Removing the moisture from tofu.

[oddduck]

[Mod.Edit]: I retitled the thread so it sits more comfortably in the vegetarian/vegan section (MG)

i wasn't sure where to post this...in gadgets or here but i figure more people use this here so i decided here. Someone has pointed out my method of getting moisture out of tofu is not the best and said try a tofu press...apparently i have been living in a dark hole have never heard of a tofu press. So i went amazon surfing and now i am overloaded and have no idea what to look for in a press. I noticed some are wood, some are plastic and some are stainless...now i likely would choose stainless but maybe thats not the best choice. Any advice or input on how to choose a tofu press?

 

[Morning Glory]

I don't use one so I don't think I can advise. There is a brand of tofu sold here which doesn't need pressing at all. Its called Tofoo and its brilliant. Previously, with other sorts, I used to wrap it in kitchen paper and press it by hand which seemed to do the trick.

I thought the presses were for making your own tofu rather than using on ready made - although I even made my own tofu once and didn't use a press. @SatNavSaysStraightOn or @medtran49 might know more about this subject.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Most of the tofu presses I have come across are wooden. That's the traditional type .it's rather like getting a rice steamer where you can go traditional and get a bamboo rice steamer, use a conventional metal one, or go fancy ultra modern and buy an electronic one and have a dedicated appliance for it.

So back to tofu .from what I gather you want to draw moisture out of tofu? Typically one would start with squeezing it by hand over the sink (less mess that way ). Then generally wrapping it in a plain tea towel (clean goes without saying ) using a t towel is better for the environment that using paper towels . Dry it off as much as you can ,leaving it wrapped if the tea towel is still dry enough . Then ordinarily if I need it drier still, I'll simply create a homemade 'press' using a couple of small chopping boards.

But choosing the correct tofu to start off with its essential. I'd make sure it is the correct type (Chinese, not Japanese ) and also of the correct firmness (firm not medium or soft, extra firm of you can find it ). If that is not creating a dry enough tofu, then you could always make your own Burmese tofu using gram flour (chickpea flour). it is much dryer than Chinese tofu and very easy to make .