Pressing Tofu By Hand
Drain the excess water out of the tofu package. Dump all of the water out over the sink and rinse off your tofu block over cool water. Pat your tofu dry with a paper towel afterward and set it down on the table. The water helps the tofu stay fresh in stores but is unnecessary once you open the tofu.
Wrap the tofu in paper or clean cloth towels. Cover the entire tofu block in paper or cloth towels to absorb excess water while it drains. After wrapping the tofu block, press it firmly with your hands over the sink to get rid of water dripping from the tofu. If you use paper towels, you will have to change the towels every 30 minutes while draining the tofu.
Weigh the tofu down with a cutting board and heavy objects. Set the tofu down on a plate or shallow bowl and place the cutting board on top. Set a pot, book, or weighted object on top of the cutting board to slowly press water out of the tofu. Choose an object at least as long and wide as the tofu block to weigh it down evenly.
Let the tofu drain for about 2-3 hours. The longer you leave your tofu to drain, the drier and firmer it will be. For a firm enough texture to fry, grill, or bake your tofu, drain it for at least 2-3 hours. You can apply manual pressure to the object with your hands if you're in a hurry and drain the tofu in 15-30 minutes. If you wrapped the tofu in paper towels, remove the weighted object every 30 minutes and re-wrap the tofu to prevent water from leaking around the table.
Using a Tofu Press
Place your tofu in the tofu press. Set the tofu int the designated compartment and secure it in place based on the tofu press design. For most tofu presses, you will need to slide it into the tofu slot and tighten it in place by twisting screws on the side. Drain the excess water from the tofu package and blot it dry with a paper towel before putting the tofu in the press. Tofu presses are better for evenly draining the tofu block of moisture than hand pressing it.
Set a timer for 45-60 minutes and place it on the counter. Using a tofu press is quicker than hand pressing the tofu and takes up to 60 minutes for a firm texture. Set the tofu press on the counter and leave it to drain the excess water. If you are using an electric tofu press, you can leave the tofu press undisturbed for the full 45-60 minutes.
Re-tighten manual tofu presses every 5-10 minutes. If you're using a manual tofu press instead of an electric one, you will need to tighten the screws one notch to the side to squeeze out more liquid. Tighten the tofu press screws about every 5-10 minutes for the duration of the 45-60 minutes. To speed up the draining time, re-tighten the screws more often. If you re-tighten the screws every 2-3 minutes, for example, you can press the tofu in 20-30 minutes.
Remove the tofu from the press and cook immediately. After you've finished draining the tofu, take it out of the tofu press and place it on a plate. From there, you can fry, grill, or cook it depending on what your recipe calls for.
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