Review: EZ Tofu Press
A Pressing Matter
Fellow tofu enthusiasts, I have a confession to make. Until now, I have been the laziest tofu presser in the world. In fact, I can probably count the number of times in my life I have ever even attempted to press my tofu, usually placing it between a couple plates, throwing a heavy book on top, and hoping for the best.
So, recently given the opportunity to review the EZ Tofu Press, I realized what a fine time it was to discover the benefits of pressing one’s tofu. Upon removing the press from its packaging, I was drawn to its user friendly, simple design, which is something I cannot say of all the kitchen appliances I own. It also came with a little measurement card to measure the width of your tofu.
Getting Down to Business
This press is meant specifically for using firm and extra firm tofu (of any size), as softer, silken varieties typically aren’t meant for pressing. So, using my favourite extra-firm organic tofu, I followed the comprehensive instructions provided with my press.
My brick of tofu was initially two inches thick when I centred it between the plates of the EZ Tofu Press. After this, I slowly tightened the tension knobs, being sure to keep each side even. I did this every two minutes. A very useful tip the instructions contained, was to stand the EZ Tofu Press on its side, and place on a plate to catch dripping water.
The simple engineering of this press is very hassle free, and when I wasn’t tightening knobs. I was able to prepare the rest of my ingredients, as I happened to be making a battered fried tofu for dinner! After about fifteen minutes, I removed the tofu from the press. Curious to see how much water had been drained from my tofu, I poured it into a glass measuring cup. The EZ Tofu Press had extracted over 1/3 cup of excess water! I had no idea there was this much soybean-flavoured-liquid lurking about in my extra-firm tofu.
I proceeded to slice my tofu. As you can see, a little cracking occurred, which the instructions describe as normal. Truthfully, I think I was just a little too excited and could have gone a little easier on the knobs…my resulting brick was about an inch thick! However, I’m sure after a few uses, I will definitely grow accustomed to using this press and what amount of pressure works for me. The resulting taste of my tofu was much better than when I have left the same brand unpressed. It was much less watery, and seemed to absorb the flavours of my marinade very well following pressing.
Don’t Drink the Water
For the minimal effort it takes to press one’s tofu with the EZ Tofu Press (and to clean it afterwards- it’s even dishwasher friendly), I think it’s definitely worth the fifteen minutes, and its modest price tag. These guys can be found online in the twenty five dollar range depending on where you order from.
Now that I have mine, I think I am a serious tofu press convert, and look forward to using my EZ Tofu Press whenever notions of tofu scramble are in the air.
PS. I don’t know if Ryan will include this in my review or not, but I actually drank some of the tofu water I collected in my measuring cup, and it was seriously vile. So, if anything, I now insist on pressing because I know how gross the tofu juice tastes when extracted from its natural habitat, and I cringe at the thought of eating it ever again!
You can purchase EZ Tofu Press here:
- Fake Meats (ships to both the USA and Canada)
- Amazon (ships within the USA)
Reviewed by Sarah Louise of The Cozy Vegan.
Sarah Louise is a vegan food and lifestyle blogger, and enthusiastic bake-tivist who hails from Calgary, Alberta. When she isn’t busy drinking tofu water, she is likely to be found making people cakes, studying entrepreneurship, writing, or watching The X-Files. Sometimes all at once.
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