Tofuture Tofu Press Review: Is It the Best UK Press?

The Tofuture tofu press is one of the most popular tofu presses in the UK, and after months of use it's easy to see why. If you've been pressing tofu under a stack of heavy cookbooks like we used to, this compact British-made press is a genuine upgrade. This review covers how it works, how well it presses, where to buy it and whether there are better alternatives in the same price bracket.

Who makes the Tofuture tofu press?

Tofuture is a British company launched in 2012 by Adam and Susanna Kittow. It's refreshing to see a small UK business flying the flag for veganism and being genuinely innovative with a product like this.

They sell the press directly through their website, along with replacement bands whenever they're needed. Ours is still showing no signs of wear and tear, but it's reassuring to know you can replace a single part rather than the entire press if it ever wears out, which is good for the environment too. Tofuture also publishes plenty of recipes and a blog covering everything from types of tofu to travel guides, so it's worth a look once your press arrives.

How well does it press tofu?

Very well. The press did a great job of squeezing the water out of our tofu. That's exactly what you'd expect from a home appliance in this price range, and worth it for the quality alone.

A few features stood out during testing:

• Easy to clean. All the parts detach and are dishwasher safe, so tidying up after cooking is a breeze.
• Replacement bands. The bands that hold the tofu under pressure are the part most likely to wear over time, and you can buy affordable replacements straight from Tofuture's website.
• Design. There are no flashy gimmicks like a bamboo case or stainless steel finish, but the simple, straightforward design does an excellent job and stays out of your way while you cook.

We bought ours from Amazon UK and it arrived the next day via Prime, packaged in a tidy branded cardboard box. There's a lot of competition on Amazon, from artisan wooden presses to a host of cheaper knock-offs that copy the Tofuture design, and while we haven't tested the rivals ourselves, the sheer volume of positive reviews for the Tofuture press speaks volumes. This feels like a product that's been properly thought through, rather than something drop-shipped on the cheap.

What are the drawbacks?

After months of use we genuinely struggle to find any serious drawbacks. A couple of small things are worth mentioning:

• Tight bands. Some people find the bands a little awkward to stretch around the press at first. It can feel like you might snap them, but that's very unlikely, as the bands need to be tight to generate enough pressure on the tofu.
• Remembering to press in advance. This isn't a fault of the Tofuture press specifically, but of all tofu presses: you have to remember to press your tofu before you start cooking, and we always forgot.

Our verdict

We happily recommend the Tofuture tofu press. It does exactly what it needs to do, and it's far easier than balancing a stack of heavy books on your tofu, with far better results. The attention to detail is obvious: it's easy to use for beginners, looks smart sitting on the countertop, stores away neatly, and the durable bands can be cheaply replaced from Tofuture's website if they ever wear out.

If for any reason it doesn't work out for you, Tofuture are a friendly company and always happy to help, though we can't really imagine why it wouldn't.