Is it your turn to cook for your roommate, or are you a working mom who has to handle dinner after a tiring day? There must be times when you might have forgotten to take out the meat from the freezer to defrost and had to order take out. This problem can now be easily solved with Defrosting Trays. This innovative product uses no electricity or harmful microwaves to thaw your meat and is the recommended way of defrosting meat by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
This guide is designed to help you out in finding the best product according to your needs. The price range of Defrosting Trays is between 10$ to 60$, and we’ll try our best to help you save your money and get the best option for your home.
Top 5 Best Selling Defrosting Trays
Benefits of Defrosting Trays
A Defrosting Tray works on the concepts of thermal equilibrium and conductivity. When two objects with different temperatures come in contact, their temperatures tend to move towards a middle value. The defrosting tray remains closer to the room temperature due to its high conductivity, and as a result, the meat on top absorbs heat faster and defrosts.
There are numerous benefits of using defrosting trays for cooking and defrosting meat. Apart from being the healthier option, these trays help you prepare a better meal with its uniform defrosting. A non-uniform steak is a headache to cook because some parts are completely thawed and cooked quickly. Some other frozen parts take their time. Similarly, defrosting trays are incredibly safe to use. Since they do not use any electricity or microwaves, they are safer to handle and healthier for your family.
Another benefit of using defrosting trays is the fact that they are quite useful. They take a short time to thaw out the meat safely and are a better option than keeping the chicken in the refrigerator all day. Usually, defrosting trays do not occupy that much space and can easily be saved in your kitchen.
What should you look for in a defrosting tray?
Before buying a defrosting tray, there are some things you must consider. These factors will help you find the best product and prevent you from spending more money than needed. For example, many models are made up of high-grade copper. They are extremely expensive and are usually used in a semi-professional setting. For your home, you don’t need to spend too much on a copper model; a pure Aluminum alloy would suffice.
- Size: This is the first factor you should consider before selecting a defrosting tray. It’s a reality that many homes do not have extra space, and a kitchen filled to the brink with different appliances would make your job harder. It’s better to consider all factors like your average servings, the space in your kitchen, and the tray’s shape before purchasing anything.
- Features: The second factor one must consider is the features any model offers. Several models come with a water collector to prevent the moisture spillage from the meat. Similarly, some brands include a silicon corner for easier handling of the tray.
Some brands include a non-stick coating on the surface of the tray. This prevents the meat from sticking to the plate and getting ruined. The material these trays are made from also plays a vital role in their performance. Since the basic concept behind the defrosting tray’s operating is thermal conductivity, material like copper would naturally be more conductive and allow the meat to defrost in less time. However, the copper models are usually costly, which makes them a problematic purchase, especially if you are on a tight budget. It is recommended to select a defrosting tray made from Aluminum alloy; it possesses the necessary thermal conductivity, which allows it to perform as required, and it is not too expensive.
- Maintenance: The maintenance is a significant factor that people sometimes ignore, and it causes a problem for them later. It is essential to check whether the defrosting tray you are selecting is dishwasher friendly or not. Because of the non-stick coating on the platestrays’ surface, some of them cannot be put in a dishwasher. This presents a massive problem for working people who neither have the time nor the energy to stand in front of the sink and try washing the tray. You can easily find dishwasher friendly models, and the price difference will also be minimal. Similarly, if you are buying a dish that has silicon grippers on the side, check their quality and read a couple of reviews before the purchase. The silicon sometimes comes off and leaves the corners of the tray sticky, which is quite irritating for most users.
- Price: This goes without saying that price is also an essential factor. Unless you are a billionaire, you probably have a lot of things to do and have to think about the monthly budget. There are times when some models with standard features cost more than other efficient choices in the market. All you need to do to avoid it is to spend some time and make an informed decision.
Top Brands to Consider
It’s not our style to endorse specific products, but we’ll take a brief look at some of the best-selling brands you can opt for. There are several other options out there, and you can use the factors discussed in this guide to select the best brand for yourself as well. Some of the top brands include:
- MysThaw: This is a premium brand with high end defrosting trays that have all the bells and whistles attached. The Trays are incredibly durable and can be roughly used without any damage to the surface. The top model features a separate water collector to ensure that your kitchen top remains clean.
- Scali Innovations: This is a budget brand that comes with all the essential features you can ask for. The prices are quite reasonable, and the quality is good enough to be used for home cooking
- MN Majestic: This manufacturer believes that bigger means better. The defrosting tray is of the largest size in this list, and it is an ideal choice for you if you have a large family.
Final Thoughts
Handling meat is a delicate affair and you must always remember not to keep your meat in the ‘danger zone’, which lies between 400F and 1400F, for more than 2 hours. Using defrosting trays is the best option because it readies your meat for cooking in a very short time so you can be sure that you are eating a healthy and safe meal.