The 11 Very Best Dish Racks

Material

Design

Size

Material:Steel, wood, resin |Design:Handles, removable utensil holder,removabledrain board |Size:7.87” x 18.5” x 13.19”

I’ve owned my Yamazaki for about five years, and it’s still in great shape. I’m lucky enough to have a dishwasher in my apartment, but I still hand-wash a lot: wooden utensils andcutting boards,knives, delicateglassware, and anything I’ll need more immediately (like the carafe for mycoffee maker) than I run a dishwasher cycle. This dish rack handles it all. It’s incredibly sturdy with firm wires and high sides that comfortably fit taller and heavier items. There’s a curved row for plates, plus plenty of space for oddly shaped items and post-dinner-party crowding. The utensil holder is perforated on the bottom to let it drain — and if it ever does get grimy (this only happens once in a while), I just take it out and give it a light scrub. I actually don’t use my removable bottom tray (I have a countertop that can handle water, and I prefer to wipe it down a couple times a day rather than deal with that extra piece), but if you keep it, it’s lightweight to lift up and rinse off, with no tight corners that are difficult to clean. The dish rack has wood-wrapped handles that are comfortable to grip for maneuvering (and it’s just a touch of wood, so in my experience they haven’t been damaged at all over time).

It also needs to be said: This thing is prettier than any other dish rack on the market. For something that sits out on your counter at all times, that’s no small deal. “Just look at it!” says recipe developer and cookbook authorAnna Stockwell, who owns one. “It’s the best-looking dish rack you’ve ever seen, isn’t it?”

Material:Steel, wood, resin |Design:Handles, removable utensil holder, removable drain board |Size:16.5” x 12” x 5.5”

If you love the aesthetic of our best overall pick but find its steep price to be a barrier, consider this similar one from Tomorotec. It comes recommended by Alexandra Shytsman, recipe developer and founder ofThe New Baguette, who specifically searched for a Yamazaki dupe after her old IKEA model rusted. It’s a bit smaller overall, and though the utensil holder also has drain holes, it comes with two compartments instead of three. Other than that, Shytsman praises the not-too-tall plate slots — so you can dry off other tableware comfortably as well — and the easy-to-clean bottom tray.

Material:Steel with a fingerprint-proof finish |Design:Removable swivel spout and utensil holder, capped plate holders, glassware frame and hooks |Size:11.5” x 22.3” x 20.2”

While this Simplehuman is the most expensive model on this list, it comes with some truly standout features. Zaslow even dubbed it “the Rolls-Royce of dish racks.” It has a utensil holder with three compartments, hooks fordrinking glasses, and a dedicated rack to holdwineglassesupside down. Perhaps most useful of all, though, is the swivel spout, which funnels excess water into your sink without making a mess so nothing pools and gets grimy. (This is also featured on the slightly cheaper,more compact version.)

Aside from the bells and whistles, it’s generally well made. Strategist senior writerLauren Rohas owned hers for five years and says it still works and looks great. She loves how its box shape allows the rack to “accommodate a bunch of dishes, no matter how high you pile everything,” she says. Pardilla expresses the same sentiment, noting how the silicone-capped prongs keep large platters and sheet pans in place. And “though the hooks for drinkware on one side are small, I’ve never worried about bigger mugs falling off,” she says. Pardilla adds that items dry particularly quickly, thanks to the clearance underneath the frame. “It really feels like the brand thought of everything in making this rack,” she says.

Material:Steel, resin |Design: Removable rotating spout and utensil holder |Size:6.69” x 16.54” x 9.06”

For those who don’t have much counter space, this super-compact Yamazaki model might be the answer. It’s as attractive as the larger one — just with much smaller dimensions. Still, recipe developer and writerRebecca Firksermanages to fit everything she needs to in it, including aDutch oven, plates, cups, and acoffee pot. It’s also just as sturdy; Firkser says hers has held up through regular washes (of the utensil holder, base, spout, and accompanying stopper) and wipes (of the wired rack). Plus it has the benefit of a swivel spout, though Firkser warns it needs to be propped up at a slight angle on one side in order for the water to drain fully. (She does this by slipping twodeli-cuplids underneath the back feet.)

Material:Steel, resin, silicone |Design:Rotating swivel, removable drain board, utensil holder, and hooks to hang supplies |Size:13” x 16.1” x 8.7”

If you have lots of height to spare (meaning you aren’t hindered by wall cabinets surrounding your sink), consider this two-tier dish rack from Yamazaki. Both professional organizerBritnee Tannerand recipe developer and cookbook authorJessie Sheehanlove it, with Tanner noting the “thoughtfully designed” space-saving features. The overall shape can fit into a tighter space without sacrificing drying ability, she says. The second tier features side hooks designed for odd-shaped utensils or a sponge wand, and the lower level comes with a removable draining board and spout. Yamazaki’s quality is just as impressive here as with their other models. Sheehan says this dish rack is strong; she’s even put a heavy Le Creuset pot on the top tier. “Sturdy, streamlined, simple, and sophisticated, this is the dish rack to end all dish racks,” she says.

Material: Metal |Design: Utensil and soap holders, hooks for cups, top tier specifically for plates |Size:20.5” x 26.8” x 12.4” (expands to 34.6”)

If you’ve always wanted one of those European-style racks that sits above the sink and drains straight into it, this a great option. It comes recommended by Gracie Bensimon, founder ofGracie Baked, whose most dreaded chore used to be washing and wiping down her old one. It would “just get so gross” from standing dishwater, she says. But this freestanding rack changed everything, leaving her with “no countertop wasted and no watery mess to clean up later,” she says, thanks to the fact that excess water drips mostly right into the sink. Plus you can expand the rack’s width for a precise fit, from a minimum of 26.8 to a maximum of 34.6 inches. (But pay close attention to the height if you have cabinets. You’ll need 20.5 inches as well as clearance for the tops of dishes sticking up.) Overall the storage is plentiful with a spot for soaps and sponges, a section that’s plates-specific, and hooks to hold cups. The drawback, Bensimon warns, is that you don’t have much space for pots and pans. But she doesn’t mind: After cleaning those bigger items, she leaves them on the stovetop to dry.

Material:Steel, silicone |Design: Perforated edges |Size:3 options available: 17.5” x 13.1”, 20.5” x 13.1”, and 20.5” x 15.5”

While the freestanding rack above is a more permanent setup, this dish rack unfurls into a flat surface over your sink (supported only by the counter itself) and then rolls back up into a tight scroll when not in use. It’s a solution for people who do not have much counter space to spare or who only need a dish rack occasionally, like when they have company. I will say: In order for this to be a good choice, you need to have a substantial sink. Mine is only 21 inches wide, and it’s challenging to actually wash dishes when half of the opening is covered (I tested the middle-size one). But for the right setup, it’s a great bet. Strategist senior editorWinnie Yangwas the one who recommended this model (we both have the middle-size one). She bought it nearly a decade ago because “it was possibly the only roll-up over-the-sink drying rack available,” she says. For that price, what more of an endorsement do you need? Since then, options have multiplied — but hers is still going strong. “We have always had dishwashers in the time we’ve owned this, but it gets used every day for hand-washed items or plastic items that are still a little wet when unloaded from the dishwasher,” she says. “We’ll occasionally run it through the dishwasher to get it squeaky clean, but in general it stays gunk-free.” She keeps it folded in half and laying over just three to four inches of one end of her 26.5-inch sink. In my own testing, I was impressed by how sturdy it was. It held delicate glassware without feeling precarious and, on the other end of the spectrum, had no problem supporting my 12-pound enameled cast-iron braiser.

Material:Metal, silicone |Design:Removable drain board and two utensil holders, hooks to hold glasses |Size:12.4” x 14.57” x 12.99”

While this rack takes up a fair amount of counter space when fully splayed out, none of it is wasted. “You get a good deal of storage,” Pardilla says. The top easily holds plates and glasses from a four-person dinner, plus hooks for wine glasses that are “strong enough to cradle the most delicate stems,” she says. And the two silverware canisters — which you can attach to each end of the top shelf — are cleverly situated outside the drying rack, ensuring that there’s enough ventilation for everything to air dry properly,

Then, when not in use, this dish rack can be disassembled, folded up, and stored away. And in contrast to other foldable options, professional organizerCaroline Solomonsays, this one comes with its own drip tray, which doubles as a place to dry glassware andcookwareand cleans easily because of its shallow, grill-like grooves. “This is the dish rack you wish you bought first before the other dinky versions,” she says.

Material:Steel with an acrylic lacquer coating |Design:Collapsible with two tiers |Size:9” x 11.38” x 18.88”

If extras like a drip tray and silverware caddy are less important to you (or you’re simply on the hunt for a more budget-friendly foldable rack than the Brabantia and OXO above), consider the Kvot dish drainer from Ikea. While all you get is the steel-wire frame, it’s still plenty functional. Recipe developer, food stylist, and cookbook authorMelina Hammerhas had hers for more than a decade, and it’s still going strong — even given the massive amount of dishes she does in her line of work.

She considers the under-$15 rack a score for how much fits on its two tiers. “It’s not unusual for it to balance a tower sculpture: first a neat row of plates, followed by mixing bowls or a couple ofsaucepans, then sometimes — if I’ve been batch-making sauces or pastry doughs —food-processorpieces, along with a constant variety of Tupperware, a few jars, and silverware.” (She repurposed a utensil holder from another rack since the Kvot doesn’t come with one.) The hinged V-shape holds tableware in a tidy row, and there’s enough space to spread things out so that high-ticket items (like her Danish mid-centurysteak knives) don’t touch anything else. Plus it doesn’t look cumbersome on the counter.

Material:Polypropylene, microfiber |Design:Removable rack, drying mat, and utensil holder |Size:24” 18” x 1.5”

If you don’t want to keep a dish rack out on your countertop permanently (and the over-the-sink models above don’t appeal), this mat lays out on the counter and then rolls neatly away when finished. (You secure it closed with an attached tie.) “It’s nice having something that isn’t too specific, meaning that only certain dishes fit in certain spots,” says food stylistDrew Aichele. With this, he can lay them out in whatever configuration works best — though there’s also a handy detachable plate frame with slots on the ends to slide over the edge of the mat and keep it in place. The mat itself is made from layers of microfiber, foam, and mesh that Pardilla says absorb water well and don’t leave dishes wet for very long. The only notable downside is that it doesn’t come with a utensil holder. “Forks, knives, and spoons can pile up,” she says. “But it’s a fair exchange for something so space-saving.”