have you tried making your own tofu? its incredibly easy to make (just time consuming) but only takes an actual 30 minutes the rest is just walking away and leaving it. I've never had any hassle cooking my own tofu i make both extra firm and silken (but firm for in a stir fry).

incase your interested here's how to make firm tofu (like you described that you buy):

1. soak 250g (1 cup) soy beans over night (min 10 hours) with a generous amount of water.
   
2. drain and rinse beans.
   
3. put in a food processor , to make a paste , then gradually add water ; 2 litres total (4 American pints). if you can't fit all the water in don't worry you can just pour it over at next step.
   
4. line a colander with cheese cloth or a clean dishtowel (do not use material that has fabric softener on it or been bleached , this can leach into your food and taste rank)
   
5. pour it through the colander into a pot. (you now have soy milk in the pot, and Osaka in the cloth)
   
6. bring to the boil then simmer your soy milk for approx 15 mins to a half hour (it's scent changes so it no longer smells raw).
   
7. add approx 3 teaspoons (you could start with 2 work up) gypsum (other coagulants work too like nigari) . you know it's the correct amount when it separates, takes about 30 seconds with a little stir . the whey should be completely clear , if it's still cloudy add more coagulant.
   
8. put your Osaka in a tub and line the colander with a second cheese cloth/towel .
   
9. pour your curds and whey through the cloth , fold the top of the cloth over to cover your curds and place a small plate on top and weight it, can of beans or something of that nature. leave it for a min of 4 hours (I typically leave it over night as I prefer extra firm , but I have done it in a day before , well started night before soaking beans; was squished around 6 hours and was pretty firm.)

you will now have a block of tofu that weighs a little shy of a half kilo (about a pound us) , you will also have a couple of litres of whey and 250g of Osaka. all parts are edible and nutritious. you can use the whey to replace milk or water in sauces / soup etc. the Osaka can be used to make burger patties etc .....