This gadget could revolutionise the way you make burgers

... but how well does it work? Hilary Biller tests a kitchen tool designed to take the hard work out of making American-style stuffed hamburgers

About the gadget

StufZ is a red plastic burger maker/press with a latch that opens it into two sections. The idea is that you put half your mince in the base, then press down to shape it into a patty that has a cavity in the middle which you can fill with the stuffing of your choice. Next you top the stuffing with the remaining mince, press the lid down and, voila, you've created the perfect large stuffed burger.

StufZ costs R99.90 and is available from Game, Makro and Verimark stores.

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What we thought when we tried it

Don't expect to become an instant StufZ expert. It takes some logic to work out how to use this contraption and, as the directions indicated, it requires patience - lots of it. My husband, the engineer, loved fiddling with this gadget whereas I found it a little clumsy and frustrating.

My first attempt at making burgers was a disaster as the amount of mince (80ml per burger, as indicated on the instruction leaflet) was insufficient to cover a stuffing of grated cheese which oozed out on cooking.

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Once I got the ratio of meat to filling correct, the patties were really yummy and had the feel of being steakhouse burgers. (I used about 200g of lamb mince flavoured with garlic, grated onion, salt and pepper per burger. I stuffed them with crumbed feta and fried them for 8 minutes per side on a medium heat.)

It was quite a messy operation to start with and I'd suggest spraying the gadget with non-stick cooking spray before using it; this helped to release the burgers more easily.

Our verdict

StufZ is a bit of fun. It's way too much fuss to use for making everyday burgers, but it's the kind of gadget to whip out once in a while and get your whole family involved in making burgers - with their own choices of fillings.