We're taking a break from hardcore testing at the Burger Lab and Food Lab for the next two weeks, but I thought I'd use the time to write something that a lot of folks have been asking me about: a basic handbook for taking your burgers to the next level. The tips I'm setting out here are ones that, with very few exceptions, apply universally to all hamburgers, regardless of style. Thus, one thing you will not find in this list is specific cooking instructions in terms of heat source, strength, and timing. As far as taking a formed patty from raw to cooked, there are no hard and fast rules that apply in every situation. More

In an informal poll, those on the "one flip" side cite "more even cooking" and "better flavor development" as the selling points of this method. Curiously, the few people on the "multiple flips" side claim the exact same benefits, adding in "shortened cooking time" to the mix. So who's right? More

Get a peek into the Burger Lab with the latest podcast from If You're Just Joining Us. Host Jon Armstrong joins J. Kenji Lopez-Alt in his kitchen while he cooks burgers for today's upcoming post about optimal burger flipping.... More

It's time for another round of The Burger Lab. Got a suggestion for an upcoming topic? Email Kenji here, and he'll do his best to answer your queries in a future post. Become a fan of The Food Lab on... More

Grass-fed beef sure sounds nice (happy cows grazing in happy fields) but does it taste better than grain-fed beef? In this week's Burger Lab, Kenji conducts a double-blind burger tasting to find out. More

It's time for another round of The Burger Lab. Got a suggestion for an upcoming topic? Email Kenji here, and he'll do his best to answer your queries in a future post. Clockwise from top left: Perfectly cooked double-fried french... More

It's time for another round of The Burger Lab. Got a suggestion for an upcoming topic? Email Kenji here, and he'll do his best to answer your queries in a future post. "For many people, a burger is a blank... More

Do you salt your burger patties before grilling them? Well, ya shouldn't. Read the science behind salting ground beef. Warning: this piece contains graphic images of burgers being smashed, maimed, cut, tortured, and otherwise destroyed. More

Why bother with a turkey burger? If the ones I've had in the past are any indication, the answer is simple: don't. But I finally discovered how to make a turkey burger that doesn't suck. The secret ingredient? Eggplant. More

A burger patty made entirely of bacon isn't very good. But made of pork butt and bacon? Awesome. Add bacon-fat mayo and put it all in a bacon bit-studded bun for the Bacon Attack! More