One of the hardest parts of being a new vegan (or even an old seasoned vegan) is trying to keep up with all the new products out there. I must have spent over $50 looking for the "right" vegan cheese my first year being a vegan and I have over 50 vegan/vegetarian cookbooks in my arsenal but not all the recipes are the greatest. I’m the first born so I’m used to being a Guinea Pig and now I’m your Vegan Guinea Pig. So here are my recommendations and critiques. Let me know what you think!

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Product Review: EZ Tofu Press

Back in 2009 I did a review of the TofuXpress a product that has changed the way I eat tofu and prepare tofu and one that I truly love. But the TofuXpress had and still has one big problem - its price tag. At $41.95 (nearly $50 with shipping and handling) it hits the wallet pretty hard for just pressing water out of tofu, no matter how great of a job it does at it. It’s been nearly 4 years and nothing new has made its way to the market to compete with the TofuXpress until now.

Last year the EZ Tofu Press was introduced as an alternative. Instead of a spring loaded system like TofuXpress the EZ Tofu Press is two plates anchored by two large screws and bolts. You simply place your tofu in between the two plates and adjust the sides to the tension you desire slowly to press the water out of the tofu. It comes with instructions, that can explain it better than I ever could (and frankly that I didn’t read past the first few lines). I’m going to be honest with you. To me, something like a tofu press should be intuitive to use. And when I opened the box it was about 30 minutes until dinner time and I just needed to get this tofu pressed, cubed and into the oven quickly so reading through the directions was unappealing to me. Besides, how hard could it be to press tofu between two plates? After the first time I used it I noticed that my tofu was not pressed to a firm, nicely textured block like I’m used to with the TofuXpress. Instead only a little water was pressed out the tofu and there were cracks in it from the tension of the plates. Also, my block was uneven because I was in a hurry and didn’t take the time to make sure that each side was precisely screwed down the same. By this time my directions were already in the recycling bin so I shot myself in the foot on this one!

On my second try, I had a bit more time and took care to make sure the sides were even and increase the tension slowly. I decided to try to do a side by side comparison of the amount of water removed from each type of tofu press. With the TofuXpress I was able to get out ½ cup of water from a block of firm tofu (who knew there was that much water in tofu!) From the EZ Tofu Press I was able to get out ¼ cup. Once again, I’m sure if I took the time and read through the directions thoroughly and used the little ruler they enclose in the package I would have gotten similar results to the TofuXpress. My impatience is probably the biggest flaw of the EZ Tofu Press. I’ve gotten used to just plopping my tofu into the TofuXpress, snapping on the top and walking away. Also, I’m not a fan of having to let the tofu drain over a plate or the sink, it’s just one more thing for me to clean up and with a 14 month old running around the  house I need every second I can squeeze out of the day. BUT…the fact is the EZ Tofu Press is only $26.99 and if you have an amazon prime account shipping is free. That makes the EZ Tofu Press half the price of the TofuXpress, which makes a huge difference. Overall, it’s hard for me to say one is truly better than the other. I have my personal preference between the two but the list of pros and cons with both is equally long. If it’s ease you’re looking for and you have a little extra money lying around then the TofuXpress is for you, if you don’t mind taking a little extra time to get everything right and save about $25 then the EZ Tofu Press is for you. Either way you really can’t go wrong!

2 comments:

  1. I love my TofuXpress because it comes with the marinating lid. I will press tofu overnight, then cut it and toss it back into the container with a marinade and let it sit during the workday. That way I can have very flavorful tofu to cook when I get home. I know the price tag sounds steep, but I'm thankful to no longer have cans falling after plates shift and having to clean up the liquid from a tray/plate.

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    Replies
    1. I'm amazed that a product like this even exists! I don't think that i eat enough tofu to buy this yet but i want to start eating it more. I'll keep it on my wish list!

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