Use fresh beans (ideally with a visible pack or best-before date) and soak for around 8 hours, not overnight-and-then-some. If beans have split in half easily when gently squeezed, they're ready to drain and blend.

Bring the blended mixture to a full boil, then simmer for 15–20 minutes, stirring regularly and skimming foam as it rises so it doesn't boil over.

Strain the cooked soy milk through muslin or unbleached cotton rather than standard cheesecloth, which lets too much fine pulp through, and squeeze thoroughly to extract as much smooth milk as possible.

Confirm soy milk is at the right temperature (commonly cited as roughly 75–80°C) before adding coagulant, using a thermometer if unsure. If it's only partly set, try adding a few more drops of coagulant to the uncoagulated sections, cover, and let it sit — or gently reheat to the target range and let it finish coagulating before adding more.

Check temperature and coagulant potency first (see below) before adding more. A small top-up on a partly-set batch is reasonable; repeated large additions usually aren't the fix.

Check whether your nigari or gypsum is labelled as concentrated versus ready-to-use, and follow its specific instructions rather than a generic recipe amount. Store coagulant in an airtight container and replace it if it's been open a long time.

Stir gently just enough to distribute the coagulant, then cover and leave it undisturbed for a couple of minutes to let the curds form on their own before checking.

Nigari tends to produce larger curds than some alternatives — worth trying if you're currently using a different coagulant and want a less crumbly result. Handle curds as little as possible once formed.

Ladle curds into the mould gently rather than pouring forcefully, and handle the finished block very gently when unmoulding — tofu is more fragile straight out of the press than it will be once fully cooled and chilled.

Press for longer or with more weight if you want a firmer, denser result (see "Pressing" below), or embrace the softer texture, which works well in dishes where tofu will be mashed or simmered.

Start with a lighter weight for 25–30 minutes for a softer block, or a heavier weight for up to an hour for a firmer one. Note your timing and result so you can repeat or adjust for your preferred texture next time.

Centre weights carefully on a flat lid or use a purpose-made press with a spring-loaded or evenly distributed lid, which applies more consistent pressure across the whole block.

Use muslin or unbleached cotton fabric instead, which holds curds in while still letting whey drain through cleanly.

Check your bean-to-water ratio against a tested recipe rather than estimating, and press for less time if you want a larger, softer yield rather than a smaller, firmer one.

As a rough reference, 200g of dry soybeans yields around 400g once soaked, and produces roughly one small-to-medium block of pressed tofu — scale a tested recipe rather than guessing ratios from scratch.

Measure coagulant precisely with a scale rather than by eye, and store it in an airtight container between uses. Confirm your soy milk is hot enough at the moment it meets the coagulant, since silken styles are less forgiving of a cool pour than firmer tofu.

Cool soy milk to the specific temperature your recipe calls for (often a narrower, more precise window than standard tofu) before combining with the coagulant, using a thermometer rather than judging by eye.

A simple DIY setup — a perforated container or colander lined with cloth, with a flat lid and a weight on top — works perfectly well starting out. A dedicated mould with a spring-loaded or vented lid is a worthwhile upgrade if you make tofu regularly.

Soak beans the night before so the active cooking day is shorter, and set aside a genuine block of uninterrupted time rather than trying to fit it around other tasks.

Okara can be added to baked goods, veggie patties, or meatball-style mixtures, or used in traditional okara dishes. It doesn't keep long fresh, so use it within a day or two or freeze it.