Smash burgers: flat and hot
Every smash recipe here uses a flat surface: cast iron, a griddle, a flat-top or a heavy stainless pan. You can’t smash a patty against grill grates.
From: Joshua’s Perfect Burger, Ultra-Smashed Cheeseburger, Classic Diner-Style Smashed Cheeseburger, Oklahoma Fried Onion Burger, ShackBurgerA flat surface keeps the patty in its own fat. Weissman flips in place “so they continue cooking in their own fat”.
From: Joshua’s Perfect Burger
Thick burgers: cast iron or a heavy pan
Motz sears his thick pub burger in smoking-hot cast iron.
From: Thick Pub Classic BurgerA pan also lets you baste: Weissman spoons foaming butter and thyme over his thick burger.
From: Thick and Juicy Burger, Steakhouse (Bistro) Burger
The grill: char and smoke
Kenji’s Whopper-style burger is grilled over charcoal for flame-grilled char, using a hot side and a cooler side.
From: Whopper-Style CheeseburgerThe same two-zone setup lets you glaze without burning: the bulgogi burger is charred over high heat, then brushed with sauce on the cooler side.
From: Korean-Style Bulgogi BurgerChicken burgers grill well too. ATK grills its Greek chicken burgers, covered, to 165°F.
From: Greek Chicken Burgers with Feta Sauce
In between: the grill pan
Several recipes accept either a grill pan or a skillet, such as the Juicy Lucy and the Cuban frita.
From: Juicy Lucy, Cuban Frita
Every tip above is taken from the recipe it links to. Where the experts disagree, we say so rather than picking one.