Why a contact toaster is the key to a delicious burger

When it comes to American food, burgers are as classic as it gets.

But classic offerings come with a catch: they’re easy to find. It’s crowded in the burger world.

Quality ingredients and excellent execution are ways to rise above the noise. Many chefs look for the perfect cut(s) of meat to deliver a unique flavor. Others experiment with creative toppings, hoping to set their take apart from more traditional offerings.

But if you are serious about taking your burgers to the next level, you must also consider the unsung hero of this equation: the bun.

Sure, you could simply decide to throw down a few more dollars on a higher-quality bun or even make your own from scratch. But you’re doing your menu a disservice if you don’t toast your bun.

Think about it. Great burgers, by nature, contain juices. Every bite releases more juices onto the bun and an untoasted bun is little more than an edible sponge. Many a burger has been ruined by an inadequate bun.

Applying some heat to the bun prior to placing the burger and toppings gives the bread a fighting chance of making it to the finish line.

But, in this endeavor, not just any toaster will do. When it comes to the proper treatment of burger buns, a vertical contact toasters is second to none.

To understand the impact this machine can have, you first must understand the two schools of thought when it comes to bun toasting.

Indirect vs. Contact Toasting

Some may settle for popping the bun in the toaster or tossing it on the grill. While that’s certainly better than nothing, that approach still leaves some holes (literally).

Buns toasted in this indirect fashion still have pores. This method is ideal for items such as toast or bagels. But it spells trouble for anything that will be topped with a delectable burger.

Buns that are indirectly toasted will hold their own for a while, the remaining pours will eventually absorb juices from the burger or toppings and simply fall apart.

Contact toasting provides the proper amount of heat and pressure to close the pores and give the bun a smooth finish. This produces a seal that minimizes the amount of juices the bun absorbs.

Space Saving

Many operations rely upon their flat tops to give their buns that perfect seal. That can be an issue in a commercial kitchen, when space is at a premium.

When the rush inevitably hits, you can’t afford to have precious space consumed by buns. For every inch of space taken up by a burger, double the space is consumed by the corresponding bun.

This is yet another place a vertical contact toaster can help.

Its vertical design gives it a minimal footprint. That means saving room on the flat top won’t come at the expense of counter space.