A deep dive into achieving burger greatness, covering updated classics, regional favorites, homemade everything (from meat blends to pretzel buns), and craft-burger creations, plus fries and other sides, and frosty drinks.

What is the ultimate burger ? Ask that question and you will ignite an enthusiastic debate about meats, cooking methods, degree of doneness, bun types, condiments, toppings, and accompaniments. The Ultimate Burger gives the best answer to all of these questions- The ultimate burger is what you want it to be. And America’s Test Kitchen shows you how to get there. Craving an all-American beef burger? We’ve got ‘em- steak burgers, double-decker burgers, and easy beef sliders. Learn to shape the perfect patty (and avoid golfball syndrome ), cook it right (in a skillet or on a grill), and tell when it’s perfectly done. Next we venture beyond beef with options for pork, lamb, bison, turkey, chicken, salmon, tuna, and shrimp burgers before exploring the world of vegetarian and vegan patties. Then it’s go for broke, featuring out-of-this-world creations like a Blue Cheese Burger with Bacon Candy, Griddle Smashed Burger, and Reuben Burger. You want sides with that? A chapter covers crispy fries, tangy coleslaws, and refreshing salads, and we’ve even thrown in boozy milkshakes and other cold drinks to help everything go down just right. We even guarantee bun perfection with all sorts of homemade rolls plus test-kitchen ratings of the best store-bought options to lovingly cradle your juicy patties. And we reveal the tastiest store-bought ketchups, mustards, and relishes to complement your burger, along with recipes for plenty of homemade condiments, like Chipotle Ketchup, Shoestring Onions, and Pickle Relish.