It’s Kitchen Madness I Tell Ya!
Who doesn’t love cooking!? Experimenting with new recipes, and tasting new flavors…..it’s adventurous to say the least! The best part is the final taste test; nothing is quite as pleasurable as tasting your creation. But I gotta say…as much as I enjoy cooking and trying out new recipes, I truly detest what follows: cleanup and dishes. “Well what about this thing called a dishwasher?” you’re probably wondering.
Alas, there are some things that can’t be put in a dishwasher.
Pots, pans, blender blades, and expensive knives are examples of things I usually wash by hand, so as you can imagine, my dish rack gets filled up pretty quickly. When it comes to dish racks, I’ve had them all: the cheap rubber ones that tear up, the metal ones that rust, and worst of all….the ones which leak and ruin your granite counter in the process! If you’re not convinced already, here’s 3 reasons to invest in a good dish rack:
#1 Save Your Counter!
A good dish rack will prevent water from seeping and leaking onto your counter. For those of you with granite counters, this is especially important (water will stain granite, if left for too long).
#2 Stop Breaking Your Favorite Coffee Mug!
This one really irks me. Some of my favorite coffee mugs have been tossed in the garbage, because the dish rack couldn’t do the one thing it’s supposed to do. Sigh…..if you’ve experienced this (and I know most of you have!) as well, leave a comment!
#3 It Improves The Way Your Kitchen Looks
The best dish drying racks aren’t just about function. Style and design are also important (in my opinion). Why? Because it’s smack on in the center of your kitchen, so it better look nice! Believe it or not…..a stylishly crafted dish rack can make a kitchen counter really stand out!
My Favorite Dish Drying Rack! (By Simplehuman)
Functional – check, stylish – check, durable – check. You won’t find a better dish rack in the market!
***CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT ON AMAZON***
Everything I Love About It (AKA The Good)
Finally A Dish Rack That Self Drains!
If there’s one thing that drives me up the wall, it’s a counter top soaked in water. Even worse are the stains that come as a result. Good luck trying to get rid of those! That’s why I made it my priority to find a dish rack that’s self draining and doesn’t accumulate water. If I had to pick my one favorite thing about this product, it would be this. How does it self drain? As your dishes dry, water collects into the drip pan, and trickles its way down a spout and into your sink. You can swivel the spout to have it drain in whichever position you’d like.
It’s Large Enough To Hold My Pots, Pans…
My last rack wasn’t large enough to hold all my pots, pans, woks etc, so i’d lay down a towel and leave them to dry. Happy to report I no longer have this problem! There’s more than enough space to properly store my dishes, pots, pans, cutting boards, and all. Another cool thing I love about this is that it’s deep, so nothing ever slips or slides out. With my old rack, I’ve had at least half a dozen plates slip out and break as a result.
It Adds An Element Of Style!
Probably the nicest looking dish rack I’ve ever owned. Kudos to Simplehuman for giving a crap about aesthetics!
Overall It Looks & Feels Solid
Took it out of the box and this was one of the first things I noticed. It feels like it’s built to last, which based on my experience is quite uncommon. Most dish racks I’ve previously owned were flimsy, clunky, and all over the place. Let’s see how it holds up in the long run (3+ years on). I’m optimistic it will stand the test of time!
Being Able To Store Wine Glasses Is An Extra Bonus!
I’ll be honest here. The ability to store wine glasses is an added bonus for me. I hardly ever drink wine, so this isn’t one of those things I went madly searching for in my quest to find the best dish drying rack. But it’s still a cool feature to have nonetheless, and definitely something most people will appreciate.
The 5 Year Warranty
5 years is a looong time. My old dish racks all saw the trash can within 2 years (in some cases less than a year!). They either rusted, broke apart, or became disgustingly unhygienic for use in the kitchen. Having said that, only time will tell how long this lasts. But I sure am glad to know I’m covered in the event of any workmanship defects!
Everything I Dislike About It (AKA The Bad)
Probably The Most Expensive Dish Rack I Will Ever Own
While you do pay top dollar (click here to check latest pricing on amazon), you get a quality product in return. All things considered, it still is a little heavy on the wallet!
Some May Find It Too Large
If you’re one of those people who has space constraints in your kitchen, you may want to do some measurements before buying. I can’t say this is an issue for me. On the contrary, I prefer a larger dish rack because I need the extra space for my pots and pans. However, my situation and your situation may not be the same. Take note of the dimensions below!
Honorable Mentions!
Below are 2 options that are perfect for folks on a budget. Cheap, yet highly effective!
OXO Good Grips Foldaway Dish Rack
The perfect rack for those with space constraints. The fact that both sidewalls and legs fold up, make this an incredibly compact solution! If you’re one of those people with limited kitchen counter space, this will be especially important. In fact, the entire design is based around saving space. For example, the plate rack folds up or down depending on whether you want to stack plates, or large bowls and cookware. Another really cool feature: mugs, and glasses rack inside, so there’s no dripping on the counter!
***CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT ON AMAZON***
Surpahs Over The Sink Roll Up Dish Drying Rack
If the OXO Good Grips (above) is a space saver, this is a space eliminator! I call this the travel dish rack. If you travel lots, you’ll definitely want to get one of these. It’s small, lightweight, and folds up for easy storage. Throw it in your backpack and away you go. If you’re out and about and moving from one place to the other, you have no idea how big/small kitchen space in your rental/hostel is going to be, so this is ideal. If only I knew about this 2 years ago when I went backpacking across Europe…..sigh.
***CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT ON AMAZON***
Here Are 6 Things To Consider Before Buying A Dish Rack
#1 How Much Space Do You Have To Work With?
No one single kitchen is identical. Some homes have massive kitchens with seemingly never ending counter space. On the contrary, some homes/apartments hardly even have a kitchen (other than a sink and a small counter). One of the first things you should think about before buying is how much space you have to work with. If you’re fortunate to have lots of counter space, then dish rack size is probably insignificant to you. However, if you have less space you’ll probably want to consider something light and compact such as “the travel dish rack” as I call it by Surpahs above.
#2 How It Looks – Do You Care About Aesthetics?
For me, the best dish drying rack is one that not only functions the best, but also looks the best. I take aesthetics very seriously, especially when it comes to kitchen appliances that stay on my counter-top. I kinda look at it the same way as furniture in the living room. You always want to buy the most comfortable, nicest looking sofas to go with your 60” TV! This isn’t much different from that. Given the opportunity, I always look to decorate and improve the way my kitchen looks. Since a dish rack is usually right at the center of everything, it better look good!
#3 What Will You Use It For?
Dishes, duh! Yea, but what kind of volume does your current dish rack see? Do you pile on the occasional hand washed dish or two, or are we talking pots, pans, and larger cookware? Even though I own a dishwasher, I still hand wash all my large pots and pans, so having a large roomy dish rack is super important to me. If you think yours will only see a couple plates and mugs at most, pick a compact solution. This sort of ties in to consideration #1 above.
#4 Does It Have Some Sort Of Self Draining Mechanism?
Because if it doesn’t, I ain’t buying it. It’s as simple as that! I would rather pay extra $$$ for a rack that keeps my counter dry, than have to deal with annoying, ugly water stains! As such, I would suggest you avoid any and all dish racks that do not have a self draining mechanism. An inclined drip pan with a swivel spout is what I’m talking about. It’s simple, effective, and keeps everything dry!
#5 Long Term Care And Maintenance
In my opinion, the best dish drying rack is one that will be simple and easy to maintain in the long run. What do I mean exactly? Over time, all racks accumulate dirt and water stains. Water stains are the little mineral deposits that are left behind when water evaporates; they typically form a whitish circular stain. The best dish racks will be the easiest to clean and care for. All crevices will be accessible, and cleaning should take no more than 5 minutes. As such, don’t look for one with fancy mechanisms that are difficult to access and clean. Keep things simple!
#6 Warranty
Last but not least, warranty is something you should always consider. Obviously, the longer the coverage the better. The Simplehuman dish rack I talked about above offers 5 years coverage. This is the sort of coverage I’d be looking for.
And That Concludes It!
Please be sure to go through the 6 considerations above before buying. Hope you enjoyed reading and got some value out of this. If you did, a share would be appreciated. Leave me your questions and comments below!
I lived without a dishwasher for years and I’ve always hated how ugly mine looks on my counter! Probably a good time to upgrade…
Indeed Allie. Thanks for leaving a comment. Please let me know if you have any specific questions. Cheers!
Nice, detailed write up. You’re right about the self draining part by the way. Those can get ridiculously messy! (speaking from experience)
Absolutely correct Jeremy! Self draining is a must have in my opinion. Feel free to respond if you have any questions!
That Simplehuman has been on my wishlist for a long time. Hopefully mine in a couple months!
That’s awesome Vince! Let me know what you think when you finally get it!