Have you ever been sitting at home, minding your own business, when suddenly you remember that you were meant to take that chicken out of the freezer 2 hours ago? Or you forgot to take out the burgers and sausages for the family barbecue that’s happening in 30 minutes?
There’s nothing worse, is there?! You have to deal with the fact that you’re the reason you can’t have that delicious dinner you wanted because you didn’t thaw the meat in time. Luckily, there’s a way around this problem; defrosting trays!
Defrosting trays are fast-acting metal trays or plates made with heat-conducting materials. This means that they can pass on heat really well, defrosting meat and food much more efficiently and quickly.
If you haven’t already got a defrosting tray in your kitchen, you are going to want to get one. These things are lifesavers!
Fortunately for you, we have created a guide of the best defrosting trays available on the market, from premium defrosting trays to fast-acting defrosting trays and best value defrosting trays.
Comparison Table
Take a look at this table for a comparison of our top picks available on the market!
Key Criteria
This is some of the key criteria that we used to test these products and pit them against each other. When considering which defrosting trays are the most useful and the best buy, we took this criteria into consideration to make our top choices.
Size
One of the most important things to think about when purchasing a defrosting tray is the size of the tray. This will determine how many things you can defrost at once. For example, if you need to defrost steaks for the whole family, a small defrosting tray will not work for you.
Most defrosting trays are about 11 inches by 8 inches, which can defrost about 2-3 steaks at a time. If you need a larger tray, then you may need to opt for one that is 14 inches by 8 inches or more.
Design
You should also consider the design of the defrosting tray. Perhaps you want something that blends in easily with your kitchen, or something that can have multiple functions and uses.
Some defrosting trays come with additional accessories, or removable plates to capture the moisture. Think about what you want to get out of your defrosting tray to help you decide which ones are best for your needs.
Functionality
The defrosting tray has to be able to do exactly what it says it will, and save you time and energy when defrosting foods. Most defrosting trays will be able to thaw foods and meat 8-10 times quicker than regular thawing methods.
Material
Most defrosting trays are made from aluminum as this metal works to conduct heat highly effectively. Aluminum can also help to dissolve frozen food up to 10 times faster than normal thawing methods.
You can also purchase defrosting trays made of copper, which also conducts heat efficiently, but can be very hard to clean and more prone to scratches and marking. We recommend choosing a food grade aluminum, anti-bacterial aluminum or aluminum alloy for the best results.
Ease of Use
When it comes to kitchen utensils and tools, ease of use is so important. If it can save you time, money, and energy, then you will want to get it.
Most of the defrosting trays on the market are simple to use, and only need you to keep them at room temperature so that they can conduct enough heat to thaw out food effectively.
Speed
Some defrosting trays will work faster than others and promise to be fast-acting. As such, these can often be more expensive than other brands as they are made out of higher-performing materials and heat-conducting metals.
Non Stick
Another important quality that may be overlooked is the non-stick coating. This will ensure that it is easy to remove the meat from the tray after it has been thawed entirely, without it sticking or adhering to the tray.
About the Company
When purchasing anything online, or in a store, it is important to know where the item is coming from and the company that manufactures it. This will ensure that you are getting a high-quality product that you can rely upon.
Bestsellers
Best Defrosting Tray
1. Best All Rounder Defrosting Tray: Cuisinart Defrosting Tray
Our all-rounder, top pick of the best defrosting trays is the Cuisinart Defrosting Tray. Cuisinart is a well-known manufacturer of kitchen utensils, appliances, and food prep products.
As a trusted and established retailer, you can depend on their products. This tray in particular provides quick and even thawing, and is made of highly conductive and durable, food-safe aluminum for reliable and trustworthy results.
In addition, the Cuisinart defrosting tray preserves the natural flavor of your food with a safe and eco-friendly way of thawing food. What is even better is that it is of a good size, with dimensions of 7.87” x 13.78”.
With a sleek design, a large, durable surface, and a slim profile, this defrosting tray is easy to use, easy to store, and oh so convenient.
Even more impressive is the non-stick surface, which defrosts quickly and never lets your food stick. Simply clean with mild soap and a soft sponge or cloth after every use and you are good to go.
Pros
- Thaws food quickly and evenly
- Preserves natural flavor
- Good sized surface
- Non stick coating
- Cost efficient
- Sleek design
- Slim and convenient for storage
- Made of food safe aluminum
Cons
- Not dishwasher safe, has to be hand washed
- QUICK AND EVEN THAWING: Made of highly conductive food-safe aluminum, this tray will come to room temperature and will defrost your food item quickly and safely.
- PRESERVES NATURAL FLAVOR: Safe and eco-friendly way to thaw food. Preserves the natural tastes of your frozen food. Dimensions: 7.87” x 13.78” x .08”.
- EASY TO USE AND CLEAN: Simply place frozen food on the non-stick surface and it will defrost. To clean, use mild soap and soft sponge or cloth. Not dishwasher safe.
- SLEEK DESIGN: Large, non-stick and durable surface is very slim for convenient storage in compact places.
2. Best Defrosting Tray for Value: Evelots Quick Thaw Defrosting Tray
For sheer value for money, the Evelots Defrosting Tray is your best bet. This product is made by a respectable and trusted Vermont seller, and comes with a 30-day easy return policy, along with a 100% satisfaction guarantee for your peace of mind.
The product itself is so good when you consider the price point. This defrosting tray is a much better alternative to traditional defrosting methods, as it is specifically designed to thaw out the food with no need for water, microwave, or electricity.
This is an all-natural way of defrosting rapidly and safely.
This tray in particular has quality construction and is manufactured using the finest grade aluminum with a solvent-based silicone coating for easy and simple cooking.
The aluminum accelerates the warming process by conducting heat, effectively defrosting the food with no hassle.
With this tray, you can defrost food 3-5 times faster than normal, and it is spaciously designed with a large, flat surface for easy thawing on this 14” x 8” tray.
Pros
- Dishwasher safe
- Best value for money
- Made with fine grade aluminum
- Defrosts quickly within 30-60 minutes
- Large, flat surface
- 30 day return policy
Cons
- Does not defrost as quickly as higher value versions
- DEFROSTING TRAY FOR FROZEN MEAT SAVES ENERGY, SPEEDS NATURAL THAWING: Defrosting frozen meat in hot water or a microwave ruins its taste and texture. Simply place frozen meat on the defrosting tray. The meat thaws quickly. It's the healthiest way to prep frozen foods. The defrost tray gives you naturally-thawed, fresher-tasting meat, preserving all its essential nutrients. Enjoy the full flavor of all your favorite meat dishes. This meat thawing tray is a must for every kitchen.
- THE SECRET IS IN THE MEAT DEFROSTER TRAY'S SPECIAL MATERIAL AND DESIGN: Our defrost tray for meat is made of the finest grade of Aluminum with non-stick, food-grade silicone coating. Aluminum is highly effective at transferring heat, first from the thawing plate to the frozen food and then from the environment, to rapidly thaw frozen meat from within. Our food defroster tray offers you a quicker, healthier and more flavorful way to prep mouth-watering meat dishes.
- MORE THAN MEAT. LOAD UP YOUR QUICK DEFROSTING TRAY WITH POULTRY, FISH AND VEGGIES, TOO: Our quick thawing tray for frozen meat measures an ample 14"L x 8.1"W x 0.6"H. Lots of room to thaw multiple items at once. The generous surface of the defroster tray means food thaws faster, too. Large, thick pieces of meat, including frozen chicken, steak, pork or lamb chops, take as little as 30-60 minutes, while smaller, thinner cuts of meat, fish and veggies will defrost up to 3 to 5 times faster.
- DESIGNED FOR EASY USE, CLEAN UP AND STORAGE: Our food thawing tray is simple to use and makes clean up a breeze. Place your frozen food directly on its surface and allow it to defrost naturally. This food-grade, silicone-coated thawing tray for frozen meat prevents food from sticking, so simply wash with soapy water and rinse after each use. Store on its side on your counter or in a cupboard, so it's always handy to help you save time and energy in preparing delectable meals from frozen foods.
- FROM OUR VERMONT HOME TO YOURS: For almost a decade, Evelots has offered customers unique products with a 30-day easy return policy.
3. Best Premium Defrosting Tray: Blazin’ Thaw Defrosting Tray
If you are looking for a premium quality defrosting tray, then you will have to go for the Blazin’ Thaw Defrosting Tray.
This tray is not only made from the finest materials available but also capable of preparing food for the whole family, with its extra-large surface of 16 inches by 8 inches.
In addition to this, the Blazin’ Thaw defrosting tray is 6mm thick, which is double the thickness of other competitor trays, giving you double the defrosting power!
Not only this, but this premium defrosting tray has much wider and deeper channels for draining, allowing more air and heat to come through and thaw your food quickly.
The company itself really knows what it’s talking about. Blazin’ Thaw states that they listen to what home cooks want, and have improved thawing time and size for more efficient and quick prep times.
With this defrosting tray, you will get premium-grade aluminum, deep draining channels, and an upgraded surface size that promises to be quicker than most other defrosting trays.
With a 12 month warranty and a 30-day money-back guarantee, you cannot go wrong with this one.
Pros
- Family sized thawing tray
- Fast thawing plate
- Thick grooves, with a non drip mat
- Made of premium food grade aluminum
- Extra thick size for double defrosting power
- Comes with 30 day money back guarantee
Cons
- Needs frequent flipping of the meat to work
- WHAT’S A DEFROSTING TRAY? A defrosting tray is a uniquely designed aluminium plate used for thawing frozen meats and food. A defrosting tray is the perfect alternative to the outdated conventional thawing methods, such as the use of microwaves or submerging food in water.
- HOW DOES IT WORK? Simply place frozen meats or food flat on the plate and let the thawing board do the work! The thawing plate is made with aluminium material which is effective in extracting the cold from the food onto the plate.
- WHY A DEFROSTING TRAY? Thawing with a defrosting tray allows you to thaw your frozen food in a natural, healthy and timely manner. Thaw faster than soaking in water and more safer than using the microwave. Thawing with a defrosting tray ensures you can maintain the nutrients and taste in your food.
- WHY THE BLAZIN’ THAW BRAND? We listened to what our home-cooks cared about most. Thawing times & Size. We researched what truly made a difference in the time and effectiveness of thawing: Premium-grade aluminium material, wider & deeper draining channels and an upgrade in size (16” Family-Size edition), thickness & surface area of the aluminium plate.
- PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS 16” Family Size Defrosting Tray - Tray Dimensions: 16in x 8in (40cm x 20.5cm), Tray Thickness: 0.24in (0.06cm/6mm), and 2 silicone edges to attach on each end to prevent spillage of thawed fluids.
4. Best Fast Defrosting Tray: A-STAR Defrosting Tray
For rapid defrosting, you should try the A-STAR defrosting tray. With this tray, you can defrost frozen meat faster than others, saving you quality time and energy in the kitchen.
In addition, it comes with a plastic drip tray to protect your counters from dripping juices and liquids coming from your frozen meat, along with a silicone basting brush and sponge for glazing.
It is simple, quick, and easy to use with no clean-up time afterward. What’s not to love?
With this tray, you can defrost quickly and naturally with a large, non-stick surface that thaws food in under 60 minutes. It’s healthy, and energy-saving, and comes with a money-back guarantee for your convenience.
Pros
- Comes with drip tray
- Fast thawing tray
- Includes silicone basting brush and silicone sponge
- Takes 30-60 minutes depending on thickness
- Has a non-stick coating
- Made from aluminum
- Comes with 100% money back guarantee
Cons
- Not durably made- prone to bending after few uses
- ➤【FAST THAWING Tray With Bonus】Defrost frozen meat faster than others thawing tray saves your quality time. Protect your counters from dripping liquids and juices oozing out of the frozen foods with the Plastic Drip Tray. SILICONE BASTING BRUSH and Silicone Sponge BONUS designed to mop up amounts of liquid (BBQ sauce, oil, butter glaze) on to your food. Silicone Sponge helps to wash easily defrosting tray so you can enjoy more post-meal downtime.
- ➤【DEFROST QUICKLY AND NATURALLY】 This Defrosting tray allows you to defrost frozen food up to 3X faster than at room temperature. This tray will help you defrost Fish, Meat, poultry or anything else that's frozen. Thawing times will vary depending on the thickness of the Meat but on average it will take approximately 60 minutes
- ➤【Non-Stick】When meat and other foods thaw, moisture develops. Combined with the colder temperature of the food, it can cause the food to stick on metal surface of the tray. This can make it difficult to remove the meat or other foods once its fully thawed. This nonstick coated defrosting tray makes it easier to remove your defrosted steak, chicken, or other food from the surface.
- ➤【Healthy & Energy-saving】It works without Warm water, microwave, chemical or electricity when using our defrosting trays. So the food keeps its original flavor and stays fresh. Simply place the Defrost tray onto your kitchen counter and add your frozen food to the top of Defroster tray and wait for several minutes for the magic happens.
- ➤【100% MONEY BACK GUARANTEE !!】 Authentic Product is sold by A-STAR
Frequently Asked Questions
Check out our handy frequently asked questions section for more information on what a defrosting tray is, why you need one, and how to use one!
A defrosting tray is a handy kitchen utensil made with materials that have a high ability to conduct heat, like aluminum or copper.
These metals are so able to conduct heat that the heat rapidly moves through the tray and into meat and foods placed on top that it can defrost and thaw frozen items very quickly.
These metal trays will absorb the heat in the room and will pass the heat through the food in order to quicken the defrosting process. As such, these have become essential home items that everyone needs in their kitchen!
Defrosting trays are far more efficient and effective than traditional defrosting methods. Most people would typically leave meat or food to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, which takes a long time and often does not thaw evenly.
With a defrosting tray, you can thaw meat within 40 minutes to an hour, and all the way through. This can save you so much time preparing food, and is perfect if you forget to take the chicken out of the freezer as your partner asked you to!
The best defrosting trays will have non-stick coatings, be made of premium-grade aluminum, and have a large surface area to thaw out multiple pieces of meat at once.
Defrosting trays work as they are made from metals like aluminum or copper that conduct heat really well. This means that it can warm up foods and bring them to room temperature much more easily and quickly.
When you place a slab of raw meat on a room temperature defrosting tray, it will conduct the air from the room onto the frozen food, which will slowly unfreeze it.
This means that meats and foods can be defrosted in a matter of 30-60 minutes depending on the thickness, rather than after hours and hours of being sat in the refrigerator.
Yes, fast defrosting trays are completely safe. Although they thaw meat quickly, it does so safely at room temperature with the help of superconducting metal alloys rather than heat. Therefore you do not have to worry about contaminating your food.
However, raw foods should not be kept at room temperature for more than two hours before cooking, and no more than 1 hour if the temperature is higher than 90 degrees Fahrenheit. So keep that in mind when leaving raw meat out on the defrosting tray.
It is not recommended that you cut the meat up on the tray, as most defrosting trays are made up of aluminum, which will scratch easily.
To keep your defrosting tray in the best possible condition, remove meat from the tray and onto a plate or chopping board before cutting. This will also ensure that you do not damage the tray and can get many more uses out of it.
The beauty of a defrosting tray is how easy it is to use. You can have frozen meat ready to cook up to 8 times faster than using traditional methods. All you have to do is take your meat out of the freezer and place it on a defroster plate or tray at room temperature.
Some people prefer to place the meat inside a plastic bag on the tray so that the juices and water do not make it dirty. Then, leave the meat on the tray to defrost in minutes. After thawing, remove it from the tray and begin preparing for cooking!
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