This $19 Gadget Takes the Stress Out of Thawing That Food You Forgot to Take Out of the Freezer
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had to scrap my dinner menu at the last minute because I forgot to take the meat out of the freezer. (Hello, local pizza delivery place — one large pie, please!). If you’ve been there before, then you feel my pain. Running frozen chopped meat under hot water seems like a good idea until the top of the package starts to cook while the inside stays frozen. Try putting frozen chicken thighs in a bowl of warm water, and the bag immediately rises to the top… strike two. And because I have a personal policy not to microwave meats, well, let’s just say that I have the pizza place on speed dial. That’s why, when a colleague mentioned the Thaw Claw as a potential solution to this problem in a recent meeting, I had to see what people were saying about it. The first review that I read had me convinced that this Amazon find was the answer to my temperature troubles.
“This thing has been a life saver. I use it anytime I need to thaw meat for dinner and forget about it until right before dinner (I do this often unfortunately).” Preach, my friend. “Meat that would normally take hours to completely thaw takes about 30 minutes normally. I’m super glad I purchased this.”
The Thaw Claw is one of those kitchen gadgets that is very simple and incredibly smart. The thoughtful design features three “arms” that come together with a strong suction cup on the end. Stick the device to the bottom of the sink, fill the sink with warm water, and slide your package of meat between the Thaw Claw and the bottom of the sink. The plastic gadget keeps the package in place so that everything defrosts evenly. “I use vacuum bags to freeze my meat and… without this item I was left to put a heavy pot or iron skillet on top to keep it submerged to speed the thawing process,” comments another reviewer. “I recommend this item for anyone but especially anyone that has time constraints for evening dinner prep or any other time for that matter.”
While meat can normally take hours to defrost, the Thaw Claw knocks that time down to minutes. “Bought this after I randomly saw it on a list of trending items selling on Amazon.” says another happy customer, “It’s exactly what I needed! Holds meat underwater so it thaws so much faster than letting it sit out or in dripping water. My chicken thawed in about 30 min. It’s a real time saver!”
All of these rave reviews nearly had me convinced to add the Thaw Claw to my cart, but I had concerns that the rapid thaw speed could lead to bacteria growth — until I came across this review. “I am a stickler for properly defrosting meat after working in food service for years and this makes that process super easy and surprisingly quick!” the reviewer wrote, “I’ve even convinced my father, a retired rocket scientist, that this is the best way to defrost.” I’m no rocket scientist, but that sounds pretty great to me!
Buy: Thaw Claw, $18.95