StufZ Burger Press Review: I Finally Tried A Burger Press Worth Buying

Welcome to As Seen On TV, a new monthly column where I review the most brilliant (or bogus) kitchen gadgets from your favorite late-night infomercials.

My default method for making burgers has always been simple. I portion a pound of ground beef into four equal patties, sprinkle them with Montreal Steak Seasoning, and grill for five minutes on each side. A slice of Tillamook cheddar goes on top at the end — because cheese is nonnegotiable. My family loves this "recipe," and I love that it requires very little thought beyond remembering to buy the buns. 

Then one night, along comes celebrity chef Brian Duffy and his StufZ Burger Press infomercial. This meat maestro is turning out plump, juicy burgers crammed with bacon, jalapeños, onions, mushrooms, parmesan, chili — even mac and cheese (his daughter's favorite). Suddenly, my comparatively no-frills process seemed suspiciously plain. Have I been doing burgers all wrong all along?

StufZ's clever marketing spiel insists stuffed burgers are "the hottest new trend," but the concept has really been around for decades. A classic example would be Minnesota's iconic Juicy Lucy, a charred patty filled with molten hot cheese. But here's the promising premise of StufZ: you don't have to hit up Matt's Bar and Grill in Minneapolis, or any restaurant at all. With this "patented little wonder," you're making America's best stuffed burgers in your very own kitchen. Could StufZ turn me, a burger simpleton, into a burger pro?

When the StufZ box arrived, it included the red plastic burger press plus a single sheet of helpful hints. These instructions covered the basics with some rudimentary drawings, but I still wasn't sure what all the handles, latches, and moving parts were supposed to do. I turned to YouTube hoping to see StufZ in action, and that's where I found an EATSTUFZ tutorial featuring the gadget's inventor, Dave Hansen. 

After Hansen walked me through the video-visual process of "Shape It! Stuff It! Seal It!" I felt considerably more qualified to get to work with my ground beef and signature fillings. Would StufZ turn out a "perfectly sealed patty every time?" I was about to find out with bacon, cheddar, and onion; sun-dried tomatoes and mozzarella; and a spicy pimento cheese spread. For this product test, I used around 1-1/2 pounds of fresh ground beef to prepare four stuffed burgers total. All were cooked on my backyard grill.

Once I actually got some meat into StufZ, the process became much easier to understand. To make a 1/2-pound "max burger," the instructions and video recommended starting with 1/3 cup of ground meat. I dropped that mound of meat into the bottom of the press, closed and latched the lid, then pushed the handle down firmly to form a patty. A slight twist unlocked the cavity maker, and after a few pumps I opened the lid to find a deep, tidy pocket ready for my fillings.

This is where things got a little more experimental. The included (but vague) instructions informed me that most people are "too cautious not to overstuff their burgers" and to "stuff them real good!" So, I took that as a personal invitation to go heavy on the Southern pimento cheese. For the other burgers, I showed more restraint and followed the inventor's more specific guidance on YouTube: Fill the cavity to the rim, but don't let any fillings spill over the edge. That still turned out to be plenty of bacon crumbles, chopped onion, sun-dried tomatoes, and cheese.

To finish each burger, I loosely spread more ground beef across the inside of the top lid. I closed the press, gave the handle a firm push, and and gently rocked the handle back and forth. Opening the press, I was fully prepared for a full-on collapse — especially with that overstuffed pimento — but StufZ released each patty from the mold without much drama.

While the printed instructions initially had me overthinking things with all the latching, locking, and clicking, StufZ turned out to be much easier to use than expected. After making the first burger, I had the simple system figured out — and it was seriously fun. Flatten the patty, make the pocket, add the fillings, cover with more meat, and seal it up. 

Three of my four burgers came off the grill with their generous fillings neatly nestled inside. The pimento cheese-filled burger was the exception, but that overstuffing was all part of putting StufZ to the test. In the end, the cheese-oozing edges didn't detract from the burger's appeal — at all. 

Sure, more precise measurements could have been helpful. I was surprised StufZ didn't come with a recipe booklet. At the same time, the contraption is forgiving enough to inspire a little R&D with your own signature ingredients. The ground meat-and-filling combinations are only limited by your imagination — or what's leftover in the fridge.

Now, did I really need a burger-specific gadget to complicate a dinner routine that was already working? Probably not. But StufZ has earned a spot in my ever-growing collection of kitchen gadgets because it actually works "as seen on TV." And my family wants more. For our next burger night, I'm thinking about stuffing Greek turkey burgers with chopped olives, spinach, and feta. 

The StufZ burger press has accumulated plenty of enthusiastic reviews on the Official As Seen on TV website. Several shoppers noted the gadget works better than stuffing burgers by hand, and one offered a practical heads-up: "Just be ready for a really big burger." That tracks. My own finished patties were so substantial that I ended up cutting them in half. If that sounds like more than your appetite — or bun— can handle, check out the new StufZ Sliders from As Seen on TV. This product promises to "make up to three stuffed sliders at one time!"

Whichever version you choose, clicking "Add to Cart" will redirect you to Amazon affiliate sellers. I paid $14.99 for my original StufZ burger press on Amazon, though it may be available for less through third-party marketplaces such as eBay, Poshmark, and Temu. StufZ is made in China from a "high-quality, food-grade durable material," and it's dishwasher safe.