I make a yummy inside out burger :) And ya GOTTA have a good bun. A cruddy bun will ruin the whole experience.

Ok, Heather. I've got to ask... What's an inside out burger?

cheese (any kind) and fried onions (or mushrooms if you prefer) on the inside. you could do an italian version and put fresh mozz and basil on the inside and use marinara instead of ketchup. OR a greek version with feta and olives. lots of options :) great...now i'm hungry...

I love avocados on my burgers. And I like the pretzel buns as well. Delicious (but there goes any diet.....haha)

I hear ya. Not eating any inside out burgers lately myself!! Grrr.

Pretzel buns are THEE best. You would like the Turkey Avacado Burger on a Pretzel Bun at Ruby Tuesdays!!

Here is what I e-mailed in:

These aren't even my tips but rather a collection of tips I have learned from magazines, TV, and others over the years:

1. Don't over pack burgers. Burgers need to be formed into a nice patty but do it as gently as possible. If you pack it too tight the juices have nowhere to go but out, resulting in a dry burger. If its loosely packed the juice can settle in the air pockets resulting in juicy burgers, even if cooked past medium.
2. Never add salt or other salt-based seasonings before you patty, only apply salt after its pattied.
3. Don't use the spatula to smash the grease out. It drains all of the juices and it causes flareups.
4. Don't overdo seasonings. The best part of a burger is the beef yet some people obliterate the flavor with garbage like the French Onion Soup mix you mention in your article. I like just a little Lawry's seasoning salt or plan old salt and pepper. We are making burgers, not meat loaf.
5. To keep the patty from bulging in the middle, make a small depression in the center of the burger. This will result in a perfectly flat burger at the end of the cooking cycle.
6. Make sure the bun is the right size. Nothing ruins a burger like an over sized bun that overshadows the burger or a small weak bun that cannot handle the size of the burger and condiments.
7. Let your burger rest a couple of minutes before you eat it. This will help let the juices settle back into the meat.

I like my burgers cooked medium and with lots of veggies (lettuce, onion, tomato, and, if available, mushrooms and jalapeno pepper) and yellow mustard. And of course, a decent cheese. Mmm...