It’s more important to me to have a convenient, simple cooking process than to micromanage tofu’s properties. I’ve tried freezing it and thawing it, and that is very effective at giving it a chewier texture, but I am done with going out of my way to press the stuff.

Now days I just take it out of the package, give it a quick squeeze over the sink, and start breaking chunks of it into whatever I’m cooking. Chunks have more surface texture than squares, and hold sauces better. Other than that, it’s just a matter of either pan frying it, or roasting it to get that golden brown sear. Roasting is preferred (on parchment paper) if you want to go oil-free.