Thaw board for frozen meats

[wishesuponastar]

I bought this thaw board, it's black metal but it defrosts boneless chicken cutlets in like 2 hours. Great thing to have so you don't have to take meat out the night before. I got it at a garage sale so I don't even know where to buy one.

 

[C.Ann]

I used to have one.. They were one of those "As Seen On TV" products.. I don't know if they still sell them anymore..

 

[wishesuponastar]

I found this at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Gourmet-Trend...48Q0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318654648&sr=8-1

It's a little pricey but I think it's well worth the money for all the times I have to defrost something last minute. Oh and don't put it in the dishwasher, the black stuff peels off then (found out cause DH put it in the washer

 

[doreleta821]

It's a little pricey

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

These things are a waste of money:

http://www.textbookleague.org/81thaw.htm

 

[vicki_c]

I've read that your own aluminum or stainless pan works just as well. I think I read that on the America's Test Kitchen site, or some other reputable cooking site one time.

 

[wishesuponastar]

OP here - wow I didn't realize it's a gimmick and you could use a pan that you already have. I got mine at a garage sale for $1 so for me it was worth it.

Thank you for the pp who provided the info about this product that's not really worth it.

 

[3 MEN AND A BOAT]

aluminum works best, its a trick alot of fish houses have used for years to thaw fish fillets out.

Paul

 

[MineMail]

I've used a cast-iron skillet and it works great.

 

[MomToOne]

The one I have is the "Miracle Thaw". It was big on TV 5-10 years ago??? Had to be over 6 years ago, since I moved with it the last time...I LOVE mine - thankfully it doesn't take alot of abuse so it should last nearly forever!

 

[CarolynK]

Can someone explain the aluminum or cast iron trick? I always use the defrost setting on my microwave, but I usually end up cooking a portion of the chicken accidentally....Thanks!

 

[AlwaysMoving]

A piece of granite.

 

[C.Ann]

The one I have is the "Miracle Thaw". It was big on TV 5-10 years ago??? Had to be over 6 years ago, since I moved with it the last time...I LOVE mine - thankfully it doesn't take alot of abuse so it should last nearly forever!

I think that's the one I had.. Bought it in a garage sale, sold it in a garage sale.. Worked great, but I just didn't use it often enough..

 

[bettymae1121]

I find just thawing it on my stove top works fine, I just plop whatever it is I'm thawing in the middle of the stove between the gas burners.

 

[MineMail]

Can someone explain the aluminum or cast iron trick? I always use the defrost setting on my microwave, but I usually end up cooking a portion of the chicken accidentally....Thanks!

Just leave the food in a plastic bag or wrap, then lay it in a metal pan on the countertop. That's it - just wait for it to defrost. You can also do this to bring refrigerated meats up to room temperature for cooking.
The metal pan draws the coldness out of the food and disperses it, so the food warms up more quickly and defrosts. A frozen steak takes about an hour with this method, 6-8 hours in the refrigerator.

You shouldn't leave food out to defrost for long periods of time because of food safety concerns, but this takes a small portion time of putting in the fridge to defrost over days.

Another defrosting method is to put the wrapped item in a pot of water to soak/defrost. That is supposed to ward off bacteria growth and speed defrosting.

The microwave is always going to be faster. If your food is cooking on the defrost cycle , cut down on the time and turn more often. I freeze leftover chop meat in thin, flat packages and they always cook when I defrost them using the automatic settings. A few minutes at 25% power works better than the "defrost" setting, imo.

 

[CarolynK]

Just leave the food in a plastic bag or wrap, then lay it in a metal pan on the countertop. That's it - just wait for it to defrost. You can also do this to bring refrigerated meats up to room temperature for cooking.
The metal pan draws the coldness out of the food and disperses it, so the food warms up more quickly and defrosts. A frozen steak takes about an hour with this method, 6-8 hours in the refrigerator.

You shouldn't leave food out to defrost for long periods of time because of food safety concerns, but this takes a small portion time of putting in the fridge to defrost over days.

Another defrosting method is to put the wrapped item in a pot of water to soak/defrost. That is supposed to ward off bacteria growth and speed defrosting.

The microwave is always going to be faster. If your food is cooking on the defrost cycle , cut down on the time and turn more often. I freeze leftover chop meat in thin, flat packages and they always cook when I defrost them using the automatic settings. A few minutes at 25% power works better than the "defrost" setting, imo.

Thanks for the explanation, and the tip about the microwave! I'll give them a try.