A good burger is all about ratios. The meat, topping, and bun must be a delicate balance. A bad bun can overwhelm the sandwich’s contents or, conversely, make the burger too meaty and uneven.

Inject flavor right into burger buns by basting them with a seasoned butter mixture. "I like to create fun, flavored butters and baste all my breads," Formicola said. "Using melted butter with ...