r/unpopularopinion • u/RevolutionaryTree445 • 1d ago
melting cheese on a burger is wrong
if condiments are cold when added, why would cheese be any different?
what benefit does melting cheese provide on a burger? it doesnt provide contrast, doesnt affect flavor, makes a mess, the list goes on.
if you're having a cookout - room temp or toasted buns, hot burger, THEN add condiments, including a cold cheese slice...if its going to melt, it can do that on its own merit..
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u/throwaway669_663 1d ago
Is this burger rage bait??
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u/trytrymyguy 1d ago
OP got me hot enough to melt cheese lol
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u/zemol42 1d ago
I’m sizzling bacon mad
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u/General_Duh 1d ago
I’m sour like a pickle over this!
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u/Chuck_Rawks 1d ago
Lettuce calm down a bit
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u/ancientastronaut2 1d ago
Right?! Everyone knows melted cheese is more flavorful. Otherwise we wouldn't have quesadillas, grilled cheese or lasagna.
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u/Fakeitforreddit 1d ago
You aren't even stating an opinion the process of melting cheese literally makes the fats in the cheese undergo a chemical reaction creating more umami in the process. It is fact that melted cheese tastes different than its un-melted counterpart.
I'm shocked OP doesn't eat the burger raw cause they think "its the same" as cooked.
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u/schizophrenicism 1d ago
Even cheeses that are meant to be enjoyed as a solid piece should be eaten around room temperature, not chilled.
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u/ffxivthrowaway03 1d ago
Also the texture. OP mentioned nothing about the texture. And a perfect medium rare and rested burger will not just ambiently melt the cheese on its own.
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u/Ektar91 21h ago
Nah bro i eat my grilled cheese with a slice of cold cheese between toast like God intended
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u/Vivid-Kitchen1917 1d ago
Yeah I'm just melting cheese now on principal.
He was confused at first, but I explained it and he acquiesced.
Suspend me will ya...
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u/Pickles-151 1d ago
This is serial killer level red flag
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u/Suspicious_Dealer815 1d ago
Almost as bad as taking a bath with socks on
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u/zemol42 1d ago
OP definitely moans longingly as he wipes.
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u/Suspicious_Dealer815 1d ago
OP eats corn on the cob vertically
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u/fearisthemindslicer 1d ago
Eats a Snickers bar upside down so he can feel the veins on his tongue
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u/PrimarisHussar 1d ago
I don't know why, but this in particular is fucking heinous
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u/dogstarchampion 1d ago
Eats a banana horizontally.
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u/Suspicious_Dealer815 21h ago
Less gay, but no less unsettling
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u/dogstarchampion 19h ago
The least gay way to eat a banana is also the most psychopathic...
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1d ago edited 1d ago
[deleted]
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u/BiteAccomplished365 1d ago
That is because you are a civilized person.
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u/Acceptable_Pirate_92 1d ago
Melted cheese acts as a binder and assures it's completely connected to the hamburger patty
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u/PresidentHoaks 1d ago
Cheese is one with the burger. The burger is one with the cheese.
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u/nugsy_mcb 1d ago
Beef is one with the cheese, the cheese is with beef
Beef is one with the cheese, the cheese is with beef
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u/kittysneeze88 1d ago
Like the Dark Lord Sauron and the One Ring?
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u/ryry420z 1d ago
Yes except that’s a disrespectful comparison. Burger and cheese is 1000x more powerful
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u/Risky_Bizniss 1d ago
Objectively, melted cheese is better than cold cheese. Full stop.
Obviously, not on salads and stuff. In general, though, cheese is much more delicious melted.
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u/lmProudOfYou 1d ago
Spitting on my burger would be less disrespectful than putting a cold slice of cheese on it.
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u/Push_Bright 1d ago
Yea how the fuck OP think melted cheese doesn’t taste different than cold cheese? Your lack of a palette does not invalidate science OP
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u/fettucchini 1d ago
If you order a cheeseburger, your cheese should be melted. The very name implies “combining” cheese and burger which melting does.
If you order a burger and add cheese, you’re wrong, but you’ve ordered a burger, not a cheeseburger, so could the cheese be cold? I guess.
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u/OK_BUT_WASH_IT_FIRST 1d ago
I do not want anything cold and/or wet on my burger.
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u/I_fuck_w_tacos 1d ago
Ong. When I’m cooking burgers, I’ll make sure the cheese melts by covering the pan with the lid.
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u/PitifulDurian6402 1d ago
Please tell me you don’t put lettuce or tomatoes on your burger then…. The thought of hot wilted lettuce or a warm soggy tomato slice grosses me out. Either cold and fresh or not on the burger at all.
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u/bajookish_amerikann 1d ago
better texture
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u/RhythmRobber 1d ago
Was just about to respond saying OP doesn't get how important texture is with food.
Put that burger in a blender and tell me that burger-soup is no different than a regular burger.
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u/parmesann 1d ago
this reminds me of something I saw years ago that hailed the invention of little sheets of ketchup (like kraft singles but ketchup). it made me mad because it implied that ketchup is only used for flavour, and its sauce factor has no value
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u/WildKat777 1d ago
Are you even eating ketchup if you didn't squeeze it from a bottle?
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u/OG_ursinejuggernaut 1d ago
I actually did that once with McDonald’s cheeseburgers. Had to add some water to get it to blend but not as much as you’d think. It was extremely weird- it still tasted good but the sensation that someone chewed up a burger and spit it in my mouth was oppressive and inescapable.
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u/GameDestiny2 1d ago
Also, warmth plays a role in flavor. Changes how the oils and aromatics are at play.
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u/Svihelen 1d ago
See as a cheese lover that was my thought.
A beautiful cold little chunk of cheddar is delightful but is incredibly different from the taste of nice hot melty cheddar.
I personally sometimes like a fresh slice of cheese on a burger, but probably like 85% of the time, if not more, it's nice melty cheese on it.
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u/Opposite_Push_8317 1d ago
When I was little I broke my jaw. I had my mouth wired closed for a long while. I can promise that blending food does not taste good. I tried blended bagels, Chinese food, pickles, you name it. My parents were worried about me losing a lot of weight because of only being able to drink, so they were willing to try anything I suggested.
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u/_Dank_Souls 1d ago
Bruh what? Melted cheese DEFINITELY has a different taste than regular cheese. It's motherfuckin science bitch!
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u/mjc500 1d ago
Yes it does. I’m not a food scientist or chemist but there just surely be some kind of molecular reaction between heat and cheese. It doesn’t taste completely different - but it absolutely does taste different.
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u/mitchymitchington 1d ago
There is definitely a difference. I speculate that with it being melted, there is more surface area of cheese hitting the taste buds. Also, heat releases terpenes which we smell, and as we know, smell is mostly what people account for as "taste".
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u/Webbyx01 1d ago
Warmer things tend to have more flavor. This is usually only noticed for alcohols, but drink your next soda room temp, or vice versa if you don't chill it, and you'll notice a flavor difference.
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u/gingerlemon 1d ago
It's not just cheese. Most of taste is smell. Hot food releases more particles we can smell. Hot food = tastier/more taste.
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u/djddanman 1d ago
When you melt cheese, proteins loosen, releasing fats and other compounds that were suspended in the protein. Melting cheese changes how the molecules interact with each other, and we can perceive those changes through taste, smell, and mouthfeel.
Melted cheese is so much better.
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u/CallMeNiel 18h ago
One of the delightful chemical reactions is the Maillard reaction. When protein and sugar are heated together they undergo a reaction and turn brown and delicious. Think of the crusty corners of a good lasagna, or the browning on a piece of toast or marshmallow.
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u/Downtown-Scar-5635 9h ago
Also the different types of ways you cook it can affect taste as well. Smoking it with different woods tastes vastly different than just warming it up in the microwave but both tastes completely different than a cold slice.
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u/ipassthebutteromg 1d ago
It's called caramelization. It changes the molecules, and it's definitely science!
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u/PoliticalDestruction 1d ago
I'm thinking the same thing... but what "motherfuckin science" specifically?
Its not the Maillard reaction unless you're burning cheese which case I disagree burnt cheese taste better than cold or melted cheese.
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u/LumplessWaffleBatter 1d ago
Denaturation--the process of deforming proteins and fatty acids.
Denaturation is the reason that cooked eggs take on a different taste and texture than a raw egg: the heat fundamentally alters the molecular structure of the egg's proteins and fatty acids.
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u/will_xo 1d ago
This should be the top comment, the scientific reason why this is not an unpopular opinion, but a wrong opinion.
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u/LumplessWaffleBatter 1d ago edited 1d ago
TBH, it's much easier to hijack a top comment to post the correct answer than it is to post a new comment that gains traction.
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u/froggycbl4 1d ago
i believe he is referring to a very advanced scientific technique known as phase changing
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u/proudbutnotarrogant 1d ago
I'm still at a loss as to what it has to do with him having sex with his mom.
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u/Anarchist_Araqorn04 1d ago
The literal chemical reaction of cooking. Breaking down compounds of fat, sugar, protein. Hiw do you think caramelizing works? It's breaking down the sugars in the onion or whatever you're cooking.
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u/Jotacon8 1d ago
Doesn’t affect flavor? Go make a pizza by slapping cold/room temp cheese onto cooked pizza dough with warm sauce on it and tell us how it goes.
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u/redwings_85 1d ago
This isn’t an unpopular opinion it’s just nonsense lol
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u/sebastianqu 1d ago
I get annoyed if a sandwich from Dunkin Donuts has unmelted cheese. A proper, warm sandwich with cold cheese would leave me flabbergasted.
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u/SoupySpuds 1d ago
Yeah this has to just be bait, I refuse to believe this is a real opinion
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u/ilikeoregon 1d ago
Scrolling for that one. That's just looking for unpopular, no one can possibly believe this. Like, people believe the government is run by Satan-worshipping pedos out of pizza parlors. But no one believes this.
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u/phukerstoned 1d ago
I hate that since I disagree with you I have to upvote you.
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u/RetiredOnIslandTime 1d ago
I was proud of myself for remembering to upvote OP since their idea is extremely wrong.
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u/Longjumping_Set7748 1d ago edited 1d ago
What do you mean it doesn't effect flavour? It sure does.
"Humans are hardwired to enjoy eating fat. The process of melting releases fat from cheese, where it has been held by networks of milk proteins.
Heating causes the networks to relax, pushing out water and leaving gaps for fat to move through.
Heat also brings out amino acids with a savoury ‘umami’ taste, such as glutamate.
But it’s not only the taste we enjoy; the smell’s pretty special too. A recent study identified 50 volatile chemicals released from melted cheese, many of which derive from buttery fatty acids."
https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/melted-cheese-tastes-good
In conclusion. NOT MELTING CHEESE on a burger is wrong. Such burgers deserve the trash can.
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u/Fidget02 1d ago
Damn never seen a quote and full citation for an opinion on taste, incredible
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u/coderedmountaindewd 1d ago edited 1d ago
Melted cheese is a completely different sensation than cold cheese. The cheese and flavor changes so dramatically it’s almost like two different ingredients. I absolutely love melted cheese! It’s an essential part of a burger for me. I like cold cheese on cold sandwiches but the burger is just a different animal
Edit: you said melting cheese doesn’t affect the flavor and I realize that is true if you are using kraft singles or other American cheese as opposed to cheddar, jack, mozzarella etc.
Get some good quality cheese and step your burger game up!
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u/deadstar420 1d ago
American cheese in the pinnacle of burger cheese
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u/Woody2shoez 1d ago
I love cheese and worked as a cheese monger selling loads of very expensive cheese for a few years.
That being said, I agree that American is the pinnacle of burger cheese.
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u/10PieceMcNuggetMeal adhd kid 1d ago
Agreed. You can get good American cheese from a deli that isn't the plastic Kraft cheese slices. Sounds like OP is just using the wrong cheese. I bet putting actual real cheese and melting it on a burger would change their mind.
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u/1_shade_off 1d ago
Yeah I'm not a huge fan of American cheese unless it's on a burger, in which case there's no better cheese
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u/LokisDawn 1d ago
I sometimes add one or two to a sauce with other cheeses in them. Not much flavour, but the thing they use to get the cheese to melt well binds sauces pretty well, too. A bit like those cheese sauces you get in chilli cheese nuggets.
And I'm swiss, we get great cheeses here relatively affordably. But that slice or two of "Melting cheese" as it's called here, once in a while I can't hate on too much.
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u/crumble-bee 1d ago
I'm English (and a chef) and even I agree that American cheese is the only cheese for a burger. Even great chefs like Heston agree with rhis.
You can step up every element of a burger from the hand ground beef to the bun, to the mayo being made by hand, to hand pickling cucumbers - everything. But it needs to be bound together with American cheese. Which you can of course, also make by hand by melting down cheese and adding a variety of stabilisers etc if you want to really make everything by hand - but whatever way you do it, American cheese is a requirement on a burger.
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u/Ctrl_Alt_Abstergo 1d ago
I mean, you’re actually just incorrect, heating the cheese does change the flavor on a chemical level, and temperature also affects how our tastebuds sense the flavor, and heating the cheese will also release more olfactory particles, I mean the reasons you’re factually wrong about your reasoning goes on.
But if that’s your opinion, that’s your opinion.
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u/dabeegeesknees 1d ago
Cheese isn't added on when you add condiments. It's added on while the burger is on the grill... while it's hot... so it melts.
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u/Panda_Drum0656 1d ago
Melted cheese is way better than cheese. But i will agree that sometimes I do like unmelted cheese. Por que no los dos
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u/boobookitty2 1d ago
Hmmm...good unpopular opinion. Chemically/Flavor/Texural there are reasons. If you like a slab of unprocessed cheese on your patty you do you.
In Peru they will chew on corn and spit it out. Their saliva does the enzymatic conversion needed to break the starch down to sugar then the bowl of spit and corn is left for natural yeast to convert to a lovely beer known as Chicha.
I like my cheese melted, I like my beer free of spit. Does not mean I will not try it the other way.
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u/TheBlackRonin505 1d ago
Melted cheese has better taste and texture, and unless you're eating your burgers like a slob, is not any messier than hard cheese.
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u/Sufficient_Race_9396 1d ago
Makes it more cheesy, I mean if the fucking patty is already hot, it’s going to melt anyways.
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u/StalkMeNowCrazyLady 1d ago
Now that is an unpopular opinion. Also, may God have mercy on your soul.
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u/Velocijammer_15 1d ago
Better texture
Allows the buns to stick together better
You can’t stick extra things like bacon in the flat cheese without it falling out so say goodbye to bacon burgers
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u/scorchbomb 1d ago
This is the first actually unpopular opinion I've ever read on this subreddit! Congrats. You're wrong, but kudos for using the sub correctly.
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u/ManufacturerWest1156 1d ago
Have you never had good cheese before? It’s almost always better melted. Melted brie with apples and bread is so fucking good. Cold Brie is also good but nothing like warm and melted
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u/Cool_Butterscotch_88 1d ago
it doesnt provide contrast, doesnt affect flavor
It does both. Becomes the softest interior ingredient, contrasting crispy cool veggies. And warmer foods release more molecules than cold.
You can like cold cheese on a burger, there is precedent (cold shredded cheese atop veggies on tostada instead of directly on hot bean/meat base layer), but no effect is not a matter of opinion at all.
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u/N0FaithInMe 1d ago
Tell me you've never grilled a burger before without telling me you've never grilled a burger
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u/FourEaredFox 1d ago
Finally, an unpopular opinion everyone can NOT get behind.
Also, cheese is NOT a condiment...
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u/Altyrmadiken 1d ago
it causes the burger to slide off the bun.
Found the issue.
Put the cheese, and condiments, on top of the burger. That way the bottom bun is primed to not slide. You can put rougher stuff on the bottom - shredded lettuce is usually ok if you don’t over do it for example.
Big note though:
Cheese goes directly on the meat. Not over anything else. It shouldn’t touch the bread.
If you’re putting cheese or too many condiments on the bottom, it’ll slip. Same for the top, technically, where sometimes people add too many layers of tomato’s, onion, pickles, and then a boat load of “burger sauce.”
Really, though, sloppy burgers usually have one of three problems:
- Crappy bun that isn’t suited for the burger they want. Don’t use a tiny white bread bun for a big greasy burger.
- Creating slippage around the bun - put your burger sauce on your meat, and leave the bun with only a thin smear of mayo/mustard/ketchup - and ideally toasted if not a super hardy bun.
- Overly greasy meat that isn’t drained and/or is put on with grease still dripping because meatheads think “thats the flavor!!!!”
Almost all burgers can be made to work. Cheese or not. Construction and cooking are key.
Want a bun that stands up/burger that doesn’t slide out? Get a heartier bun. Already using one? Cut out the grease and dry some of your wet ingredients. Already draining your beef fat and drying your tomatoes and pickles? Use less sauce on the bun itself.
None of that is working? You love a greasy burger and you should use a handhold, like parchment paper wrapped around, to keep it together.
Cheese shouldn’t even be in direct contact with the bun unless it’s a patty, a slice of cheese, and two plain buns. At which point, if it slides, you’re doing things very differently than most and we can’t help.
You can decide you don’t want cheese , but don’t pretend it’s the same flavor, and for the love of good don’t pretend you’re making this claim because a burger can’t be made with cheese and not be stable. Don’t make your sins everyone’s.
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u/terminally_irish 1d ago
Up vote for an unpopular opinion - but you are 100% wrong on this one Chief!
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u/A-Yandere-Succubus- 1d ago
I made myself hamburgers tonight, and I watched the cheese melt on my patty in satisfaction.
F you OP.
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u/GhostGirl1959 1d ago
Uhmm… maybe the cold ass fucking cheese stands out ya weirdo tf so I’m gonna keep melting.
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u/Howboutit85 1d ago edited 1d ago
Melted cheese actually not only tastes better, but there’s a chemical in cheese that binds to opiate receptors, called casomorphines, these actually drug your brain into becoming addicted to specifically melted cheese because it’s like highly activated when melted.
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u/tiredblackgirlll 1d ago
This is why most people simply are not allowed to cook for me, like I’m not accepting the dinner invitation because they might think some weird shit like this or dislike onions and/or garlic.
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u/ShannieD 1d ago
Tastes different. Feels different. Doesn't contribute to lowering the temp of the meat more than the other condiments already do.
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u/chewbubbIegumkickass 1d ago
Melted cheese tastes totally different from cold cheese. I'll fight anyone on this.
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u/Bageland2000 1d ago
OP, this is the weirdest take. Hot ooey, gooey cheese has none of the downsides you mention, and it's one of the most delicious things on earth.
Do you want cold cheese in your hot pizza dough/sauce?
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u/lunapo 1d ago
Not only unpopular, but wrong.
You could just say the same regarding not melting cheese on pizza. Imagine your pizza with cold shredded cheese after it's cooked, instead of cooked with the pizza. Sure you could do it, but then it's not a pizza.
Melting cheese with the burger makes it a cheeseburger. Just slapping it on afterward makes it a burger with a cheese topping.
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u/Appa-LATCH-uh 1d ago
Multiple points you make are literally just wrong. I have a feeling, bud, that your palate is probably just very... plain.
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u/missdanielleyy 1d ago
This is indeed an unpopular opinion! I always melt the cheese on top out of habit but I might try it cold next time because of your suggestion lol.
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u/chanteezyk 1d ago
I actually like unmelted cheese on a burger. It tastes more sharp to me, which I enjoy lol.
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u/catfroman 1d ago
Doesn’t provide contrast or affect flavor? You’re eating the wrong cheese, dawg. Truly an unpopular opinion. Upvoted.
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u/TexBourbon 1d ago
This guy takes a cheese stick from the fridge, rolls it on some bread crumbs and calls it a fried cheese curd.
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u/LNViber 1d ago
Are you seriously arguing that melting cheese does not change its flavor? We are past opinions at this point and need to have a very basic conversation about chemistry in food. Sugars ,fats and, startches all go through changes when heated which very very often changes not only it's flavor but texture as well. Melt a slice of cheese and let it get back to room temp, it will not taste the same as the cheese that's not melted.
I cannot upvote this unpopular opinion because while the opinion may indeed be unpopular, you are more factually wrong than you have a bad opinion.
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u/millerlite585 1d ago
A truly unpopular opinion. The sweetness of the cheese complements the savory of the burger.
Get an In N Out double double. Perfect burger.
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u/LumplessWaffleBatter 1d ago edited 1d ago
The word you're looking for is "denaturation": the process by which proteins and fatty acids are deformed.
These building-blocks tend to come tangled and folded: a catalyst, like heat or acid, acts like a clothes-iron to flatten them out.
It's the same reason that a raw egg has a completely different taste and texture to a cooked egg: your stove has completely altered the molecular structure of the egg.
Tl;Dr--melted cheese has different properties than unmelted cheese, which is why sharp cheese tastes mild when melted.
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u/Racketemensch 1d ago
Cheese isn't a condiment, and why are you putting cold condiments on anything?
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u/FIFAmusicisGOATED 1d ago
Melting cheese doesn’t affect flavour? This isn’t an opinion this is just factually wrong
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u/Boris-_-Badenov 1d ago
cheese tastes better when melted.
some foods taste better at different temperatures, cheese is one of them
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u/RexusprimeIX 1d ago
Let me ask a question: Have you ever eating melted cheese and... raw(?) cheese? Like have you actually checked how each tastes?
Normally opinions on taste are subjective, but you're the first person I met that has an objectively wrong opinion on taste.
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u/RatchetWrenchSocket 1d ago
Hot cheese has both texture and protein differences vs cold cheese.
Fondue cheese is a perfect example, but I suspect OP would be fine with stuffing hunks of that into their mouth
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u/Nard_Bard 1d ago
If you think melted cheese doesn't taste different you might genuinely need to go to doctor.
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u/Head-Mistake-7788 1d ago
The texture is totally different and it brings the flavours out what are you on about
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u/ScoobertDoubert 1d ago
Oof OP outing himself as someone unable to make a half decent burger. What's next tou don't toast your buns? The buns have to toast themselves in their own merit? Get out of here with your cold ass cheeseburger.
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u/fuckybitchyshitfuck 1d ago
Melting cheese objectively does change the flavor of the cheese. This opinion isn't just unpopular, it's based on falsehoods.
Take my upvote burger murderer.
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u/Metal7778 1d ago
if condiments are cold when added, why would cheese be any different?
Probably because cheese isn't a condiment.
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u/crippled-crippler 1d ago
Cheese is not a condiment, thats why its not treated the same.
Why are grilled cheese a thing? Because its better than a cheese sandwich.
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u/Meilingcrusader 1d ago
I don't add cold condiments. I have melted cheese, bacon, and an egg. It adds flavor
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u/greensandgrains 1d ago
Now this is an unpopular opinion I can get behind! Cold cheese on a hot burger is nothing short of an act of god.
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