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Zagat burger survey results 2012 edition - medium-rare, ketchup tops rankings

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X

XiaNaphryz

LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
http://blog.zagat.com/2012/11/burger-survey-results-revealed-toppings_7.html

It's Burger Week on the blog and - newsflash - you can't get enough of them, at least according to the results of our just-released Burger Survey, which polled over 1,000 avid diners. It was a carnivorous crowd, with the respondents reporting that they eat the favorite foodstuff an average of 4.3 times each month, which basically boils down to once a week. There was a gender divide represented in the results, with women eating an average of 3.4 burgers each month versus 4.9 for the gents.
Click to expand...

Medium Rare Please, and No Thanks on That Veggie Burger (At Least for Guys)

A plurality of burger lovers prefer their meat to be a little pink, with 38% reporting that they like their patty to be medium rare, followed by 36% who enjoy medium. It turns out that a well-done burger (aka a "hockey puck") really does turn people off, with only 6% saying they like it cooked to a crisp.

The gender divide also was evident when it came to veggie burgers. While 50% of females said they enjoy a meatless option on occasion, only 33% of guys admit to eating these.

The Stats: How Do You Like Your Burger Cooked?

Medium Rare: 38%
Medium: 36%
Medium Well: 16%
Well Done: 6%
Rare: 4%

Specialty Restaurants Rock

While 14% report heading to a fast-food joint to get their fix, 50% say they prefer to go to a specialty burger restaurant, showing that efforts to trick out patties (Wagyu beef! Stuffed with foie gras!) have some merit. Carnivores also prep custom versions at home (14%) and head to everyday restaurants that may happen to serve a burger (18%).

With these stats, it should come as no surprise that 69% of people report that they've eaten a burger with gourmet ingredients like truffles or foie gras.

The Stats: Where Do You Typically Go?

Specialty Burger Restaurant: 15%
More General Restaurant: 18%
Fast-Food Spot: 14%
Make at Home: 14%
Other: 3%

The Toppings: More Is Better (and Break Out the Fancy Buns)

When it comes to choosing toppings, the correct answer seems to be "all of them." Cheese, lettuce, bacon, tomatoes, grilled onions and pickles all proved popular. There were some turnoffs, including jalapenos, raw onions and mushrooms, but folks don't seem hesitant to load up. Oh, and while the restaurant is busy adding toppings, it should break out the fancy bread - 60% of diners say they want a specialty bun (brioche, etc.) while only 23% prefer a regular bun.

The Stats:

Which Toppings Do You Like Best? (choose multiple):
Cheese: 82%
Lettuce: 59%
Tomato: 59%
Grilled Onion: 56%
Bacon: 54%
Pickles: 48%
Raw Onions: 43%
Mushrooms: 33%

Which Is Your Least Favorite Topping? (choose one):
Jalapenos: 20%
Raw Onions: 15%
Mushrooms: 13%
Guac: 12%
Pickles: 12%

Condiments and Cheese

Ok, no one's mind is blown by the fact that people like ketchup (66% say they put it on their burger), but they also like mustard, mayo, barbecue sauce and Thousand Island dressing. In fact, only 6% of surveyors say they don't put any condiments on their patty. But you can hold the relish (or save it for the hot dogs), as that was voted the group's least favorite.

When it comes to cheese, cheddar is the clear winner, with 38% marking it as their favorite. That's followed by American, blue cheese and Swiss.

The Stats:

Favorite Condiment (choose multiple):
Ketchup: 66%
Mustard: 47%
Mayo: 44%
Barbecue Sauce: 27%
Thousand Island: 17%

Least Favourite Condiment: (choose 1):
Relish: 20%
Mayo: 19%
Hot Sauce: 18%

Cheese, Please:
Cheddar: 38%
American: 15%
Blue Cheese: 13%
Swiss: 12%
Monterey Jack: 6%

Burgers for Lunch

It's no surprise that a majority of respondents report enjoying burgers at dinner (75% to be precise), but 65% of folks who took the survey said that they also enjoy a midday patty (respondents were able to vote more than once). Though we've had our share of patties after a night at the bar, only 9% say they like a burger for a late-night snack, while a die-hard 2% report eating burgers for breakfast.

The Stats: Do You Mostly Eat Burgers for...?

Dinner: 75%
Lunch: 60%
Late-Night Snack: 9%
Breakfast: 2%

Turkey Burgers Are Lame; Grass-Fed Beef = Meh

People overwhelmingly prefer good ol' fashioned beef in their burgers - a whopping 85% want that Whopper made with cow, while only 5% of diners prefer bison and 4% enjoy turkey. Are the other options better for you? Yes. Does anyone care? Not so much.

The survey also saw some mixed emotions about grass-fed and organic beef. Despite these terms popping up on more and more menus, only 15% said that it's very important to them. 43% said it's somewhat important, and 42% said it's not important at all.
Click to expand...
 
R

R2D4

Banned
Which Is Your Least Favorite Topping? (choose one):
Jalapenos: 20%
Raw Onions: 15%
Mushrooms: 13%
Guac: 12%
Pickles: 12%


untitled-5b8qem.gif
 
D

Davidion

Member
Medium rare only 38%? I made a lot of progress last night, but it's obviously that we have much, much further to go.

Onwards.
 
G

Guevara

Member
I'm not really comfortable with burger meat only cooked to Medium Rare. Unless it's a good restaurant or I'm making it myself.
 
D

Draft

Member
A burger is not a steak, not even when it's sold for $15 in a nice restaurant. Medium-rare is crazy. A bunch of low grade meat, usually covered in strongly flavored toppings, doesn't get any help from being pink. A burger should not be squishy.

Medium at least, medium well prefered. Even well done is better than medium rare. Crazy ass burger eating fools.
 
P

Poyunch

Member
Mushrooms are weird on burgers. To me they're more of a side and not a topping. Although this becomes quite the opposite once pizza becomes involved.
 
I

Impeccable

Member
Guevara said:
I'm not really comfortable with burger meat only cooked to Medium Rare. Unless it's a good restaurant or I'm making it myself.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I always feel sick if I'm watching a TV show and the hamburger bleeds as they bite into and they celebrate that.

Learn some food safety, people.
 
C

Cdammen

Member
Raw onions, red and yellow are delicious on burgers.

Tomato, onion, a little bit of bacon and bam! Done. Guacamole is also surprisingly good. Oh yeah, and some mustard on the top bun.

(EDIT) ONION RINGS! Throw a couple of those in there and we're talking. Gat damn!
 
M

marrec

Banned
The Last Wizard said:
Man I used to think like you about American cheese being the end all be all, but I saw the light last year when I tasted cheddar for the first in my life last year.

Cheddar 4 lyf
Click to expand...

Yes! God bless you and your witness.

American cheese is awful and I have no idea how it's still even sold.
 
H

Haly

One day I realized that sadness is just another word for not enough coffee.
These guys can't handle the heat!

More for me!
 
C

ChiTownBuffalo

Either I made up lies about the Boston Bomber or I fell for someone else's crap. Either way, I have absolutely no credibility and you should never pay any attention to anything I say, no matter what the context. Perm me if I claim to be an insider
Anyone walk by restaurants with the Zagat Guide sticker and think:

I wonder how many Tiger Uppercuts they got?

Sagat-ttigergenocide.gif
 
I

Impeccable

Member
shira said:
That's not blood. LOL enjoy your dry burgers.
Click to expand...

You don't have to get all messy covered in half-juice half-blood to not have a dry burger.

Edit: Maybe I'm alone that I wouldn't trust the average microwave cook to hit the right temperature perfectly.
 
S

Sky Chief

Member
Guevara said:
I'm not really comfortable with burger meat only cooked to Medium Rare. Unless it's a good restaurant or I'm making it myself.
Click to expand...

It doesn't make a difference. I love medium rare burgers but the fact is they are not safe even if they are made from the highest quality beef.

The problem is bacteria grows on the surface of meat. If you are dealing with whole muscle meat like a steak, all you have to do is sear the outside to kill the bacteria and the inside can remain rare and still be safe.

However, when you mince beef, any bacteria on the surface is spread evenly through the beef and therefore to be completely safe the middle of the burger has to be cooked to a temperature that will kill bacteria, not just the outside.
 
C

CrunchyFrog

Member
Guevara said:
I'm not really comfortable with burger meat only cooked to Medium Rare. Unless it's a good restaurant or I'm making it myself.
Click to expand...

Same. Medium all the way. Anything above that is trash.

McNei1y said:
Now that that's done, let's discuss how many people put ketchup on hot dogs.
Click to expand...

Chili, cheese, bacon, and occasionally sour cream. There's a local place that also does footlong crawfish sausages with a sourdough bun and the most phenomenal seasoned fries. It's a heart attack on a plate but at $7.50 for that and a drink it's a fucking steal.
 
shira

shira

Member
Sky Chief said:
It doesn't make a difference. I love medium rare burgers but the fact is they are not safe even if they are made from the highest quality beef.

The problem is bacteria grows on the surface of meat. If you are dealing with whole muscle meat like a steak, all you have to do is sear the outside to kill the bacteria and the inside can remain rare and still be safe.

However, when you mince beef, any bacteria on the surface is spread evenly through the beef and therefore to be completely safe the middle of the burger has to be cooked to a temperature that will kill bacteria, not just the outside.
Click to expand...

It all depends on which bacteria is in the meat.
E. coli is always present, but if it is E. coli O157:H7 then you get the shits.
 
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