Burger cooking technique?

If you are burning the outside, either raise your grid or cook at a lower temp. 

+1 for cast iron - if you like a crust.  I don't think I'll ever go back to direct.

Also, agree with the others - lower temp if outside done before inside.

I went with a burger press last year - worst decision ever.  Burgers were not nearly as good as when loosly hand formed.

I was having issues with burgers as well, but my last two burger cooks came out great. The first time I went with a thick patty and cooked slow cooked it at 250 then seared. The last time I went with thinner patties and cooked direct on the fire grid with the dome open the entire time and the bottom vent open about 1 inch. 

Both thy were very good, but IMO the second were better. If you decide to go with method #2 just be careful of flair ups. 

I have a question, Do all of you burger gurus cook with the lid open or closed?
I have cooked up burgers before with the lid closed and the smoke that comes up from the coals taints the meat to the point we cant eat it. I assume I have to cook mine with the dome open

DoubleEgger said:

Folks say I cook a mean burger so FWIW, try using ground round 85/15.

and I never cook with the egg open unless it's stir fry. An open egg is no better than a weber kettle IM

With the lid closed you don't get that acrid smoke from the fat dripping?

hondabbq said:

I have a question, Do all of you burger gurus cook with the lid open or closed?

I'm certainly not one of the gurus but I will share some ways that I use. On my large egg I like to cook real thick burgers indirect until they are real close to the desired level of done ness and then sear to finish. I use a grid sitting on the spider for the sear. For the indirect phase I use a Woo with the plate setter. Another method, and my favorite way is to again use the large egg set up for indirect with the Woo and plate setter and do the final sear on my mini preheated to nuclear temps. If they are thin burgers that take mere minutes to cook, usually I use the "Weber Way" method on my mini. Leave the dome open and flip every few seconds until I get the color and done ness that I want. I really like the indirect method on the thicker burgers, it gives them time to pick up some smoke flavor and then the high heat sear gives them a good char. If you are going to cook fairly thick burgers strictly direct, I find that it's best to tone the heat down a little to prevent scorching the outside. I also flip pretty regular if I'm going to cook strictly direct. The method that I use is usually determined by how thick the burgers are, how many I have to cook and how much time that I have. Hope that this helps a little.

Sometimes I'll do them fast food style  thin on a CI skillet, other times just direct at 500 or so till done.. They never taste too smokey to me, but then again I pretty much use Rockwood or OO lump... Maybe that makes a difference. 

For a crazy thick burger I might go reverse sear...raised indirect and finish direct in a CI pan. But, normally I go straight up in a CI pan or skillet and flip several times to get an even cook. That's worked for me and the crust isn't burnt even on the ones that want well well done (I assure you that's not me though  My bride likes em like that).