Let's say you have a frozen chunk of meat you want to defrost before dinner, but (whoops!) you forgot to transfer it from the freezer to the fridge last night. Who hasn't been there?
Now, you don't have to risk overcooking the meat in your microwave if you want to have dinner before 11 p.m. Instead, just grab two metal pots, and flip one upside down with the meat on top. Then, fill the other with water, and place it on top of the meat. Wait five to 10 minutes (depending on how thick your meat is), and BOOM—your dinner-to-be is defrosted.
How does this work? Metal conducts heat, and aluminum in particular is a great conductor of ambient heat—which is actually enough to thaw a steak quickly. The weight from the water also presses the metal on top of the meat, increasing its surface area so it can conduct more heat from the air—all of which results in a faster thaw time.
...And now you'll never have to stress about deciding which meat you want to defrost hours ahead of time ever again.
