The Difference Between McDonald's Cheapest And Most Expensive Burger

McDonald's certainly knows a thing or two about burgers. The fast food giant has literally served billions of them over the years and they're dishing them up around the globe every minute. McDonald's might not be the favorite fast food burger in the United States — that distinction goes to Five Guys — but their burgers are still pretty popular. 

While some burgers like the Big Mac never leave the McDonald's menu, others come and go — we're looking at you, Arch Deluxe. In terms of what one gets with the priciest burger versus the cheapest burger on the McDonald's menu, it's actually a pretty significant difference. Here's the beef on how Mickey D's burgers size up against each other. 

A quick look at the McDonald's website and it's pretty apparent which burger is their cheapest — that would be the regular ol' hamburger. You know it, you've had it, and it's been on the menu since the 1950s. Its puny appearance isn't exactly mouth-watering, and it's the burger of choice for picky kids who refuse to have a cheeseburger with their Happy Meal order. 

According to Fast Food Price, the burger is also listed at just 99 cents and 250 calories. (Throwdown an extra 20 cents and you can live it up with a slice of cheese!) It's hard to find fault in the price, but a low price and low-calorie count are really the only highlights here. McDonald's does say the burger is made with 100 percent pure beef, but it's also a frozen hockey puck before it hits the grill. Its toppings and condiments are pretty minimum — salt, pepper, ketchup, mustard, diced onions, and a few pickles. 

If you haven't had one since you were a kid, well, as one Twitter user pointed out they're just as "weak" as you might remember. 

The current big boy on the burger block at McDonald's is the Double Quarter Pounder with cheese. This burger eats classic hamburgers for lunch and it has the calorie count to prove it. Weighing in at 720 calories, it's the equivalent eating nearly three hamburgers. McDonald's only lists the Quarter Pounder with bacon and cheese as an official burger, but there's no reason you can't push the limits of your arteries and add bacon to the Double QP. A Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese (and bacon) will cost you $6.69 and has a calorie count of 820. 

The burger still comes with onions, ketchup, mustard, and pickles, but other than a sesame seed bun, its components aren't that different from a regular hamburger. The real difference here, other than size, is that McDonald's uses fresh beef that hasn't been frozen and is cooked to order, which is something McDonald's started doing in 2018 (via Eater). 

As far as the taste, well, Food & Wine said it was "fresh and delicious." If it can impress a food magazine critic, maybe this monster is worth trying.