Best burgers and burger buns?

[ambuletz]

Sort of a continuation frrom the = best oven chips= thread which seemed popular. Whole purpose is of the thread is sharing thoughts/opinions that might get some people to try something they've probably not bought before, or some idea they haven't had. The chip thread brought a good tip suggesting using oven chips in an air fryer along with insight into which chips aren't as good as before.

So what's peoples thoughts on the best pre-formed burgers and burger buns?They can either be frozen ones or ones found in the chilled/raw meat isle.
This can also iinclude whatever tips/techniques you like to use. I think this would be an interesting thread considering how much cheaper you can make your own burgers VS buying them in McDs/BK (which we've all seen recently)

Caveat

Yes, everyone knows it's easy to make/form a burger from mince. If you wanted you could ask a butcher, or get the meat yourself and grind your own. However this thread is about already formed ones. Same goes for buns.

[ambuletz]

Given it's summer again (crazy how that happens every year). I thought it might be a good idea to get the discussion back up again.

Has anyone bought any interesting/tasty buns and/or burger patties from the shops?

Personally I can't stand brioche buns. I just want a normal seeded burger bun. I do wish they sold buns that were like KFC for a little variation. Cant stand buns also distintegrating into mush and being a slither around the bun.. I used 'round' lettuce not too long ago in the place of buns.. I have to say it was pretty good, and I didn't miss the buns being there.

[ambuletz]

spanky3 said:

Obvs. I make usually make my own burgers but if pushed then Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) burgers, usually on offer from Ocado and probably other places.

Quite thick with a lot of fat that renders during cooking leaving a very juicy meaty burger. Packaging says 18 mins on a griddle pan, go 16 plus standing time to keep them pink but not much less. On a barbeque they take about 10-12 mins.

doing some googling it seems only waittrose and tesco are the other sellers. 5oz patties as opposed to 6oz ones that all the waygu/ultimate burgers have that are sold by the supermarkets (and are cheaper too)

[ambuletz]

Bacon Is Proof said:

Looking at the cooking times I'd still wager that they are too thick.
I've experimented with supermarket burgers and 100% of test subjects preferred the same burger after I'd hammered it flat.
It's all about the texture...

yup. I make double/half pounder burgers using the 4 packs from the supermarket. I don't have a good stirdy spatula for pressing down in the pan so i wrap put cling film over the bottom of a flat pot (the heavier the better) makes for easy flattening Can then comfortably fit 2 quarter pounders into a bun, plus it cooks faster.

[ambuletz]

dapprman said:

ade73 said:

Used to swear by the Morrisons burgers with bone marrow but they stopped doing them earlier this year, chasing them up on emails didn't get to the bottom of why they kept the inferior chuck steak ones and replaced the far superior bone marrow.

They're back - tried some last week (and also the chuck steak ones). I liked them - possibly the best of the supermarket branded ones included the luxury/greatest versions.

ALDI's 'ultimate' burgers use bone marrow too.

[ambuletz]

Welshbeef said:

Are we allowed to talk about Lamb burgers and dare I say it … chicken burgers?

still a burger. i don't see why not.

[ambuletz]

21TonyK said:

Lamb I can understand because of the fat content but "chicken"? No such thing as a chicken burger, reformed chicken in a burger shape, probably coated in breadcrumbs or batter but than really is no "burger"

I used to buy these quite often as the 'flamin' hot' version in a bun tasted like I was eating a KFC zinger burger. Having had them so often n the past year I'm a little fed up of them now and are after something new/different.

link to aldi site

[ambuletz]

Anyone tried any of these 'big daddy' burgers? Iceland are currently doing a 16oz/1lb/454g burger patty for £3. I guess you'd need a bun to suit. There was a time when M&S was doing a similar thing but I missed out on the opportunity to buy it.

[ambuletz]

I tried those 'new' warburtons burger buns mentioned on here, the ones with the slits cut into the top. They were unremarkable tbh considering the price. Although a good thing was that they weren't too big/tall. I'll stick to the most normal, basic white bread rolls until i find something else.

Sidenote. we have a polish food thread here. and ever since trying the polish mayo i don't think i could go back to regular heinz. that applies to having it in burgers.

[ambuletz]

Matt Cup said:

What’s the brand of the Mayo?

I could only find it in asda. if your local supermarket has a good 'world foods' section they might have it. suprisingly the local european shops i went to in my area of east london didn't have it.

[ambuletz]

ThatGuyWhoDoesStuff said:

I hate thick burgers. Half of the time you have one it ends up like a tennis ball between the buns. Not a chance of actually fitting the thing in your mouth.

The only thing worse is the savages that put chopped onion in the burger, so you get warm, almost raw soggy onion in the middle of the burger. Or perhaps it’s even worse when the grey, stodgy beef has exactly the same texture as the brioche then it’s all one big lump of chewy garbage.

The ONLY way to cook/eat a burger is to start off with a decent thick steak burger (from anywhere really) then smash the st out of it in the pan. It breaks the edges, gives good caramelisation, actually fills the bun.

Edited by ThatGuyWhoDoesStuff on Monday 21st June 22:48

To avoid the tennis ball shape you need to push in/dimple the middle of the burger..have it shaped like a red blood cell. Not doing this is what causes the rise in the middle because the outer part of the burger contracts more than the middle.


I'm not a fan of thick burgers either, I'd rather have 2 thin patties. I haven't got anything good for smashing it whilst in the pan, so put cling film on the bottom of a large, heavy, flat pot in order to press them out as wide and flat as possible... they're still going to shrink and gain height.. but it will still be better than if it wasn't flattened.

[ambuletz]

chris116 said:

Bought a packet of these a few weeks ago, they were very tasty.

https://groceries.asda.com/product/sausages-burger...

Also tried a brioche bun with them, too sweet for me, prefer the normal rolls. I like the sound of the ciabatta rolls mentioned earlier, will have to give those a go.

I buy the ALDI equivalents all the time. frozen ones i use just to eat with whatever. chilled ones are always used for making smash burgers. it's a good improvement over just normal quarter pounders that just don't feel very beefy. I don't think there's a need to spend more on waygu versions or other pricier variants. Flavoured ones (like sweet chili burgers) I have never noticed it's influence but the added sugars I guess have helped get more caramlization/browning

[ambuletz]

sidenote, aldi are doing their croissant buns. i haven't seen anyone do any of the triple layer buns (in the style of the big mac)

[ambuletz]

Murph7355 said:

I don't bother with M&S Ultimates (tried them before)...I get the Aberdeen Angus with sea salt and cracked black pepper ones and find them very good.

I leave them out of the fridge for a while and press them much, much flatter by hand before cooking.

(Haven't tried the bone marrow ones. Might see if I can find some to try).

i buy the asda/aldi versions that are also agus + cracked black pepper. THe latter seems like a gimmick. I can't smash my burgers into my pan so ill cover mine in cling film then flatten it using the largest/heaviest saucepan/stock pot I have. When raw my largest tefal/frying pan will only just fit 2 premade burgers, but will shrink significantly in the process. The flattening ensures it fits suitably in an average bun...sometimes ive managed to double the patties (usually where its 1lb if meat split into 4 patties)

[ambuletz]

seen lots of supermarkets do 'big daddy' burgers. 1lb/454g patty.. but does anyone make a bun suitable?

[ambuletz]

I've just noticed as part of LIDL's USA week they have sweet pickle relish. I don't think I've had this before, and never found it in any supermarkets. I might pick up one or two as it seems to be the only hard to get ingredient if you want to make a big mac sauce. (i welcome to be stand corrected on whether other suparmarkets do actually sell this normally)

[ambuletz]

gordon burger, lets crique, any thoughts?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulhRORJpuBM

- doesn't dimple the bun, bottom hasn't got my browning as a result
- salting american cheese? wtf?
- overall burger is too 'tall' imo

[ambuletz]

might as well just get the mince and form them your self if you want that.

[ambuletz]

How strict are you all with use by dates on fresh/fridge (not frozen) burgers?

I cooked up the aldi 'best burger' patties yesterday oklahoma style (i didnt use enough onions unfortunately). The burger had a use by date of sat 23rd.

[ambuletz]

Luke. said:

ambuletz said:

How strict are you all with use by dates on fresh/fridge (not frozen) burgers?

I cooked up the aldi 'best burger' patties yesterday oklahoma style (i didnt use enough onions unfortunately). The burger had a use by date of sat 23rd.

Well you fine to me

can confirm, I'm still alive.