Why does nobody talk about the $18 cast iron grill press that saved my burgers (and my smoke alarm)?

Brian Ellis · 2026-10-09T07:10:04.273045+00:00

So last month I finally got tired of setting off my smoke alarm every single time I tried to make burgers on my cast iron skillet. My wife was ready to kill me. I dropped $18 on a basic cast iron grill press from a local hardware store here in Columbus, and honestly it fixed my whole burger game. Before this thing, my patties would curl up into sad little meat bowls and the grease would splatter everywhere, coating my stovetop in a layer of burnt regret. Now I just press it down for about 30 seconds per side, get a nice crust, and the grease stays mostly in the pan. Last Tuesday I made 6 patties in a row with zero smoke alarm incidents. That is a personal record. The press itself has a little wooden handle that hasn't loosened up yet, which is more than I can say for the last cheap one I had from a big box store. For $18 I feel like I robbed somebody. Has anyone else found a cheap tool that ended up doing more for their cooking than the expensive stuff?

🐿️Pinecone Attack

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Why does nobody talk about the $18 cast iron grill press that saved my burgers (and my smoke alarm)? | Burned Toast Gallery - Pinecone Attack