Because I use frozen ingredients a lot, I looked up popular products in the defrost plate ranking. After all, rapid defrosting is convenient, and it’s also handy for getting the “extra heat” out of bento meals.

Ookura Manufacturing’s 解凍ハサミン melts ice in just 2 minutes and 12 seconds—seriously fast. But because it’s a smaller size, it’s not ideal when you want to defrost large cuts of meat all at once. It feels like it’s for people who prefer small amounts. Fujita Metal’s エコちゃん is made of thicker aluminum, so the defrosting speed is no complaints. It fully melted in 3 minutes and 22 seconds, and it can handle larger ingredients too.

Nitori’s 解凍プレートシャープナー付きまな板 costs around 1,500 yen and does four jobs, so the cost performance is top-notch. Even compared with a standalone defrost plate, its performance isn’t much worse, and it’s genuinely recommended for anyone who’s undecided. If you’re looking for something lightweight, the LeLante 306g model or the 貝印 203g model are good candidates. They’re easy to carry and simple to maintain.

If you want a raised rim, Sugiyama Metal’s クイッ君 helps because water doesn’t spill out, so your desk doesn’t get wet—pretty helpful. Just be careful because it’s fairly heavy at 725g. 3COINS’ パル is easy to try at 1,000 yen, and its defrosting performance isn’t bad either. However, it feels a bit weak when it comes to taking the extra heat out.

In the end, the products that rank high in the defrost plate ranking come down to a balance between high thermal conductivity and size. I think the best choice is the one you pick based on how often you use it and how much you cook. When you look at the defrost plate ranking, there are a lot of products, but basically, as long as you choose one made of thick aluminum, you won’t go wrong.