I tried double cheeseburgers from 5 fast-food chains and the cheapest burger blew me away

Advertisement
I tried double cheeseburgers from 5 fast-food chains and the cheapest burger blew me away
  • I ranked double cheeseburgers from McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, Shake Shack, and White Castle.
  • White Castle blew me away with its small, cheap, and super-flavorful sliders.
  • Shake Shack had the biggest burger, but it was also the most expensive.
Advertisement

A double cheeseburger from Burger King cost me $2.29.

A double cheeseburger from Burger King cost me $2.29.
Burger King's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Insider

This sandwich was definitely worth the price. It was less than what I usually pay for my morning coffee.

It comes with two of the chain's beef patties, American cheese, pickles, mustard, and ketchup on a sesame-seed bun.

It comes with two of the chain's beef patties, American cheese, pickles, mustard, and ketchup on a sesame-seed bun.
Burger King's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Insider

It comes with one slice of cheese.

Advertisement

This burger was super filling, but I liked the other burgers I tried more.

This burger was super filling, but I liked the other burgers I tried more.
Burger King's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Insider

Right away, I tasted the thick beef patties. The burger had traveled a little more than 15 minutes from my local Burger King to my apartment, but the meat was still juicy and the cheese nicely melted.

The pickle slices were thick and crunchy, and I enjoyed the sesame-seed bun, which added a nice textural element. But I thought there was just a little too much ketchup, which will likely vary depending on who's making your burger that day.

It was also a little heavy for my liking. It filled me up a little more than I had anticipated before jumping into the rest of the taste test. Still, for a burger that costs just over $2, that might be more of an asset than a hindrance if you want a filling, inexpensive lunch.

In fourth place was Wendy's double cheeseburger, which the chain calls a Double Stack. I ordered it for just $2.59.

In fourth place was Wendy's double cheeseburger, which the chain calls a Double Stack. I ordered it for just $2.59.
Wendy's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Insider

It was about the same price as the burgers from McDonald's and Burger King.

Advertisement

A Wendy's double cheeseburger comes with two junior-size hamburger patties, American cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickles, and sweet onion.

A Wendy's double cheeseburger comes with two junior-size hamburger patties, American cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickles, and sweet onion.
The Wendy's Double Stack. Erin McDowell/Insider

The toppings looked a little stingy, and they were clustered in the middle of the sandwich. I would have liked to see them more spread out.

The burger bun was fluffy and light, and the toppings had a ton of flavor.

The burger bun was fluffy and light, and the toppings had a ton of flavor.
Wendy's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Insider

But I had to get a few bites in to reach the toppings in the center.

The toppings themselves were amazing. I thought the pickles were the most flavorful out of the burgers I tried, and I liked the use of an onion ring rather than diced onion. Though I would have liked just a little more.

Advertisement

The McDonald's double cheeseburger cost me $3.79.

The McDonald's double cheeseburger cost me $3.79.
McDonald's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Insider

It was slightly more expensive than Burger King's version but had more toppings. It came with an extra slice of American cheese plus chopped onions, and it was still affordable.

The double cheeseburger from McDonald's comes with two beef patties, pickles, chopped onions, ketchup, mustard, and two slices of American cheese.

The double cheeseburger from McDonald's comes with two beef patties, pickles, chopped onions, ketchup, mustard, and two slices of American cheese.
McDonald's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Insider

I was interested to see if the added toppings would amp up the flavor.

Advertisement

I thought all the ingredients came together well in this burger, but the bun was a little lackluster.

I thought all the ingredients came together well in this burger, but the bun was a little lackluster.
McDonald's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Insider

The bun held everything together and was a good size, but it was a little too soft and didn't have a lot of flavor on its own. But I enjoyed the amount of condiments and didn't find them overpowering.

The chopped onions added a lot of flavor, and the burger patties were juicy despite being thinner than the Burger King ones. I liked the added cheese but didn't think it was totally necessary.

The double cheeseburger from Shake Shack was the most expensive burger I tried.

The double cheeseburger from Shake Shack was the most expensive burger I tried.
Shake Shack double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Insider

It cost me $9.49 for a double cheeseburger. I was able to customize my toppings, but I went with pickles, onions, and Shack sauce.

Advertisement

Right away, I thought the burger was massive.

Right away, I thought the burger was massive.
Shake Shack double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Insider

The burger patties were perfectly crispy on the outside and covered in gooey melted cheese. The pickles also looked large and homemade. It was even heavy to pick up.

The toppings were generous and the chain's signature sauce added a ton of flavor.

The toppings were generous and the chain's signature sauce added a ton of flavor.
Shake Shack double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Insider

The cheese was thick and perfectly melted.

Advertisement

However, biting into the Shake Shack burger was a little overwhelming.

However, biting into the Shake Shack burger was a little overwhelming.
Shake Shack double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Insider

The burger was huge, which was both an asset and a hindrance. I struggled to get through more than a few bites.

However, despite being the most expensive burger, I definitely thought it was worth the price. The burger patties were much thicker than the other burgers I tried, and the toppings definitely took it over the edge in terms of flavor.

Overall, I was impressed — but stuffed.

Finally, I tried the double cheese slider from White Castle.

Finally, I tried the double cheese slider from White Castle.
White Castle double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Insider

White Castle sliders tend to be eaten in pairs, so I ordered two. Each burger cost me $2.09, so I ended up paying only $4.18 for a generous amount of food.

Advertisement

The burgers were small but packed with flavor.

The burgers were small but packed with flavor.
White Castle double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Insider

The burgers smelled strongly of onions and condiments the second I removed them from the bag.

The amount of toppings on each burger was generous.

The amount of toppings on each burger was generous.
White Castle double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Insider

The pickles were crunchy and flavorful. Though the burgers each had a bun sandwiched in the middle of the burger, it wasn't too bready — instead, it allowed the flavors to really come together while still being filling.

Advertisement

I was blown away by the cheeseburgers from White Castle - a result I admittedly wasn't expecting.

I was blown away by the cheeseburgers from White Castle - a result I admittedly wasn't expecting.
White Castle double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Insider

As the cheapest and smallest burgers, I was expecting them to be a little lackluster. However, I found that good things definitely come in small packages. The onions, condiments, and pickles were flavorful, but it was the beef that really sealed the win for White Castle.

The small-but-mighty burger was the most flavorful out of the ones I tried, easy to eat, and perfectly priced.