Defrosting meat and fish can become a point of contention when planning your meals. You usually take your frozen ingredients out of the freezer and leave them on the counter for 2-3 (or more, depending on their weight) hours until they defrost and reach room temperature.
This takes a good amount of forethought that we don’t always have. But this isn’t the only way to defrost things. Have you considered using the best defrosting tray to get the job done instead?
We’ve tested and examined an endless supply of defrosting trays in our search for the best ones. And in the end, we narrowed it down to 14 and compiled in-depth defrosting tray reviews for them.
So if you’ve been on the lookout for a defrosting tray, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading to discover the best defrosting try for your cooking needs!
Why Do You Need a Defrosting Tray?
Defrosting trays work because they are made of very good conductors of heat, like copper or aluminum. So, when you place frozen meat or fish on it, it quickly conducts heat from the surroundings to the meat, thus making it thaw faster.
Now that we’ve gotten the science part out of the way, there are two main reasons why it’ a good idea to have a defrosting tray in your kitchen arsenal.
It’s Safer:
If you need your fish or poultry to defrost quickly, you might be tempted to chuck it into a pot of warm water. Or maybe your microwave has a defrost setting.
The problem with this is that your meat ends up spending a lot of time in what is known as the danger zone. At 40°F – 140°F, bacteria grow most rapidly on your meat and fish.
This is especially dangerous when dealing with chicken, as there is the risk of getting salmonella poisoning. However, when you use a defrosting tray, the thawing process is much faster, which reduces the chances of bacterial growth.
It Keeps the Taste and Texture of the Food Intact:
One of the trickiest things about fast defrosting is making sure that the taste of the meat is not altered. Microwaves are finicky and defrosting things in them tends to give unpredictable results. Sometimes defrosting in an oven or microwave can turn your meat into a tough, grey, unappetizing mess.
Quite often, a lot of flavors are changed or lost when meat is defrosted in a microwave. A defrosting tray, however, will keep your meat tender and flavorful.
Our Favorite Best Defrosting Trays: A Quick Look
If you’re short on time, we’ve summed up the entire list here with our all-time favorite entries.
- Editor’s Choice: Rapid Defrost Tray Premium Quality Natural Thawing Plate
- Best Budget Option: Best Kitchen Defrosting Tray for Rapid Thaw
- Best for Beginners: BeChef Defrosting Tray
Without further ado, let’s get right into the reviews! We’ll talk about how each defrosting tray works, their features, and what we found most impressive about them. These reviews will help you determine which tray will be the perfect cooking companion for you.