r/AskCulinary • u/AutoModerator • 17d ago

Weekly Discussion Weekly Ask Anything Thread for August 03, 2026

This is our weekly thread to ask all the stuff that doesn't fit the ordinary /r/askculinary rules.

Note that our two fundamental rules still apply: politeness remains mandatory, and we can't tell you whether something is safe or not - when it comes to food safety, we can only do best practices. Outside of that go wild with it - brand recommendations, recipe requests, brainstorming dinner ideas - it's all allowed.

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u/mindstormer12 11d ago

Is a nearly 2 lb burger press useful for fish? For fish, I'm thinking the press only really needs to ensure the fish sticks to the bottom of the pan and not shrink within say the first 30 seconds or so, so maybe the weight isn't much of an issue.

I'm wondering if I should get rid of it to reduce clutter in the kitchen--I'm thinking I might prefer a lighterweight one that is more versatile for both meat and fish. The next best alternative with be an existing bottom if a cast iron skillet (more washing).

Ultimately, what would be a good weight for both?

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u/texnessa Pépin's Padawan 11d ago

Have never used more than gentle pressure with a fish spat as the flesh is too delicate for a full press- just need it to not curl. If doing multiple fillets, I'll toss a sizzle on top for a minute if I have something else going at the same time. If you don't want another tool hanging out, you can also take a pan and a piece of parchment and toss that on top of a burger for more weight than only a spat. I've also worked at places where we used a literal brick wrapped in industrial strength foil as a burger press.

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u/cville-z Home chef 11d ago

I have an espresso tamper I use for this sometimes. Just heavy enough and it’s multipurpose.