The Best Dish Rack

Our Top Pick for 2018: OXO Foldaway Dish Rack
Read our full review.

Dish racks are one of those things that we don’t necessarily want to have in our house, and most of us don’t even want to purchase a dish rack, but it is something that will always be needed. Just setting your dishes down on a towel to dry is not only incredibly ineffective, but it also takes up a lot of counter space that you could have been using for other purposes. Whether or not you have a dishwasher, it is important to have a dish rack for the things that you can’t put in there, and also just in case something doesn’t dry completely. Below in this review we will discuss some of the best dish racks you can purchase depending on your preferences.

Oxo is a very well-known housewares company that creates some of the best products you could possibly use for your home. They have a company that is absolutely dedicated to creating innovative products that will make your everyday life easier, without charging you an arm and a leg. Oxo is unique in the fact that they have studied many different people, including lefties, righties, old, young, male and female, to identify their preferences and where they can improve their product. This is great news for lefties who have in the past gotten the very short end of the stick. In addition to this, they are founded on the philosophy that they want their product to be usable by as many people as possible, almost anywhere in the house. As far as the name goes, Sam Farber created the name Oxo because no matter if you read it horizontal, vertical, upside or backwards, it always reads the same. And for those of you who are curious, it is pronounced “Ox-O” as in being shocked by seeing a large ox.

As far as the actual product is concerned, this one will let your dishes dry like no other rack has done before. It’s has an overall very simple design featuring muted white colors with splashes of stainless steel made to match any kitchen as well as provide a utility it is nearly impossible to go without. The white exterior is made out of a thick plastic that will not bend or warp overtime, so you definitely have a product for life when you purchase this option. Towards the right side of the dish rack, you can see 5 tall pegs on both sides that are ideal for glasses and mugs. Not only can you put taller glasses on this dish rack where before they would fall right down, but you should also be able to put larger mugs on top of them as well. Yes this even means that it will hold your absolute favorite bowl sized mug that you use for hot chocolate. It will definitely fit there and dry to perfection.

Next to those pegs on the left side of the dish rack are two different silverware holders, For some reason, when you lay silverware down on the dish rack is just never seems to get dry. The spoons always have a big puddle of water on them if you lay them down, and whenever you pick anything else up there’s still water dripping down the side. Even though they sat on that towel for the duration of the night. What’s up with that anyways? With this disk rack, you can stand them straight up and they will dry perfectly on the first time. Not only can you put your silverware straight up and down on here, but there are three different sections in each of the plastic holders for forks, knifes and spoons. This means that when it’s time to put them away in their designated areas, you can just grab a handful and they will all be the same type of utensil. No more sorting out all of the forks from the knifes when they are just laid haphazardly on the towel. The only thing left to do now is train your family to actually use the separate slots. These plastic containers are also easily removable for cleanup.

Up next is the gray plate rack that will hold a multitude of plates straight so they don’t have to take up a ton of room lying flat on the counter. This rack has seven different sections meaning that you have 8 slots to hold your plates. The sections are curved to what you would expect a plate to be so it is able to hold many different sized of plates from large dinner plates, all the way to tiny tea saucers. In addition to plates, you will be able to hold bowls upright to drain all the water off of them as well. Finally, right in the middle of this dish rack is a large open space for anything that just might not fit into the other sections of the dish rack. It can even be used for extra mugs and glasses if you don’t have enough room on the tines. There is a small spout that the water can roll off of so you aren’t stuck with a messy, wet dish rack whenever you use it.

The best feature this dish rack offers is that is can be folded up and stored away for when you have no dishes. I’m not entirely sure what situation you would be in where you had no dishes to dry, and if you were in that situation that it would stay hidden away very long, but if you ever want to put it away you do have that option. The sides of the dish rack where the tines and the plastic utensil holders go are able to fold into the dish rack for a more compact storage space. Many people choose to lay it on its side as well since it is relatively thin.

Up next is another great choice when it comes to dish racks. This is a truly impressive rack for those who have limited space in their kitchen, but still seem to always have so many dishes that need to be washed. No matter if you plan to put this in the second side sink next to your main one, or on the limited counter space you already have, this is a durable and long lasting item that is sure to get your dishes dry in no time.

At first look, this is an impressive product, and it may not hit you at first that it is a dish drying rack. The exterior of the product is clad once again in a muted white color with some gray and stainless steel accents. There are some websites that offer the discontinued bright green color, but it tends to up the price quite a bit.

The bottom of the dish rack is a solid rectangular shape as opposed to the traditional square racks that other options offer. The rectangle on the bottom is only a couple inches thick, but it can hold as many dishes that you may need it to. There are 18 different slots for smaller plates and bowls if you choose to put them on the bottom. Between the two platforms is about 10 inches of space. While you could feasibly fit a larger dinner plate in-between these spaces, if you have any enormous plates, they might not fit very well on the bottom. However, this would be perfect for smaller tea plates or glasses such as mugs or cups. Once the water drains down through the slots on the base, there is a small lip that protrudes off of the side for the water to drain into the sink. It has an overall very sturdy design and will dry and hold up whatever you may choose to throw on to it.

Attached at the top of this dish rack is another solid rectangular design. This top portion is held up by 4 solid stainless steel poles that will give you a sturdy design and keep your dishes safe. There are another 15 slots up here for a multitude of different plates as well as a silverware holder to keep your utensils in place. The silverware holders are split into two different slots, and will keep your utensils standing straight up to dry.

Finally, in addition to the spacious design of this dish drainer, there are 6 stainless steel side holders that give you more options to drain larger glasses off of. You can just hang them on there, and the water will drip off in no time. While these are slanted upwards a little bit to hold the glasses on, the other side offers four more holders for items you may want to hang.

Simple human creates things that are exactly as they sound in the description, simple for humans. Do not however, mistake their simplicity for a product that is not going to last you a while, or endure whatever you might put it through. This dish drying rack comes with the very special feature of having its own wingless holder for those of us who tend to have a lot of dinner parties, or who just really enjoy wine. This integrated wine glass rack can safely hold up to 2 extra-large Boredaux wine glasses or 3 smaller glasses for safe drying.

So far all of our dish drying racks have had some sort of drainage system to get the excess water that drips off of the dishes back into the sink, but this one is by far the most intricate. The rack as a whole is held up by four smaller stainless steel pegs, with a spot that curls underneath the rack to come out into the sink. This innovative drainage system uses the integrated drip tray with the swiveling spout to keep the water from going onto your counter. If for whatever reason the dish rack does not line up correctly the way you would like it to for the water to drip off, then you can pivot the spout to pour whatever way you need it to.

Another unique feature this rack provides is the anti-residue coasting that covers the entire product. It is created out of a hydrophilic coating that causes the water to spread instead of pooling up on one place. When the water is able to spread itself out, it can dry quicker than it ever has before. Not only will this be great for keeping your dishes dry, but it will also ensure that you are not left with a soaking wet dish rack either.

Overall this is a pretty large dish drying rack, and instead of having a flat surface that the plates stand on top of, this is a bit bowl shaped in the sense that the rack comes up around the dishes to ensure that they do not fall over or roll off of the top. This one still does feature a separate utensil holder for forks, knives and spoons ensuring that they don’t fall through the cracks of the strainer anymore.

While this product may be last, it will still function as a wonderful rack for all of your dishes. This product is a bit more of what comes to mind when you think of dish rack because of its simple metal exterior. This one is also coated in an anti-microbial layer that will prevent the growth of stain and odor-causing bacteria. No more mold or mildew on your drainer as this will keep not only your plates, but also the rack itself looking fresh and clean. The Microban antimicrobial product protection does not come with all products, but it does come with everything that was created by Rubbermaid. When your plates come in contact with microorganisms that can linger on some dishes, they can infect your family with bacteria. The coating on this will prevent the spread of that bacteria.

Since it is created out of one piece of durable coated wire, there will be no rust to be found on this, and it will not develop rust spots over time. Overall, it is a great strainer that features angled slots for quick draining. A small silverware holder will also keep the utensils separate from the other pieces of kitchenware in the strainer, and make it easy to put them back away in their place.

To purchase this strainer, you have the choice between a large and small size.

Pre-purchase considerations

What kind of space do you have?

If you live in a teeny-tiny apartment where counter space is virtually nothing more than a day dream, the two tiered drying rack would be a great option for you. With this, you’ll be able to dry all of your dishes at once without taking up too much space.

If you, on the other hand, have a ton of counter space, you can always purchase something that is a little bit bigger and can offer you a flatter surface to work with. The specific measurements above will make sure it fits where you need it to.

How many dishes do you usually have drying at once?

If you live by yourself, or with one other person, you more than likely don’t have a ton of dishes that need drying. In addition to this, if you own a dishwasher you probably aren’t hand washing a lot of dishes, only sentimental ones, and others that cannot be thrown into the washer. Either way, if you don’t do a lot of dishes, there isn’t any sense in purchasing a big dish rack that will only take up room.

Do you have any specific dishes that require a separate spot?

If you like wine, then you understand the value of having a dish rack that has separate wine glass drying section. No more shattered glasses lying on the floor when they got a little too close to the edge of your last rack, or not being able to fit it on there when there were already too many dishes. This one has its own special place, and would be great for all wine connoisseurs.

How much does an anti-microbial coat matter to you?

If you love cleaning your home and have a daily routine going, you know you will take great care of your dish rack and maybe don’t need the extra protection an anti-microbial coating brings. However, if you are always running out of hours in the day and just don’t have enough time to deep clean every week, you might want to take the extra help and purchase something that can keep your family safe.

Conclusion (Wrapping it up)

No matter what kind of dish draining rack you are looking for, there is something here for everyone. Pay attention to your own personal preferences as well as the pre-purchase considerations on this list to help you make a decision that will benefit you in the long run.