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FAQs

Is a tofu press worth it? ›

After pressing, the tofu has a firmer, chewier texture. It holds its shape when you make grilled tofu, and it crisps up perfectly when you make air fryer tofu or baked tofu. Now that I have a tofu press in my kitchen, I'm never going back!

Whichever make you have, simply put the tofu between two plates, tighten the press, and place it somewhere that will catch the liquid drained (inside a clean sink or a rimmed baking sheet). Press the tofu for 15 to 20 minutes.

Are there other uses for the Tof*ckpress? Yes! You can press out liquid from thawed chopped spinach, sliced eggplant, chopped onions and more! You can also make vegan or non-vegan cheeses such as soy cheese and paneer cheese with the optional Light Tension Spring #2 Attachment.

It's important to be gentle with a soft tofu dish (like mapo tofu or sundubu jjigae) or else you'll just get curds. And if tofu is vacuumed packed or firm already, you definitely don't need to press it.

Contains antinutrients

Like most plant foods, tofu contains several antinutrients. These compounds are naturally found in plant foods and lower your body's ability to absorb nutrients from food ( 6 ).

Kenny explains: “The difference is in how much water is pressed out of the tofu. The more water you press out of it, the firmer it gets. As we make it firmer, with less water content, both the fat and protein go up.” Kenny notes that as you move up in firmness, it takes additional time to bake or fry out extra water.

How to safely eat raw tofu. While tofu comes in a variety of textures — silken, firm, and extra firm — technically any of them can be eaten raw. Before enjoying raw tofu, drain off any excess liquid from the packaging. It's also important to store tofu properly to prevent germs from growing on any unused portions.

Use firm or extra firm tofu for the best texture. Avoid silken or soft tofu; they'll fall apart as you toss them in the marinade. We don't press the tofu before tossing it in the marinade as we prefer the texture that hasn't been pressed.

The weight will gradually and effectively squeeze the moisture out of the block of tofu, where it will be absorbed by the paper towels. If the paper towels become fully saturated, you may need to replace them with fresh paper towels and continue pressing until the paper towels stop absorbing moisture.

There are several methods for how to press tofu without a tofu press. My favorite is simple: you just need a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and a cast-iron skillet. Wrap the tofu block in the kitchen towel, and place it on a flat surface. The towel will absorb much of the excess liquid the tofu releases.

Why do Americans press tofu? ›

You press the block for quite some time — a couple of hours — which means you get it really dry so it cooks very quickly under a hot broiler and the edges get crisp and chewy, sweet and caramelized.

In a mixing bowl or measuring cup with a spout, whisk together the marinade: soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, ginger, and Sriracha. Drizzle over the tofu. If any pieces look bare, turn them over in the marinade a few times so all of the sides are coated.

Soft and silken tofu are ready to go right out of the package (though, technically, any tofu can be eaten raw). Drain off the excess water, and eat up! Draining/Blotting: For block tofu, I like to slit the package and drain out the packing water.

"For the vast majority of people, it should be reasonable to incorporate tofu in their daily diet without any issues," Sun said. He and his family eat "probably three servings per week," Sun said. He likes using soft tofu in soups and firm tofu – frozen and cut up – in a traditional Chinese hot pot.

Can you over-press tofu? You don't have to worry about over-pressing tofu when you follow instructions, and only do it when the recipe calls for it. If you press tofu for recipes when you don't really have to, it can result in crumbly and even mushy tofu.

But when you press tofu, you remove the excess moisture. It takes on a chewier, firmer texture, which makes it super satisfying to eat and less likely to fall apart. Pressed tofu guzzles up flavor from a sauce or marinade, and it gets SO much crispier in the air fryer or oven!

Regardless of which press you use, the tofu, within 15-30 minutes of being pressed is compacted to at least half of its height. The result is a product is much denser and way less crumbly.

Okay, okay, but why bother pressing tofu at all? A block of tofu is like a big saturated sponge: Blotting it dry with towels may help the surface crisp and brown, but using pressure to squeeze out the water from the interior produces firmer, chewier, denser, creamier pieces that don't fall apart as you're cooking.