If you simply want the best, most reliable bacon press on the market that won’t disappoint, grab the Victoria GAD-025 Cast Iron Bacon Press and call it a day.
Makin’ some bacon early on a Saturday morning is a sure fire way to start the weekend off right. Those sizzling morsels are heavenly good and provide incredible flavor, especially when grilled out on the patio. However, if you want to take your bacon up a notch, having a quality bacon press will seriously make you the king of breakfast.
Your bacon will be perfectly cooked and perfectly flat, every time. Not to mention, a bacon press will reduce the amount of grease splatter by a staggering amount. That keeps cleaning to a minimum for those of us who would rather eat than clean.
Best Overall Bacon Press – Victoria GAD-025 Cast Iron Bacon Press
- Improves your grilling Cuts cooking time by about half for thin meats and bacon from 8 to 4 minutes
- Better performance Screw-removable cool-touch wood handle Texturized bottom to avoid sliding and movement Measures 8 3 x 4 4 and weighs 2 15 lbs
This pre-seasoned beast of a bacon press is ready to go right out of the box. It’s rectangular shape makes it great for longer pieces of meat. Plus, it’s textured underside keeps the bacon in place and ensures you get a perfect cook, every time. You’ll also find that the oil used to season it is all natural and won’t leave your meat with an unpleasant plastic taste.
The hardwood handle stays quite cool in even extreme heat and won’t burn your fingers. Plus, it’s fully removable to easy cleaning and replacement if necessary. Trust us however, you’ll never need to replace it.
If you simply want a simple to use, easy to clean bacon press that’ll get the job done, the Victoria GAD-025 is the best bar none.
Bacon Press Buyers Guide
Buying the best bacon press is fairly straightforward. You’ll need a press that’s got enough weight to keep the meat nice and flat and is easy to clean. It needs to be able to withstand high heat and last for many years to come. Lastly, you’ll definitely want to make sure that the press is ergonomic and doesn’t have any pinch points to ruin your Saturday morning.
What is the best bacon press material?
Cast Iron. It’s a simple answer that can’t be beat. It’s cost effective, easy to keep clean, provides enough weight and is super durable. While other materials such as stainless steel would work. They would cause all sorts of issues such as sticking meat, and an empty wallet.
Cast iron has been the cooking pan material of choice for centuries for good reason. A bacon press is nothing more than an inverted heating and weight element. If you need a heat resistance block of metal to cook some meat, cast iron is the way to go.
Get something ergonomic
Having checked out quite a few bacon presses on the market, having an ergonomic one is pretty darn important. You’ll often find some of the cheaper designs have pinch points or handles at odd angles. These make it a pain in the rear to use a bacon press, especially when cooking for a large crowd.
Related item: A big bacon flipper will make your job much easier!
Get something simple, flat and with as few moving parts as possible. We’d also recommend you stay away from “designer” presses with fancy patterns and such as they are waaay harder to clean.
How to clean a bacon press
Cleaning a bacon press can be as easy, or as hard as you want. A little oil and preheating action before you start cooking will keep your press in like-new condition with a simple wipe down. However, if you’ve decided on an unseasoned press, you’ll want to grab some grapeseed oil and season that bad boy before use.
If you happen to make a mess of your bacon press and can’t get it clean, try spraying a bit of oven cleaner on it and waiting a few hours. When you come back, the greasy, burn on mess will basically melt away. Once you’re done using the press, we recommend a quick rinse with some soap and water. Make sure to use a soft sponge and not an abrasive one as it could take the seasoning off and make food stick.
If you’re really worried about getting dirt and grease everywhere, wash off your bacon press in an outdoor kitchen sink. they are easier to clean and not in sight most of the time.
Heat resistance
You want to keep your hands cool and your bacon hot. A large surface area and thick metal is the best way to get this done. A solid piece of cast iron will stay super hot and yet, not break down over time.
A wooden or elongated metal handle will also help to ensure you don’t get burned in the process. Due to the insulating properties of wood, we recommend a wooden handle as our top choice.
Best Bacon Press Detailed Reviews
Okay, so now you know what to look for in a quality cast iron bacon press. The next step is choosing the right press for you. We’ve gathered a selection of the best to make the process at least a bit easier. No, it’s simply a matter of personal opinion. However, no matter which press you choose from the below list, can you rest assured that your weekend bacon cooking adventures will never be the same.
#1 Victoria GAD-025 Cast Iron Bacon Press
- Improves your grilling Cuts cooking time by about half for thin meats and bacon from 8 to 4 minutes
- Better performance Screw-removable cool-touch wood handle Texturized bottom to avoid sliding and movement Measures 8 3 x 4 4 and weighs 2 15 lbs
When it comes to the best cast iron bacon press on market, nothing beats the Victoria GAD-025. It’s got the size, weight, durability and sheer majesty to make all other presses bow down to it. From the heat resistant handle to the included care and seasoning instructions, this bacon press is the whole package.
Whether you want to make a few smash burgers on the grill or enough bacon to feed an army, this press has got you covered.
Weighing in at a hefty 2.15 pounds, the Victoria Bacon Press is perfect for nearly any kind of outdoor grilling. It’s large 36.5 square inch surface area helps to reduce grease splatter and can fit over even massive thick cut bacon slices with ease.
Even better, this bacon press is pre-seasoned straight out of the box. That means it’s ready to use as soon as you get it. Some folks still prefer to re-season it, but it’s really not necessary. If you live in an especially humid environment or plan to store your bacon press outside, we recommend you give it a quick wipe down with some oil before you put it away.
#2 Lodge Rectangular Cast Iron Grill Press
- One Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Grill Press With Cool-grip Spiral Handle, 6.75 Inch x 4.5 Inch
- Cool-grip Spiral Handle provides a safe, comfortable grip
If you’re not a fan of our top choice and instead want a more classic look, the Lodge Rectangular Cast Iron Grill Press might be right up your alley. This retro looking bacon press is extremely durable and built to last for season after season of outdoor grilling. Plus, since there is no wood in sight you don’t have to worry about the handle swelling or splintering over time.
However, unlike our number one choice, the handle can get a bit hot if you tend to pre-heat your bacon press to grill both sides at the same time. As such, we’d recommend you grab a heat resistant glove to keep your skin nice and cool.
You’ll find that this bacon press is actually slightly heavier than the Victoria GAD-025 which gives it a great feeling in the hand. This makes it great for thicker slices of meat or super thick sliced bacon. However, it’s also a tad bit smaller, as such if you like to cook in bulk or prefer larger burger, this is probably not the right choice for you.
The last major difference between the Lodge Rectangular Cast Iron Grill Press and our #1 choice is the non-textured bottom. This option options for a flat bottom which gives some great heat transfer and a super cleanable surface. However, if the food is super greasy or your grill is at an angle, it might slip off which is quite inconvenient at times.
Overall though, this is a high quality cast iron bacon press and is more than up to the task. If you don’t need the best and instead want a tool that’ll just get the job done with zero fuss, this might be the perfect choice.
#3 Bellemain Cast Iron Heavy-duty bacon press
- THE SECRET TO THE BEST BACON: Take control of tangly bacon on the pan or grill with the ideal solution for flawless searing. With this specially crafted 3 lbs press the next bacon, steak or sandwich...
- CLASSIC LOOK | 100% HEAVY-DUTY CAST IRON: The Bellman Bacon Press might just be the most indestructible cooking tool you use. Made with heavy-duty cast iron, the press can also be seasoned like...
As the first circular bacon press on our list, the Bellemain Cast Iron Heavy Duty Bacon press is another great top contender. Weighing in at 3 pounds, it’s heavy and built to last. You’ll find it’s constructed from solid cast iron and can withstand even the hottest of grills and griddles. In addition, just like our top choice, it includes a hardwood handle to keep your fingers nice and cool.
Plus as an added bonus, the wooden handle gives it a great look that’ll seriously impress your breakfast guests. We do recommend you oil the handle on occasion to prevent it from absorbing moisture and to keep it from splintering. Even if you don’t though, it’ll last for years and years with very little maintenance.
One of the defining features of this outdoor bacon press is it’s unique ribbed bottom design. This gives your bacon and meat those picture perfect sear marks that every backyard chef is after. However, when it comes to just bacon, that’s not entirely a desired effect. While it’ll get the job done a close pattern such as with our #1 and #2 choices will get you a better, crispier bacon strip.
As this is a lower end bacon press, it does not come pre-seasoned. As such you’ll need to do that once it arrives in the mail. It’ll only take a few minutes and will ensure zero sticking and a great first user experience. As with any cast iron tool, keep it away from moisture and after your done washing it, pop it on the stove for a few minutes to totally dry it off.
#4 Norpro 8.75-Inch Cast Iron Bacon Press with Wood Handle
- Measures: 8.75" x 8.75" x 3.25” / 22cm x 22cm x 8cm
- Even the best cut bacon can curl, making it difficult to cook evenly. Our round Cast Iron Grill Press flattens the bacon, keeping its shape for even cooking.
If you’re looking for a more modern looking bacon press that’ll fit right in with a designer home, the Norpro 8.75-Inch Cast Iron Bacon Press with Wood Handle makes for a perfect choice. This 8.75” circular bacon press is perfect for bacon, steaks and burgers. Plus it has a unique topside design that’ll catch the eye of any interior designer. While it’s not a utilitarian as some other options on our list, it does have a certain charm to it.
Just like our other choices, this option has a full cast iron cooking area and is able to be preheated to scorching temperatures. The wooden handle will keep your hands nice and safe while giving you superior gripping power.
At 3.75 pounds this is one of the heavier options on our list and make a perfect smash burger. As with the Bellemain Cast Iron Heavy-duty bacon press the Norpro also comes with a ribbed bottom surface. This makes stunning grill marks, but again is a bit more difficult to clean than a flat surface.
Overall, this is a great bacon press than just needs a little TLC after each use to keep it in tip top shape. A quick coating of vegetable oil will ensure it stays rust free in even the tropics. We’d also recommend you give it s quick seasoning before use to keep it as non-stick as possible. If you decide to go with this option, you’ll have the greatest bacon in the neighborhood in no time.
#5 Cuisinart CGPR-221 Cast Iron Grill Press
- CAST IRON CONSTRUCTION: Durable cast iron press weighs 2. 8-pound
- WOOD HANDLE: The wooden handle provides a comfortable grip with a stylish touch
Last up on our list is the name brand Cuisinart CGPR-221 Cast Iron Grill Press. As the brand would suggest, this is a top of the line bacon press that is built to last. With a durable cast iron cooking surface and an exotic hardwood handle, this thing is built to last. Plus it’s got angled ribs for those stunning grill marks that every chef is after.
One of the main issues with it, and why it is so low on the list is users have found it is oftentimes not well seasoned from the factory. While this isn’t a huge deal it is something you need to be aware of. However, this is one of the cheapest bacon presses on this list and the reduced cost more than makes up for the few minutes of seasoning you need to do.
Folks have also had a few quality control issues with this product. While not very common, the Cuisinart CGPR-221 Cast Iron Grill Press occasionally has a broken handle during shipping. However, the manufacturer is great at returns and will replace any defective product with no questions asked.
As with any cast iron outdoor kitchen tool, you’ll want to make sure this is fully dry before putting it away. If not you’ll find rust spots in no time. If you want to hide other rusty items on your back patio, consider adding in some patio privacy screens to keep nosy neighbors out.
Overall this is a solid contender and easily makes our list as one of the top 5 best grill press tools around. If you’re a lodge Cuisinart lover and simply want to stick with one brand, this is the one to get.
Summary
In the end, there are a ton of great cast iron bacon presses on the market. However, based on our experience, user reviews and sheer durability, the Victoria GAD-025 Cast Iron Bacon Press is the clear winner. It’s got the looks, price, and materials to make for a great, long lasting bacon press that’ll work for season after season.
Now that you’ve got your bacon under control, you might want to look at upgrading your entire outdoor kitchen setup with a new Outdoor BBQ island. After all, bacon never tastes quite as good unless it’s cooked up on a sparkling new grill.
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