Food

Medium Rare vs. Well Done Burger: Which Is Better?

well done burger

Did you know that 40% of American adults prefer a well-done burger? While plenty of food snobs will turn up their nose at a burger cooked all the way through, it turns out that so many of us would rather eat one this way.

Some wouldn’t dare order a hamburger any way other than medium-rare. It can get hard to decide how you should order. Does it even make a difference how you eat the best burger?

Read on to learn all the differences between a medium-rare and a well-done burger.

Temp Options

If you’ve eaten steak or the best burger in Middle, TN, no doubt a server has asked, “how do you like it?”

How you like it falls on a spectrum from rare to well-done. No matter whether you’re ordering the best burger in Murfreesboro or the thickest steak, rare to well-done refers to temperature and color. Let’s review what these classifications mean.

  • Rare: 120°F and a cool red center
  • Medium-Rare: 130-135°F warm and red
  • Medium: 135-145°F and a warm pink center
  • Medium-Well: 145-155°F and a slight-pink center
  • Well-Done: 155°F and over with a brown or cooked through the center

These are the standard hamburger temperatures and colors associated. Not all chefs are the same, and at any given restaurant, you may order medium-rare and end up with medium-well. This confusion won’t occur when you’re eating the best burger in the Gulch.

Perception vs. Reality

Not everyone grows up in a home with a chef. For these people, well-done burgers were the norm and cooked to the texture and consistency of concrete. These folks associate anything cooked well-done as dry, flavorless, and chewy.

To them, ordering the best burger in Nashville well-done is no different than eating a hockey puck at the Bridgestone Arena. Medium-rare and its red center are associated with all the juicy, tender burger flavors.

Is that true? If cooked the right way, a well-done hamburger should still arrive at the table juicy and tender if it’s the best burger in Lenox Village.

Health Concerns

Many folks prefer well-done burgers out of illness concerns. Dangerous pathogens and bacteria found in ground beef die at 160°F. Illness is a valid concern that burger chefs should take seriously. The best burger in Mt. Juliet should be juicy no matter how you cook it. 

To put your mind at ease, know that you are far less likely to become ill eating high-quality ground beef medium-rare. When searching for the “best burger near me,” make sure you choose a restaurant that only uses the best beef.

Is a Well-Done Burger the Best Option?

If you’re trying to decide what to order, don’t sweat it. Order what you feel comfortable eating. If prepared correctly, a well-done burger should be as tasty as a medium-rare burger.

Are you hungry for the best burger in Tennessee? At Burger Republic, we use the highest-quality ingredients to craft the most delicious burgers. Order one online today.

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