I never thought I’d invest in a tofu press to be honest with you. It just seemed a bit posh and seriously, what could it achieve that a pile of books and a couple of tea towels couldn’t? Well, quite a lot, as it turns out.

I picked up my Tofuture tofu press at a recent vegan festival as I’m always in a buying mood at these events. There’s just something about everything surrounding you being suitable for vegans (SFV) that makes me open my wallet and, well, keep it open all day. The nice lady at the stall said that she’d recommend pressing the tofu for about four hours in the fridge for the best results. After I took it home, one morning I got up, put the tofu in for the morning and was impressed how much liquid had come out. It was kind of funny seeing the logo pressed into the top, but I can’t deny the effectiveness.

Also, when you’re pressing tofu the old fashioned way, you have to make room on the counter for it and then after you’ve wrapped it in tea towels you precariously balance heavy books and cans of beans on top of it. It’s also advisable to turn it over halfway through and maybe change the towels. I always managed to get my tofu block all lopsided using this method, which made it more difficult to slice afterwards.

So, with this handy little gadget, you basically just pop the tofu block in the tray, pull down the lid with the super-strong elastic bands and stick it in the fridge and forget about it. It really couldn’t be easier.

Once I’d pressed the tofu, I cleaned out the main bottom part of the try that catches the water. I thought it would make a great wee marinating dish. See, most of the time when I’ve marinated tofu before, it can be a bit tricky to find a container that is the right shape. I was glad to discover that popping the cubed tofu into the tray worked really well. And because the press had been so efficient at squeezing out the water, I reckon the tofu absorbed even more flavour from the marinade than usual.

Baked, marinated tofu can make a great ‘meat replacement’ on a plate full of veggies. It’s also good to pop in wraps with some salad or have at a buffet table. Tofu is mega versatile (see my article here) and the Tofuture tofu press makes preparing and marinating your own just that bit easier.