of meat into a tasty and convenient midday meal. (It did not hurt that the meat was free; I do love free meat.)
Whatever other stuff you like to eat with and on your burger
Heat your waffle maker as hot as it will go. Heavily salt both sides of your burger patty, then smash it in between the plates of your waffle iron. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the burger is cooked through. Put it on a bun and eat it.
Claire is Lifehacker's Senior Food Editor. She has a B.S. in chemistry, a decade of food journalism experience, and a deep love for mayonnaise and MSG.
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