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Favorite Kitchen Tools: The Tofu Press

tofu press on kitchen counter

We’re sure that you’ve read recipes (maybe even a few of our’s) that instruct you to press tofu. You probably wondered “why do I press tofu?” and more importantly, “how do I do it?”. This post answers those questions with the latest Kitchen Gadget: the Tofu Press!

TofuXpress tofu press on a kitchen counter
Our fancy tofu press ready to use

What is a Tofu Press and Why We Like It

The primary purpose of a tofu press is to press the water out of a block of tofu. I know, that sounds completely obvious, but there it is. Tofu, being stored in water, absorbs quite a bit of fluid. But you don’t usually want all that fluid in your tofu when you are cooking with it. Therefore, you need to find a method of squeezing it out – and grabbing a block of tofu with your hands and squeezing it just doesn’t work very well (and it’s a mess).

The Simple, Low-budget Way to Press Tofu

In the beginning, we had never even heard of a tofu press and didn’t know anything about them. So we would just wrap the tofu block in paper towels, or a clean dish towel, place it on a cutting board and sit one of our largest pots on top of it. It worked, but invariably someone (we won’t say who) would bump the pot or it would fall over by itself and we’d just generally be fussing with it, rather than paying attention to cooking.

Enter the Tofu Press! So, fast-forward to a few years ago we got our first one, which was actually given to us as part of some sponsored blogging (perks!). Well, we loved it! This particular one is made of plastic (which we are meh about) but has a very clever design: the tofu is held in a container, which holds the expressed fluid, and a spring-tensioned lid that steadily presses down as it compresses. After about 10-15 minutes we simply pour off the fluid, release the lid, and get to work! There are other types of presses, some use screws to tighten down on the block, some are made of bamboo or stainless steel. There all kinds for all budgets.

TofuXpress tofu press with tofu
Immediately after starting the press, water is already coming out

What is Our Fav Recipe To Use This For?

A press is absolutely required for a recipe that calls for baking, frying or making a crumble from the tofu block. If it isn’t pressed, for example, you’ll simply never be able to get crispy tofu. Since we love crispy tofu blocks in salads and stir-fry our regular use of our press is our Air Fried Crispy Tofu! But it’s also necessary for our Tofu Dill Salad and Dairy-Free Herb Cheese

Where Can You Buy a Tofu Press?

There are many locations where you can purchase these. If there is a specialty home goods, or kitchen, store near you they will likely have some. A simple search online will return a big giant list of them. Here are a few suggestions from us:

After 10-15 minutes, a significant amount of water has been pressed from the tofu block

Thanks for dropping by Full of Beans we hope that this post was helpful. If you have some comments, or just want to say “hi”, post it in the comments section below, or use the Contact page. While you are here please check out some of our other posts such as our yummy Nacho Cheese Sauce, Curried Lentil Soup with Veggies, or our extremely popular Best Vegan Chili Ever

Greg is the other half of Full Of Beans. He loves to be active, particularly outdoors. If he had his way, he would be on a warm beach at least part of every day. He works as a Graphic Designer, Photographer, and Personal Trainer. In his opinion, Georgia is the best thing that ever happened to him.

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