Cook?

You mean you don’t just eat them cold straight outta the package?

@Riesen Boil them in water, keeps them from drying out. If I’m really in a rush I’ll microwave them but they tend to get weirdly bitter.

Microwave them for 45 seconds. Or, put it on a minute and cut it off right before the end.

I have one of those hot dog steamers that looks like a dog and it barks when they’re done cooking.

broiled

Preferred options

1. Grilled
2. Broiled
3. Microwaved
4. Boiled

I don’t eat hotdogs

I don’t cook, I make my wife do it.

…which is to say my hands do the cooking.

Boiling tends to be my go-to. I can’t fire up the whole grill for just a single serving of hot dogs usually.

Air fryer I’ve found works alright to give sausages the kind of crispy exterior that they get when grilled, but I haven’t tried it with hot dogs.

Pan cooked, grilled, or beer boiled.

We don’t do dogs often, so there’s usually a hot debate followed by careful negotiations as to which method gets used. My wife likes them best either grilled or pan cooked for the browning that occurs. I’m a beer boil fan that enjoys a good grilling. Our kid is a hard core grilling devotee. My dad is neutral, but leans boiled sometimes.

One thing we all agree on is that boiling them in water is sacrilege.

Most of the time, the pan cooking is so much faster and isn’t as wasteful of resources. The gas grill uses way more gas getting up to heat than the carbon steel pan does. And the pan doesn’t need anything other than heat and the thin coat of oil to get the job done, unlike the can/bottle of beer that goes in with boiling.

So we just throw them in a pan and cook until well browned. You get most of the flavor that grilling gives, with less gas (there’s no way I’m setting up and burning charcoal for hotdogs only).

Sometimes, I get ornery and tell everyone they can either cook their own dinner, or eat the dogs I’m boiling in beer. Which is my version of careful negotiations

Grilled. If it’s too hot (I’m in Arizona) we have a cast iron pan with ridges that kinda fry-grills them. Also always grilled or toasted buns.
I could never boil hot dogs. They’ve already had such a rough life, it just feels insulting.

Tier 1 - grill or cast iron pan until moderately blistered

Tier 2 - microwave from frozen, 45 seconds for 1, or 1 min for 2

Tier 3 - boiled in beer, preferably with some pierogies

Buns: toasted>steamed>room temp

Air Fryer. Its not quite as good as grilled, but still great and more convenient. Quicker than boiling and better than microwaving.

Put them in a flat heat resistant vessel, like a casserole dish. Pour boiling water over them untill covered. Wait a minute or three. Sausages are warm.