# Burger Patty Maker-- Cooks any ideas? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 3, 2002, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burger-patty-maker-cooks-any-ideas/130728 "2002-10-03T19:42:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burger-patty-maker-cooks-any-ideas/130728/1 "2002-10-03T19:42:37Z")
Notice those great uniform pre-made patty’s of Hamburger you get at the Supermarket. I cannot make those myself. I buy the fresh ground turkey, but my patties are all screwed up-- too big or too small, too fat in the middle, too skinny on the ends. I heard there are a few patty makers you can use, but have not found one yet. Little help? I searched Amazon without luck. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burger-patty-maker-cooks-any-ideas/130728/2 "2002-10-03T20:38:45Z")
In the 70s my parents bought one of these from K-Tel or something. Basically, it consisted of a plastic cylinder and a plunger. Under each patty, you’d place a plastic disk, another disk on top, and cram the meat down until it was uniform, then repeat. It was freezer-ready, but prying apart the frozen burgers was a pain. Best to remove them while the meat’s still raw, then freeze. [This one](http://www.thegadgetsource.com/072898992859.html) is cheap and less convoluted. There’s also [this one](https://www.home-processor.com/AB2.shtml), but it looks more expensive. Hope that helps. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burger-patty-maker-cooks-any-ideas/130728/3 "2002-10-03T20:58:28Z")
Also wanna point out that frequently those pre-formed patties have various sorts of additives to make them hold together better, gums and things like that, so don’t feel bad if your homemade patties don’t look as pretty as Wal-Mart’s. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burger-patty-maker-cooks-any-ideas/130728/4 "2002-10-04T00:26:41Z")
Tupperware makes a patty maker, probably the one **scott evil** remembers.[Patty maker](http://order.tupperware.com/pls/htprod_www/tup_show_item.show_item_detail?fv_item_number=P10043576000) StG ---
**Author:** ![super\_head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@super\_head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/super_head)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burger-patty-maker-cooks-any-ideas/130728/5 "2002-10-04T00:49:27Z")
You can use egg whites and bread crumbs (or wheat germ, or oat bran, etc) to bind the meat together when it’s crumbly. I find it no problem to make good patties with my hands. Must be an evolutionary adaptation. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burger-patty-maker-cooks-any-ideas/130728/6 "2002-10-04T02:10:58Z")
Same here. I just use my hands. You can call me the Nietzschean Super-Man. ---
**Author:** ![B\_Williams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@B\_Williams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B_Williams)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burger-patty-maker-cooks-any-ideas/130728/7 "2002-10-04T02:49:46Z")
Make a ball with your hamburger,place it on saran wrap with the wrap on top as well,slap it 3 or 4 times and you’ll have the perfect patty…This works great to relieve stess if you’re pissed off at hubby too!! ---
**Author:** ![Turbo\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Turbo\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turbo_Dog)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burger-patty-maker-cooks-any-ideas/130728/8 "2002-10-04T12:03:58Z")
I do the saran wrap thing too. I use more burger than I expect I’ll need, get it to the thickness I want, and then cut it into the size I want, depending on the fat content and the bun size or type that I am using. The more fat, the more shrinking. And a burger MUST fit perfectly on a bun. I hate patties that are smaller than the bun or too big. I’ve thought about getting one of the patty making things, but I know it would be like most of my gadgets and sit in the cupboards forever while I use sticks and pieces of flint to do stuff because I forget that I have the super gadget that I’m complaining about not having. ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burger-patty-maker-cooks-any-ideas/130728/9 "2002-10-04T13:40:38Z")
Thanks guys! 😃 I may go with one of the devices, as I think making patties will continue to escape me. Good Karma to all those who helped-- make traffic part ahead of you and the lights always be green. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burger-patty-maker-cooks-any-ideas/130728/10 "2002-10-04T15:30:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elf6c \* > \*\*I think making patties will continue to escape me. \*\* Aw, c’mon. You never had Play-Doh as a kid? 1. Form the ground meat into a ball. 2. Squish it between palms to desired thickness. 3. Run your fingertips around the circumference to neaten and roundify.