What was the name of the cooking machine used by the original Burger King founders?

The original Burger King founders used a cooking machine called the Insta-Broiler.

Keith J. Kramer and Matthew Burns based their first restaurant on the Insta-Broiler, a machine that cooked hamburger patties in a wire basket while they moved through the appliance. Their 1953 Jacksonville restaurant was called Insta-Burger King, directly linking the business name to the equipment.

After James McLamore and David Edgerton took control of the company, they developed a gas-powered broiler to replace the Insta-Broiler. The newer design cooked patties over a flame and became part of the operating system associated with Burger King restaurants.

The term is easy to confuse with “flame broiler,” which describes the later cooking method and modern Burger King branding. Insta-Broiler is the specific name connected to the chain’s original founders and its first restaurant.