We were recently visiting and saw someone using cold water to help defrost some meat from the freezer - it is so long since we have seen someone do this that we had forgotten it as an option!

Of course, using water in this way is not a constructive use of water - and it really doesn’t speed the process that much. Warm water is faster, but also wastes water.

A microwave is a quicker and more effective means of defrosting food - it doesn’t use water, but it does use energy.

The best option is to plan ahead and defrost things slowly in the fridge overnight. You could also leave it on the bench overnight to defrost but that has the potential for bacteria and toxins to flourish in the food.