Skip to content
Next Episodes
Mon: 7:30pm
Tues: 7:30pm
Classic Episodes
Mon: 1:30pm
Tues: 1:30pm
To flip or not to flip? Study shows how to cook the perfect burger in minimum time Credits: Social Media
By Bruno Cooke

To flip or not to flip? Study shows how to cook the perfect burger in minimum time

By Bruno Cooke

How many times do you flip your burgers? Just once, so that they cook on each side once, or multiple times?�Science now has something to say on this.

Researchers believe they have landed on the optimal flipping conditions for burger cooking. Yep, you heard it here first. Barbecue season may be over �sorry, Texas  but that doesnt mean you cant cook burgers in the kitchen. Read on to find out what science says is the best way to pan-fry a burger.

Man frying beef patties in a pan
Credit: Westend61

Flipping a burger 3 times during pan cooking significantly reduces cooking time

If you want to cook your burger in the least time possible, flip it three or more times.

Researchers from Spain with nothing better to do (is there anything better?) than investigate the optimal flipping conditions during burger pan cooking, with a numerical model no less, have concluded that three or more flips are required to optimize cooking time.

That is, assuming you want to eat your burger sooner rather than later. Five flips reduced cooking time even more  with flips occurring at regular intervals, of course.

They conducted a total of 38 simulations. This is real science, people. There are graphs. There are charts. Not to mention the burgers!

The researchers conclude by highly recommending burger flippers perform multiple flips during burger cooking to optimize moisture retention and cooking time.

A few more conclusions from the burger study

Americans take their burgers seriously but nowhere takes them as seriously as the Zaragozanos, it seems. In their burger-cooking study, they came to the following conclusions:�

  1. The more times you flip the burger, the less it will shrink in size. This is because frying seals moisture. If you leave the burger face-down for a longer time, more moisture can escape from the upper face.
  2. Flipping three or more (up to five) times significantly reduces the amount of time it takes to cook a burger all the way through.
  3. Flipping later, rather than earlier, affects how precisely you can predict cooking time. Therefore, flip at more or less regular intervals, starting early.
  4. Burger shrinkage results from the combined effects of water loss and protein denaturation. Other processes (besides heat) that cause proteins to denature include changes in pH levels and radiation, but you needn’t worry about those.
  5. Frequent flipping results in more tender burgers. Thats all you need to know.

So get out there and cook some burgers. You can pass it off as a scientific experiment if you need to.