The Unique Kitchen Tool You Need For Extra Crispy Bacon

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Although an ordinary refrigerator staple, there's an art to cooking crispy, mess-free bacon. While the food splatters and bubbles, the result can range from disappointingly limp to cracker-like and bone dry. For most people, the ideal consistency is a balance of delectable crispiness with a palatable internal juiciness, and chefs employ a variety of strategies to achieve such a texture. However, for a dependable — and fun — method, invest in a new kitchen tool and buy a bacon press. Essentially a type of chef's press, this unique piece of cookware optimizes the meat's preparation for several reasons.

Most importantly, its weight increases the amount of contact between the pan and bacon. The press gets just about every millimeter of the pork (or alternate protein) exposed to the pan's high heat. Sizzling speeds up, browning improves, and the bacon turns out extra mouth-watering as the fat efficiently renders away. Furthermore, since bacon slices tend to curl, the press ensures no piece escapes such a delicious treatment. Pick up a model like the Bellemain Bacon Press and start sizzling — you'll be impressed.

A bacon press looks visually similar to a burger press, grill press, or chef's press, and if you already own one of those, you can certainly try it with your favorite brand of bacon. However, the typical bacon press is sized to fit easily into a skillet and usually has ridges on the underside. This way, whenever you're frying up your breakfast, there's no need to break out a griddle or extra-large pan. And since the contact surface isn't completely flat, you won't risk breaking apart the strips while cooking.

Many popular models come in a round 8.5-inch size, but you can also buy a smaller 7-inch press — like this model by EWFEN — which works well with burgers and paninis, too. Most bacon presses are made of cast iron, so once you have one in your possession, you can expect a lifetime of perfectly crispy meat.