[Anon_451]

The grills used by McDonalds are a bit more complex than a flat hot surface. They cook both sides of the burger simultaneously using "clamshells" lined with a heat reflective material, which automatically raise using hydraulics on a timer. Perhaps not as complex as an ice cream machine, but definitely not your griddle at home.

Edit: likewise, the fry machine has a self-propelled hopper which splits the raw fries up into batches.