Contrary to what some armchair problem solvers say, hair dryers, space heaters and heated car seats are not reliable instruments for defrosting. Plenty of social media and Reddit thread real estate has been dedicated to the best ways for defrosting large cuts of meat, even when time is limited.

While the holidays put a spotlight on defrosting practices -- and problems -- the need to defrost quickly and safely haunts us throughout the year. Who among us has not found ourselves with a pound of frozen ground beef in one hand, and a finger on the trigger of a food delivery app in the other, contemplating savings versus speed?

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