Smash, Sear or Press a Torta: The Best Cast Iron Grill Press

1. Lodge 6.75 x 4.5-inch Cast Iron Grill Press – Small, Seasoned and Made to Last

Best overall

This is the press most people picture: a small rectangle of seasoned iron with a coiled handle standing up from the middle. Lodge lists it at 6.75 by 4.5 inches and 2.64 pounds, which is enough weight to hold bacon flat and keep a chop in contact with the pan without crushing a sandwich.

The size is the reason it is our first pick. It fits inside a 10- or 12-inch skillet, so you can use it on the stove as easily as on a grill or griddle, and it covers two or three strips of bacon or one pork chop at a time. Lodge suggests it for steaks, pork chops and chicken, and says it works with any heat source.

Lodge seasons it with vegetable oil before it ships, and the care is the same as any Lodge pan: hand wash, dry and wipe on a little oil. Preheat the press on the griddle or in the oven before you use it, so it browns the top of the food instead of pulling heat out of it. The coiled handle gets hot like the rest of the iron, so keep a towel or mitt nearby.

Lodge’s page shows a textured base but does not say whether it is ribbed or flat, so we list the surface as not stated. If you want definite grill marks, the square Lodge panini press below is the one retailers list as ribbed.

Why we like it

• Lodge lists it at 2.64 lb, heavy enough to hold bacon flat
• 6.75 x 4.5-inch footprint fits inside a standard skillet
• Pre-seasoned with vegetable oil, ready to use
• Made in the USA and covered by Lodge’s warranty

Why we recommend it

It is the most versatile size. A bigger press is better for a full griddle of burgers, but this one does bacon, chops and a single sandwich, fits in a skillet and stores in a drawer. Lodge’s seasoning and published weight take the guesswork out of buying one.

Skip it if you mainly make smash burgers or large sandwiches; at 6.75 by 4.5 inches it will not cover a wide patty or a whole bolillo roll in one press.

Pros and cons

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2. Lodge 8-inch Round Cast Iron Grill Press – Covers a Whole Smash Burger

Best for smash burgers

A round press matches the shape of a burger, and at 8 inches across this one covers a full-size patty with room to spare. Lodge lists it at 3.5 pounds and just under 2 inches tall, with a single handle in the center of the top.

That extra pound over the small rectangle matters for smash burgers. The technique is to put a ball of cold ground beef on a very hot griddle and flatten it hard and fast, so as much of the meat as possible touches the steel and browns. A heavier, wider press does that in one push; you lean on it for a few seconds, lift it off and leave the patty to crust. Lodge names smash burgers first in its own description, followed by bacon, steak, pork chops and grilled cheese.

A retailer listing describes it as a flat press, which is what you want for smash burgers: a smooth bottom flattens evenly and does not leave ridges for the meat to stick in. A sheet of parchment between the press and the raw meat stops it sticking, a trick many flat-top cooks use.

Like every Lodge piece it arrives seasoned with vegetable oil, and Lodge says it is made in the USA without PFAS. Care is hand wash, dry and oil.

Why we like it

• 8-inch round face covers a full burger patty
• 3.5 lb, per Lodge, for a firm one-push smash
• Lodge recommends it for smash burgers and searing
• Pre-seasoned and made in the USA

Why we recommend it

If burgers are the main reason you want a press, this is the one to buy. The round face and published weight suit the smash technique better than a narrow rectangle, and it still handles bacon and steak.

Skip it if you cook mostly in a skillet: an 8-inch press will not fit inside a 10-inch pan with food underneath it.

Pros and cons

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3. Lodge 8.25-inch Square Cast Iron Panini Press – Grill Marks Across a Whole Torta

Best for tortas

A torta is a pressed sandwich at heart: a split bolillo or telera roll, filled and set on a hot griddle, then flattened so the outside crisps and the filling warms through. An 8.25-inch square press covers the whole roll in one go, which a small rectangle cannot.

Lodge lists this press at 8.25 inches square with a looped handle, pre-seasoned with vegetable oil and made in the USA. Retailers list it as ribbed, so it leaves the stripes you expect on a panini. Lodge does not publish its weight on the Amazon listing; one Canadian retailer lists 3.95 pounds, so expect something close to four pounds.

The way to use it is to preheat it. Set the empty press on the griddle or grill while the plancha heats, then lay it on the sandwich: the hot iron toasts the top while the griddle toasts the bottom, so you do not need to flip. It works the same on a grilled cheese, a Cuban sandwich or a quesadilla, and on a steak or chicken breast it doubles as a searing weight.

Indoors, it suits a square grill pan or a large skillet with room around it. Hand wash, dry and oil it like any other Lodge cast iron.

Why we like it

• 8.25-inch square face covers a full roll or sandwich
• Retailers list a ribbed bottom for grill marks
• Looped handle, per the listing
• Pre-seasoned and made in the USA

Why we recommend it

For anyone who makes tortas, paninis or quesadillas more often than burgers, this is the Lodge to choose. The square face and ribs suit bread, and it is still a capable weight for steak.

Skip it if you want a smooth press for smash burgers; ribs leave grooves in a thin patty and can trap bits of meat.

Pros and cons

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4. Cuisinart XL 10 x 10-inch Cast Iron Grill Press – Presses a Batch at Once

Best large press

Most presses cover one or two items. Cuisinart’s XL press is 10 inches square, and the listing says that is enough for six burgers, four sandwiches or two steaks at once. It is the press to buy if you cook for a crowd on a wide griddle or a full-size gas grill.

The listing gives its weight as 5.1 pounds, the heaviest here. That spreads over a much larger face than the Lodge presses, so the pressure on each sandwich is gentler than the number suggests, but it is still plenty to flatten bread and keep bacon straight. The wooden handle is the other practical difference: Cuisinart calls it stay-cool, which matters on a press this heavy, because you will lift it on and off a hot griddle more than once.

Cuisinart’s listing says to preheat it and press to create grill marks, which suggests a ridged bottom, though the listing does not describe the surface in so many words. It does not say whether the press arrives seasoned, where it is made or how to clean it, so treat it as bare cast iron: hand wash, dry it straight away and wipe on oil.

Check that your grill or griddle has room for a 10-inch square plus a margin around it, and that you have somewhere to set down a hot five-pound slab of iron when you lift it off.

Why we like it

• 10 x 10-inch face, the largest here
• Listing says it presses six burgers or four sandwiches at once
• Stay-cool wooden handle, per Cuisinart
• 5.1 lb, per the listing

Why we recommend it

For big cookouts, one large press beats juggling two small ones. The wooden handle makes the extra weight manageable, and the face is wide enough for a row of tortas or a griddle of burgers.

Skip it if you cook on a small grill or in a skillet; a 10-inch square simply will not fit, and Cuisinart publishes less about seasoning and care than Lodge does.

Pros and cons

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5. Blackstone 10 x 5.5-inch Cast Iron Griddle Press – Made for the Flat-Top

Best for flat-top griddles

Blackstone makes the outdoor flat-top griddles that brought smash burgers into so many backyards, and this press is sized for them. The listing gives it as 10 by 5.5 inches and 4.68 pounds, with a smooth bottom and a heat-insulated rubber handle.

The long rectangle suits the way a flat-top cook works. It covers two burger patties side by side, a row of bacon, or a pair of sandwiches, and the smooth face flattens evenly without leaving ridges. Blackstone says the weight helps press fat out of meat and flatten food to the thickness you want, and that it reduces cooking time by keeping the food in full contact with the steel.

The rubber handle is the practical difference. A bare iron handle heats up on a griddle running at full blast; Blackstone describes this one as heat resistant and slip resistant, so you can press without a mitt for short contact. Keep it away from the hottest burner when you set it down, as with any rubber or plastic part.

It arrives pre-seasoned. Blackstone’s care advice is simply to wipe it with a damp cloth; a light coat of oil afterwards keeps the seasoning in good shape. For more flat-top gear, see our guide to outdoor griddle accessories.

Why we like it

• 10 x 5.5-inch face covers two patties at once
• 4.68 lb, per the listing
• Heat-insulated rubber handle
• Smooth bottom, pre-seasoned

Why we recommend it

If you own a Blackstone or any outdoor flat-top, this press fits the way you cook: long enough for two patties, smooth for an even smash, and a handle you can grab. It is the most griddle-friendly design here.

Skip it if you cook mainly indoors in a skillet; at 10 inches long it will not fit in most pans.

Pros and cons

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6. Weber Cast Iron Griddle Press – Four Strips of Bacon, Flat

Best for bacon

Weber designed this press for its own griddles, and it says plainly what it is for: pressing burgers and paninis and keeping bacon from curling. Weber states that it holds up to four strips of bacon at once.

The listing gives its dimensions as 9 inches wide, 6 inches deep and 2.9 inches tall. Weber does not publish a weight; one retailer lists it at 3.75 pounds, which would put it between the small Lodge and the Blackstone. Weber describes the bottom as textured, which it says helps food lift off cleanly rather than sticking.

That textured face is a middle ground. It will not leave crisp ridges like the Lodge panini press, and it is not as smooth as the Blackstone, but it suits bacon and breakfast sandwiches well. On a flat-top it also does a fair job on burgers.

Weber’s care advice is to hand wash it in warm soapy water. It is the only press here backed by a two-year warranty on the listing, which is worth something for a tool that will spend its life near high heat.

Why we like it

• Weber says it presses up to four strips of bacon
• Textured surface to help food release
• 2-year warranty, per the listing
• 9 x 6-inch face suits griddles and large skillets

Why we recommend it

It is a sensible choice for weekend breakfasts on a griddle, and the two-year warranty is longer than most presses carry. If you already cook on a Weber griddle, it is made to match.

Skip it if you want every spec spelled out: Weber does not list the weight, handle or seasoning.

Pros and cons

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7. Cuisinart 6.5-inch Round Smash Burger Press – Compact and Flat-Edged

Compact smasher

Where the Lodge 8-inch round is built to cover a big patty, Cuisinart’s smash burger press is a smaller, lighter take on the same idea. The listing gives the face as 6.5 inches round, with a flat edge that Cuisinart says helps the patty form crisp, caramelized edges.

Cuisinart does not list the weight on the US listing. Its UK site gives the European version as 954 grams, a little over two pounds, so expect a press that is easier to lift than the Lodge round but needs more of your own weight behind it to smash a patty thin.

The listing says it works on griddles, skillets and grills, indoors and out. At 6.5 inches it fits inside a 10-inch skillet, which makes it the round press to choose if you cook burgers on the stove. Cuisinart’s care advice is hand washing with warm water and mild soap; dry it straight away and oil it lightly as you would any cast iron.

The listing does not say whether it arrives seasoned or where it is made, and the handle is not described in the text, so check the photos on the listing to see if the grip suits you. It carries a one-year warranty, according to the listing.

Why we like it

• 6.5-inch round face fits in a skillet
• Flat edge for crisp smash-burger edges, per Cuisinart
• Works on griddles, skillets and grills
• 1-year warranty

Why we recommend it

It suits a cook who makes smash burgers in a skillet on the stove, or who wants a lighter round press for a small griddle. The flat face is right for the technique.

Skip it if you want a heavy press that does the smashing for you; at around two pounds you will be leaning on it.

Pros and cons

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8. Norpro 8.75-inch Round Cast Iron Bacon Press – Wide Face, Wooden Handle

Best wooden handle

Norpro’s round bacon press is the widest round press here at 8.75 inches across, and 3.25 inches tall. Its wooden handle, which Norpro says stays cool to the touch, is the main reason to choose it over the Lodge round.

Norpro suggests it for bacon, ham, grilled sandwiches, hamburgers and quesadillas, and as a steak weight, on the stove in a skillet or outside on the grill. A wide round face is a good match for a quesadilla: it presses a whole flour tortilla flat so the cheese melts evenly and the outside browns without puffing up.

Unlike the Lodge presses, this one is not described as pre-seasoned. Norpro includes instructions for seasoning it before first use and for cleaning and storage. Seasoning a press is the same job as seasoning a skillet: a thin coat of oil baked on in the oven, as our cast iron skillet guide explains.

Norpro does not list the weight on Amazon. One retailer lists 3.42 pounds, close to the Lodge round. The listing also does not say whether the bottom is ridged or flat, so check the listing photos if that matters to you.

Why we like it

• 8.75-inch round face, wide enough for a flour tortilla
• Wooden handle Norpro says stays cool
• Seasoning and care instructions included
• Suggested for bacon, burgers, sandwiches and quesadillas

Why we recommend it

Choose it if you want a wide round press with a wooden handle and do not mind seasoning it yourself. It is particularly handy for quesadillas and grilled sandwiches.

Skip it if you want a press that is ready out of the box; it needs seasoning first.

Pros and cons

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9. Amazon Basics Cast Iron Press Two-Pack – A Round and a Rectangle

Best two-pack

Amazon Basics sells its presses as a pair of different shapes rather than two of the same: a 6.8-inch round for burger patties and an 8.1 by 4.2-inch rectangle for bacon and sandwiches. Both are cast iron with wooden handles, and both stand 2.7 inches tall, according to the listing.

The bottoms are grooved, which the listing says leaves grill marks on burgers, bacon, steaks and sandwiches. That suits pressing a torta or a chop on a griddle; for true smash burgers, a flat face like the Cuisinart 6.5-inch or the Blackstone gives more even contact. The round is small enough to sit inside a 10-inch skillet with a patty under it.

The care instructions are short: hand wash and dry right away. The listing does not say whether the presses come pre-seasoned, and it gives no weight or country of manufacture, so oil them lightly after drying as you would any bare iron.

Why we like it

• Two shapes in one pack
• Wooden handles
• Round press fits inside a skillet
• Grooved faces for grill marks

Why we recommend it

It suits a cook who wants a burger press and a bacon press without buying them separately.

Skip it if you want a stated weight or a flat face for smash burgers; the listing gives no weight and both faces are grooved.

Pros and cons

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