Recommendations on grill press

[dchang21]

i'm looking for a grill press. A weight that you place on meat when cooking at high heat for even browning.

I have only found Bruce Hill's Chef's Press to be ideal. It's stackable, stainless, and there is no wood or rubber handle to burn should i decide to throw it in a wood fired oven.

Is there anything else I should consider? thanks.

 

[Beerzebub]

That's what I ended up getting and like them a lot. Had to order from overseas though, so wasn't cheap. The best deal I found at the time was from Rangelrooij (www.hamono.nl) in the Netherlands. It looks like their prices have a up a bit since then, but could still be an option if these aren't available in Hong Kong.

 

[dchang21]

@Beerzebub yeah these are only available overseas and like most things i will either pay for the shipping or use a proxy shipper

 

[Beerzebub]

Yep, and here in New Zealand anyway shipping from the US is almost never the best option, Europe and Asia not so bad.

 

[Shein]

Bruce Hill's Chef's Press are available from Bernal Cutlery and is reasonably priced, IMHO at least.

https://bernalcutlery.com/search?q=chef+press&options[prefix]=last&type=product

 

[dchang21]

i ended up buying these two from borough kitchen and qualified for free 3 day international shipping, so good deal i suppose.

 

[Jovidah]

I like the idea of the chef's press, but I'd only consider buying them at about a quarter of the cost; they're outrageously expensive here.
Until a cheap alternative comes along my go-to is to just put another frying pan on top (if it's dirty on the bottom just put some aluminium foil in between). Brick wrapped in aluminium foil also works. Or just press it down manually.

 

[mengwong]

 

[dchang21]

I like the idea of the chef's press, but I'd only consider buying them at about a quarter of the cost; they're outrageously expensive here.
Until a cheap alternative comes along my go-to is to just put another frying pan on top (if it's dirty on the bottom just put some aluminium foil in between). Brick wrapped in aluminium foil also works. Or just press it down manually.

yeah ive done this. place a smaller diameter pan on top with pie weights. grill presses are cheaper on amazon but they are poor quality and i just returned them

 

[Beerzebub]

I like the idea of the chef's press, but I'd only consider buying them at about a quarter of the cost; they're outrageously expensive here.
Until a cheap alternative comes along my go-to is to just put another frying pan on top (if it's dirty on the bottom just put some aluminium foil in between). Brick wrapped in aluminium foil also works. Or just press it down manually.

Reading this just makes me glad I bit the bullet and paid up for the Chef's Press! But I hear you on the price, it seems like a piece of metal like this could be produced more cheaply.

 

[dchang21]

Reading this just makes me glad I bit the bullet and paid up for the Chef's Press! But I hear you on the price, it seems like a piece of metal like this could be produced more cheaply.

i think for the average consumer, the markup for retail items is 3-4x the value to produce it. i don't know if that makes anyone feel better.

 

[Jovidah]

Reading this just makes me glad I bit the bullet and paid up for the Chef's Press! But I hear you on the price, it seems like a piece of metal like this could be produced more cheaply.

A large factor is that as a US-made product sold in small volumes it's relatively expensive here in Europe (high shipping costs, then on top of that import tax etc)... so they end up being 40 euros a piece... and you usually want at least a few.
When the press gets more expensive than the meat I'm putting it on it stops being funny.

i think for the average consumer, the markup for retail items is 3-4x the value to produce it. i don't know if that makes anyone feel better.

Usually even more than that. I'd be surprised if production cost of these things is more than a dollar a piece at most; it's just a stamped and pressed piece of metal.
Even with more complicated mass-produced stuff, after the investment of capital expenses in the production means, the actual production cost of individual items tends to be rather low.

 

[dchang21]

A large factor is that as a US-made product sold in small volumes it's relatively expensive here in Europe (high shipping costs, then on top of that import tax etc)... so they end up being 40 euros a piece... and you usually want at least a few.

yeah, your import tax. i'm fortunate to live in a place where there is no customs duty, so all there is to pay for is the shipping on imports.

 

[Jovidah]

yeah, your import tax. i'm fortunate to live in a place where there is no customs duty, so all there is to pay for is the shipping on imports.

It's not even that our import tax is all that high, but the problem is that it's calculated on the cost of the item + the shipping, and shipping costs from the US are usually very high.
For the same reason buying knives from the US is economically very unattractive.

 

[boomchakabowwow]

I push down with my spatula. Im
Not buying a single-tasker if I can help it.

My friend remodeled his kitchen. He once cut me a square of granite. I smashed garlic with it, weighed down stuff soaking in a brine, and it was my searing weight wrapped in foil. I was crushed when it eventually cracked in half.

 

[sumis]

i use a small diameter but heavy sauce pan …

.

 

[blokey]

Aluminum foil around a brick? I’ve seen a lot people doing that

 

[M1k3]

Aluminum foil around a brick? I’ve seen a lot people doing that

Old school way. Definitely works.

 

[dchang21]

this is a good product. used it on 2 chicken legs recently. both round and rectangle are a good set. covers most size foods.

 

[Chips]

Ive been a proud Chef's Press owner since his early days here in the Bay Area. I have 5 matching regular ones ( I think they were the first ones he offered and I'd pick up a few when on sale at Bernal Cutlery) and one of his huge ones he just released a few years ago. They're very versatile. I'm surprised they haven't already been copied in China for cheaper.

Back when I was just out of high school and dead broke, I'd foil wrap a brick with many layers and use that wherever needed and it worked and was essentially free.

 

[dchang21]

They're very versatile. I'm surprised they haven't already been copied in China for cheaper.

i'm going to take a guess since i manufacture and source from china that this product is too niche to copy and it would be more profitable to make a burger press similar to the $10 ones on amazon..

 

[parbaked]

I push down with my spatula. Im
Not buying a single-tasker if I can help it.

These are really useful for other tasks like when defrosting lamb rib chops from your friends at Sonoma County Meat Co.

There’s also really no better tool for something like slow rendering a duck breast…

 

[parbaked]

Ive been a proud Chef's Press owner since his early days here in the Bay Area. I have 5 matching regular ones ( I think they were the first ones he offered) and one of his huge ones he just released a few years ago.

Me too...I picked up one from the first batch Josh got at Bernal Cutlery...
I have three now, which fits my needs.

 

[parbaked]

I'd be surprised if production cost of these things is more than a dollar a piece at most; it's just a stamped and pressed piece of metal.

OK...I'll surprise you.

1. Chef Press are laser cut, not stamped. It takes a number of steps.
2. They are then tumbled to remove any rough edges.
3. Then they are engraved with product name, weight, inventor, patent number, company URL and "Made in Oakland California USA"
4. They then use a some voodoo to bend out the handle at a consistent width without distorting the engraving on the handle.

They are very thoughtfully designed and well made for a simple tool.
The inventor/designer, Bruce Hill, is a chef, not a manufacturer.
He outsource production to a fairly sophisticated fabrication shop. They have to make a profit.
He also has to order fairly high quantities get the shop to set up his runs.
Each new size or design requires an investment in programming on top of the capital investment the shop is amortizing.
Finally he has to set an MSRP that allows retailers to make a profit with all the shipping and handling that involves.
The fact that the basic press retails for $19 is pretty remarkable, IMO.

 

[Vertigo]

Old school way. Definitely works.

This, and a layer or two of stacked sheet pans when you're working at volume.

 

[M1k3]

This, and a layer or two of stacked sheet pans when you're working at volume.

Getting out of the weeds.

 

[HolyDiverScallop]

this is a good product. used it on 2 chicken legs recently. both round and rectangle are a good set. covers most size foods.

View attachment 326629

I have 8 Chef's Presses and love them. Until I saw this photo, I didn't think I needed a round one. A round to cover the subject, and then stack rectangles on top for more weight. Genius.

 

[Vertigo]

Getting out of the weeds.

The first time you whip out a 400 to lid a dozen burgers at the same time, and the rest of the line looks at you like you're crazy.

Improvise. Adapt. Overcome. Lasered, tumbled, and engraved on your own time

 

[HolyDiverScallop]

That intuitive-jump thinking is the best.

 

[M1k3]

That intuitive-jump thinking is the best.

You just described awesome line cooks!