Food for Thaw-t

Need a quick way to thaw frozen food for tonight’s dinner? Can’t get those rock-hard steaks ready for the party? If you’ve been watching cable TV, you’ll probably think your problems are over thanks to Miracle Thaw.

Dubbed as a “revolutionary defrosting tray that makes counter top and microwave defrosting obsolete,” Miracle Thaw promises to quickly thaw food, fruits and vegetables in a matter of minutes without electricity, chemicals or batteries.

The secret, we are told, is in the product’s “space-age metal” that absorbs natural heat energy in the air and releases it directly into the frozen food. This supposedly hastens defrosting and thaws any food like magic in minutes. The TV ad says the food’s natural juices are retained for best flavor.

“This incredible kitchen miracle can be yours for only $$$!” screamed the hidden TV announcer. Not one to miss a miracle, I bought my Miracle Thaw at less than half the price at a big department store. I was looking for something for my wife and a “revolutionary” defrosting tray seemed like a good idea at that time.

But there was nothing revolutionary about the product. And the only miracle that occurred was my money vanishing into thin air. How did this happen?

First, the ads don’t say that you have to pre-heat the tray by running it under hot water for 20 to 30 seconds. You’re supposed to do this twice: before thawing food and midway through thawing time. That explains the miracle. The tray doesn’t really absorb heat from the air; it gets heat from hot water!

To test the device, my wife placed a couple of pork chops on the tray hoping to see them “butcher-block fresh in 14 to 18 minutes” as the accompanying brochure promised. Alas, 45 minutes later, they were still frozen stiff. By that time it was clear I had wasted money on a conversation piece.

I wasn’t the only one disappointed with Miracle Thaw. Tests made by Consumer Reports on this particular product and other aluminum-alloy trays like Instant Thaw and D-Frost Wonder Deluxe all showed them to be a waste of money.

“Miracle Thaw never came close to its claimed defrosting times, even though we followed instructions to the letter. Quarter-pound hamburger patties (10 to 14 minutes claimed) took us 24 to 34 minutes. Shell steaks (19 to 22 minutes) took us 32 to 36 minutes. The other trays were even slower, even when pretreated. A heavy, unheated aluminum frying pan defrosted meals just as well and quickly. Defrosting in a microwave oven was by far the best,” said the editors of Consumer Reports.

“Advertisements for thawing trays claim that frozen food can be thawed rapidly at room temperature. Some ads claim the trays are made of a special ‘superconductive’ metal that speeds the natural thawing process. Yet most are simple aluminum trays, and the same accelerated thawing effect can be achieved with any metal pan. In fact, thawing times for these trays often are exaggerated in advertisements,” added the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

But the worse part is that these products may even increase the risk of food poisoning. This was revealed by the FTC which said that leaving frozen food to thaw at defrosting trays is an ideal way of cultivating deadly bacteria.

“Because thawing trays require that food be thawed at room temperature, and many items will have greatly extended thawing times of well over two hours, there’s some risk that harmful bacteria my develop. Generally, food safety experts agree that to avoid risk, frozen food should be thawed in the refrigerator, in a microwave oven, or in cold water, but never at room temperature,” the FTC said.

So the next time you need to thaw food, forget about Miracle Thaw and other similar products. Your kitchen is better off without them.

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