How to Press Tofu: Guide to Tofu Pressing

Tofu is one of the most versatile foods, known for its incredible ability to absorb delicious flavors and transform into all sorts of textures and dishes. From a silky smooth chocolate pie to a hot and crispy buffalo tofu dish, tofu can do it all! On top of its versatility, it’s super budget-friendly, high in protein, and nutrient dense! Preparing it, however, can be intimidating for new plant-based eaters. If you’re looking for how to press tofu, this guide is for you!

Manual Pressing vs. Device Pressing

Why press tofu? For tofu to absorb the flavors you want, the excess moisture needs to be pressed out of the block first. There are several tofu pressing devices on the market to help with the tofu pressing. I’ve selected four of the top-ranked devices to review for you. But even better, I’ll teach you how to easily press tofu with what you already have! Let’s dive in!

How to Press Tofu Without a Press: DIY Pressing

You can manually press tofu without a device, just using things you have at home. If you don’t have a device or don’t want to buy one, this is the easiest way to press tofu!

• Take the tofu block out of the container and place it on top of 1-2 layers of dish towels.
• Next place another 1-2 layers of dish towels on top of it.
• Then, place something heavy (like a cast iron skillet or several pots) on top of the tofu for about an hour or so.
• The weight will slowly press the moisture out of the tofu so that it will be absorbed by the towels.

This leaves you with a more solid and firm block of tofu, which is exactly what you want to make the best tofu dishes! If you’re interested in a device to help with the process, here are the top four that I’ve reviewed.

Tofu Press – By Healthy Express

Pros:

• Consistent press: The plates start off curved, so that as you add pressure by turning the knobs, they end up straight for a consistent press throughout the entire tofu block. How innovative!
• Very easy to use: There are springs between each plate to ensure there is constant space between the plates. This makes it easy to insert the block in between the two plates. The knobs are very easy to turn to start the downward pressure fairly effortlessly.
• Speedy press: I was very satisfied with the amount of pressing it did within 15 minutes! This works well if you need to quickly press tofu.
• Freebies: They also include a free recipe book and two cute tea towels, which was a nice touch! (I made their tacos and they were incredible!)
• Dishwasher: It comes already assembled and is dishwasher friendly which is always a plus!

Cons:

• Hands-on: You’ll need to continuously tighten up the knobs every 2-3 minutes in order to add on continuous pressure. Therefore, you can’t just set it up and forget about it!
• Messy: Can be messy as there is no basin for the excess moisture to drip into.

Cost: Currently, it’s $19.95 on Amazon and has a one-year guarantee!

Time: 15 minutes did the trick for me with tightening the knobs every 2-3 minutes. The user manual recommends anywhere from 15-60 minutes, depending on how much time you have, and if you are okay with some cracking. (The slower you press and apply pressure, the less likely you are to develop cracks in the tofu).

Does it work? Yes, absolutely! The novel design of curved plates led to a very consistently pressed tofu block that came out perfectly firm and moisture-free in 15 minutes! The tofu did have a few minor cracks in it, however, it did not crumble apart.

Tips: To drain the excess moisture, I found that placing the device on its side in the sink or on a plate helped! I rotated it to different sides as I tightened the knobs every 2-3 minutes.

EZ Tofu Press

Pros:

• Quick & Dishwasher safe: Very similar design to the Tofu Press By Healthy Express. It is preassembled, quick to do its job (packaging says 5-15 minutes), and is dishwasher safe!
• Highly rated: It has over 4,500 ratings on Amazon that speak very highly of it’s easability and quality.

Cons:

• Uneven press: The plates end up slightly curved so that the middle of the tofu block is not as pressed as the outer edges of the tofu.
• Takes effort: The knobs are not as seamless to turn and there are no springs in between each plate. That makes it slightly inconvenient to hold the plates apart while you insert the tofu block, as compared to the Tofu Press By Healthy Express.
• Hands-on: This press needs to be continuously tightened so you can’t just set and forget this one.
• Design: It’s unique hexagon design is aesthetically pleasing. However, when hand washing, the running water can collect and shoot back at you so be careful!

Cost: This device is $22.49 on Amazon.

Time: I checked on the tofu block every 2-3 minutes and at the 7 minute mark, the block seemed fairly firm and ready for a marinade. However, I continuously tightened and pressed it for 15 minutes.

Does it work? Yes! It definitely did the job as I was left with a firm block of tofu ready to be used. There were minor cracks at the edges and by squeezing the entire block, you could tell that the outer edges were more pressed. However, it was definitely effective enough to be cut nicely into squares for these sweet & salty tofu bites which came out absolutely delicious!!

Yarkor Tofu Press

Pros:

• Compact: This device is small in design and just slightly bigger than the tofu block itself so it won’t take up too much space when you’re not using it.
• Set and forget: You can easily place your tofu in the container, put the lid on it, and leave it in the fridge overnight or throughout the day and come home to a well-drained and ready to use tofu block.
• No mess: The device is separated into two two parts that allows the drained liquid to be collected into the outer container. This means there is no chance of a mess throughout the pressing process.
• Transparent: The material is transparent so you can visibly see the amount of moisture that has been drained.
• Dishwasher: Dishwasher safe!
• Freebie: It came with a mini recipe book with 17 recipes, which was a pleasant surprise. The more fun tofu recipes, the better!

Cons:

• Takes time: It takes a few hours to press the moisture out of the tofu block. I checked how it felt at the 15 minute mark, and it was nowhere close to being ready. This device will require some time, so plan on letting it sit in the fridge overnight or throughout the day.
• Takes effort: Requires a bit of brute strength to snap the two latches on. However, once you get the hang of it after a few tries, it’s fairly easy to latch.

Cost: $22.49 on Amazon

Time: This device requires an overnight or full day period in it’s container to get the job done. I let it press overnight for about seven hours, and that seemed to do the trick.

Does it work? It does! If you’re looking to set it and forget it, this pressing device is for you! You could physically see the drained water collected in the outer basin. The tofu block was firm and more than ready to be cut up and seasoned for the perfect tofu in this Buttery Lemon Tofu dish.

Tips: Because this device is made of plastic, place it on the top rack of the dishwasher when washing to promote its longevity! (The bottom rack gets the most hot due to its proximity to the heating element.)

XKiss Tofu Press

Pros:

• Compact, Set and forget, Minimal mess: Similar in design to the Yarkor Tofu Press in that it is compact, you can set and forget it, and there’s minimal to no mess involved.
• Latches securely: It has four latches on all sides of the container that make it easy to secure shut.

Cons:

• Takes time: The description of the device on Amazon says to let it be pressed for 15-30 minutes. However, it was not ready at the 30 minute mark, so I advise a longer pressing time of more than seven hours for this device.
• Takes effort: Similar to the Yarkor Tofu Press, this also takes a bit of effort to snap on the four latches and it is not as smooth to do so. However, like anything, once you get used to it, it’s not very difficult at all.

Cost: $14.99 – the cheapest out of the four devices!

Time: I let the tofu press throughout the day for about eight hours and it came out great. Despite their suggested pressing time of 15-30 minutes, I believe that this type of device style delivers a better press with a longer sustained time.

Does it work? Yes, this device is effective if you have the time to let it do its thing! The tofu came out slightly crumbled, but still intact enough to be made into a delicious Coconut Thai Tofu dish!

The Winner(s):

Overall, all four devices did a great job in pressing! If you’re looking for how to press tofu quickly, I recommend the Tofu Press – By Healthy Express. It’s unique design and ability to produce well-drained firm tofu with little-to-no cracking in 15 minutes is a winner in my eyes! If you’d like something that you don’t have to pay attention to, I recommend the Yarkor Tofu Press. It’s easy to set and forget with no mess or waste from excessive paper towel usage involved!

I hope that this guide gives you confidence to press tofu! And that you are inspired you to make the most amazing tofu dishes! Remember that anything new can be intimidating at first, but after a few tries, you’ll get the hang of it and begin to feel like an expert! I’d love to hear how it goes for you and what you find works, so leave a comment after you’ve given it a try. And for further motivation, here are some super delicious tofu recipes that I know you’ll enjoy:

• Buttery Lemon Tofu
• Sweet Coconut Thai Tofu
• Orange Ginger Tofu
• Buffalo Tofu Wedges
• Lime Tofu with Green Beans
• Sweet & Salty Tofu Bites

Tofu Tips:

• Different Types: Remember that there are different kinds of tofu that are on the market. I recommend firm or extra firm tofu to use in a presser. Here’s a great guide on the different types of tofu out there!
• Freezing Tofu: Freezing the tofu and allowing it to defrost fully before you press it can help decrease cracks from forming during the press. I use this technique a lot and it delivers a great texture that’s easy to work with, no matter if you’re going for a goey tofu scramble or a crispy tofu filet.
• Health Considerations: If you’ve heard negative things about tofu and it’s health considerations, here’s a great synopsis of the evidence-based research out there. Dr. Matthew Nagra helps to debunk the negative myths associated with tofu, so press away my friends and create all the tofu dishes that your heart desires!