America’s Test Kitchen

America’s Test Kitchen is the Boston-based test kitchen behind the public television shows America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country and the magazine Cook’s Illustrated. Its method is to cook a dish dozens of times, change one variable at a time and publish the version that works best, and its YouTube channel carries full episodes, hosted segments with Julia Collin Davison and Bridget Lancaster, spin-off series and short tips.

Burgers get the full treatment. There are tested recipes for smashed burgers, sliders, Wisconsin butter burgers from a visit to Solly’s Grille in Milwaukee, diner-style patty melts, pub-style burgers ground at home, grilled bacon burgers, pork, turkey, shrimp and veggie burgers, and crispy fish and fried chicken sandwiches. Science segments from Dan Souza and Lan Lam explain why grinding your own meat makes a more tender burger, what myosin does to texture and why a dimple stops a patty from bulging.

The equipment and tasting team weigh in too, with verdicts on supermarket hamburger buns, burger presses, plant-based patties, veggie burgers and condiments.