Slider tools have all of the fun, none of the fast food

Pictured from foreground to rear: bun cutter, press, and grill basket.

(Credit: Kitchencontraptions.com)

Do I like the idea of a miniature hamburger? Absolutely. Do I ever visit the White Castle that happens to be directly across the street? Never.

Maybe it's my preference for home cooking that keeps me away from the W.C., maybe it's because I've read enough books to be scared of meat that's served in fast-food restaurants, or maybe it's the promise of a stomach ache, but one thing's for sure: after trying a slider in there once, I'd be perfectly happy never to do it again.

But why should I have to go the rest of my life without eating miniature hamburgers? I like the idea of a smaller bun and meat patty, especially for barbecues, where the all-you-can-eat-buffet-inspired temptation of trying everything usually forces me to squeeze a hot dog and a hamburger next to each other on the same paper plate. In situations like this, I end up with the same stomach ache that I would have had after going across the street for sliders and a milkshake.

With these slider-making tools, I can have a homemade hamburger and hot dog and eat them, too, without fear of overdoing it. The tool set includes a press to make perfect little burger patties, made out of ingredients that you decide to put into them, without fillers, preservatives, hormones, or add-ins. It also has a basket big enough to hold nine patties for your grill, and a cookie-cutter-esque bun cutter to make minibuns.

Sliders are tasty and should be available for everybody, even the most discerning home chef. These tools make sliders available for you, at the cost of $5 for the cutter and $25 each for the grill basket and press. They'll be available from Sur la Table's Web site on February 20 of this year.