Apparatus for defrosting a frozen food item, comprising: a chamber for providing at least one food item therein for defrosting; a temperature control system for changing a temperature within the chamber; a temperature monitoring system for monitoring respective temperatures of a surface part of a first food item and a core part of the first food item or a second food item; and a control system configured to control the temperature control system to control a surrounding temperature for the food item in dependence on said monitored temperatures using temperature control data specifying for a plurality of consecutive temperatures of the surface part of the first food item corresponding target surrounding temperatures that decrease as the first food item defrosts, the control system being configured to control the temperature control system to: i) decrease the surrounding temperature, using an unheated fluid having a temperature less than the surrounding temperature, when the surrounding temperature is greater than a target surrounding temperature for a given temperature of the surface part; ii) increase the surrounding temperature when the surrounding temperature is less than a target surrounding temperature for a given temperature of the surface part; and iii) control the surrounding temperature to maintain a temperature of the surface part below a predetermined maximum temperature for the food item. a chamber for providing at least one food item therein for defrosting; a temperature control system for changing a temperature within the chamber; a temperature monitoring system for monitoring respective temperatures of a surface part of a first food item and a core part of the first food item or a second food item; and a control system configured to control the temperature control system to control a surrounding temperature for the food item in dependence on said monitored temperatures using temperature control data specifying for a plurality of consecutive temperatures of the surface part of the first food item corresponding target surrounding temperatures that decrease as the first food item defrosts, the control system being configured to control the temperature control system to: i) decrease the surrounding temperature, using an unheated fluid having a temperature less than the surrounding temperature, when the surrounding temperature is greater than a target surrounding temperature for a given temperature of the surface part; ii) increase the surrounding temperature when the surrounding temperature is less than a target surrounding temperature for a given temperature of the surface part; and iii) control the surrounding temperature to maintain a temperature of the surface part below a predetermined maximum temperature for the food item. i) decrease the surrounding temperature, using an unheated fluid having a temperature less than the surrounding temperature, when the surrounding temperature is greater than a target surrounding temperature for a given temperature of the surface part; ii) increase the surrounding temperature when the surrounding temperature is less than a target surrounding temperature for a given temperature of the surface part; and iii) control the surrounding temperature to maintain a temperature of the surface part below a predetermined maximum temperature for the food item.