Best Bacon Press

We'd start most bacon cooks here. The solid 2.49 pound rectangle is shaped for strips of bacon, and the 304 stainless steel body needs no seasoning and is dishwasher safe, which removes the upkeep that comes with iron. The bottom is smooth and flat with no exposed screws, so grease has fewer places to collect.

The silicone handle is oven safe to 428°F (220°C), and the 2.1 inch clearance leaves room to grip it above a crowded pan. Beyond bacon, the maker points to steaks, smash burgers, panini and grilled cheese, on a griddle, grill or skillet. It is lighter than the heaviest presses in this group, so it suits cooks who want steady weight without a hefty tool to lift.

This is a 7 inch round press made of cast iron and weighing 2.5 pounds, so it behaves like a classic smash burger weight that also holds bacon and sandwiches flat. The smooth face is meant to apply even pressure without grooves to clean around, and the wood handle is described as burr free with fastened screws.

Next to the rectangular Manucode Grill Press 2.49 lb, the round outline favors patties and fits a circular skillet, while the raised edge is there to keep juices from running onto the cooking surface. It is nearly the same weight as that stainless press, so the real choice is shape and material rather than heft.

If you want more mass than the Rocksheat Bacon Press 7 Inch, this 3 pound cast iron round is a step up, and it is the one where owner feedback lines up most clearly behind bacon. Owners report that it keeps strips flat and crisp, that it is heavy enough to stop curling, and that it feels solid and cleans up easily. It is also described as handy for smash burgers, grilled cheese and other sandwiches.

The iron can be seasoned like a skillet to build a non-stick surface, and the cool wood handle means gloves are not required. A pig motif in the middle of the press also draws favorable comments. Because it is round, it covers fewer strips at a time than a long rectangle would, which matters if you cook a full pan of bacon.

Size is the trade-off with this press, and the Blackstone Cast Iron Griddle Press covers far more of the pan. The Lodge measures 6.75 by 4.5 inches and weighs 2.88 pounds, and it arrives seasoned with natural vegetable oil. Owners report that it works well for bacon, burgers, small steaks and grilled sandwiches, and that the iron does most of the work.

The feedback on fit is divided in a useful way. Owners appreciate how compact it is for a cast iron skillet, while a common complaint is that the face is shorter than a bacon strip, so it will not cover a full slice. Owners also use it to press Cuban sandwiches and find it steadier than stacked saucepans. Durability and assembly draw mixed reports, with a common complaint being that parts work loose with use, and handle heat is reported both ways.

At 4.68 pounds, this is the heaviest press with a stated weight, well past the 3.2 pound Manucode Bacon Press 9.25 x 5.7 in. The 10 by 5.5 inch rectangle is big enough to press several items at once, and owners report that the weight spreads evenly and works well for smash burgers on griddles, pork chops and breakfast cooking.

It comes pre-seasoned, has a smooth base and a heat-insulated rubber handle, and owners describe it as simple to wipe clean and durable. Bacon is where reports split: owners praise the quality and the way it presses meat evenly, while a common complaint is that it does not always sit properly and keep bacon flat. That makes it better suited to burgers and thick cuts than to delicate strips.

Stainless steel is the difference from the cast iron Bellemain Smash Burger Press 7 Inch: this 3.2 pound press is non-magnetic austenitic steel that resists rust and needs no seasoning. The 9.25 by 5.7 inch face is sized for two burgers, four bacon strips or a large steak, which is a good match for a busy griddle.

Owners report that it is heavy enough to hold meat down, works well for smash burgers and cleans easily, and it is large enough to press two large patties at once. The 6.3 inch beechwood handle is described as staying cool, and the makers suggest preheating it to sear sandwiches and paninis the way cast iron would.

Unlike the metal weights such as the Lodge Cast Iron Grill Press, this one is clear tempered glass, so you can see how the strips are browning without lifting anything. It doubles as a splatter shield, and it is rated safe up to 550 degrees, with a handle made to stay cool and stay secure.

Owners report that it keeps bacon flat, cooks it evenly and fits large pans well, and the shield effect is a bonus for anyone tired of grease spots. It is dishwasher safe. Because it is a lid-style press rather than a heavy slab, the weight comes from the glass itself, so it is aimed at bacon more than at smashing burgers.