Thaw with water baths. Many frozen foods can be thawed efficiently by sealing them in a zipper-lock bag and giving them a hot bath. For steaks, chops, and other thin cuts of meat, bring water to 140 degrees and thaw for about 12 minutes. Chicken breasts thaw in about 8.
Double-boil your water. Need a large pot of boiling water? Trim the wait by splitting the volume between two pots, combining the water once both pots are bubbling.
Chill wine with a towel. You’ve probably tried putting white wine in the freezer to chill it quickly. To speed the process further, wrap the bottle in a wet kitchen towel before placing it in the icebox. The quick-freezing towel will drop the wine’s temperature to 50 degrees in just 30 minutes. To remove the towel once it’s frozen, just run the bottle briefly under the tap.
Source: Cook’s Illustrated
