The Affordable Kitchen Gadget Every Vegan Should Know About

When you're vegan, you source your protein very differently than omnivores, or even vegetarians who can still consume eggs. One reliable source of this essential macronutrient for vegans is tofu, which might not be much to look at but can be cooked up into a bunch of tasty recipes — from curry with mustard greens to tofu scramble for brunch or teriyaki tofu broccolette on wild rice. However, there is a catch when cooking with tofu, and that's that in order to get it to crisp up perfectly, it has to ditch some of its inherent moisture. Enter the tofu press.

A tofu press is a nifty gadget that applies — you guessed it — pressure to your blocks of tofu in order to squeeze much of the liquid out. This replaces any DIY efforts you might have tried, which may have involved a calamitous stacking of heavy pots and pans over a cutting board placed on top of your tofu block.

Tofu presses, instead, are compact, typically featuring a space where you place the block, then an indented lid or flat part that is attached to the lid, that goes overtop the tofu to squish the moisture out over a period of time (obviously the longer you leave it to press, the more liquid it will extract). And another great thing about tofu presses? They're fairly affordable, with many models clocking in at under $30, and some as cheap as $13.

Whether or not you're vegan, if you cook with tofu regularly, a press can be a sound investment, saving you time, space, and arm-power. There are three basic models, though, so consider what works best for you in your kitchen. For example, one type, like this press from Tofudee, not only has a reservoir for the expressed liquid (not all do), but its parts are dishwasher safe, making clean-up super easy.

Other kinds — where the tofu gets pressed between two flat plastic panels, like this model by EZ Tofu – might offer better, flatter pressing, can also press a variety of tofu block sizes, allow you to adjust the pressure, draining faster than other models. But, there is a trade-off with this type because you'll have to collect the expressed water in a tray or pan, and it's hands-on — you have to make the adjustments to the pressure yourself, every five or so minutes.

There's also a third type of press, less common than the above two, which includes a vessel that holds your tofu, and a very heavy lid that simply sits on top — like the Tofu Ninja by Raw Rutes. These tend to be the sleekest tofu presses (perfect if you like an aesthetic kitchen), but they're also the most expensive, and in use, they require something to catch the liquid.