Let Jon Kung Tell You About His Speed Rack
Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your account’s‘Saved for Later’section.
Comment
There was a period of my life when I had a secret restaurant inside my apartment, and that’s when I got the speed rack, a metal rack on wheels that holdssheet pansthat function as shelves. After working in professional kitchens, I realized how useful speed racks were, and with my limited space, they made sense forpots and pansstorage. A speed rack gives you open and movable shelving. Of all the things I have in my kitchen, it is the thing I constantly get the most compliments on. I have aThermomix, a cutting board, and glass cloche that I use to store bread like the rose fromBeauty and the Beast,and a giant brass hood that takes up three-quarters of my wall — these are expensive, even gaudy things. But it’s this $100 speed rack that everyone comments on and says things like,This is brilliant;I need one, too.Everybody loves the speed rack.
I’ve been using this one for about 12 years now. The first thing I used the speed rack for at home was forbakingegg-custard tarts. I was making 80 of them at a time. The tarts were baked insilicone moldson a sheet tray, which I slid onto the speed rack after baking. The speed rack is great for holiday cooking. If I’m reverse-searing a steak or I have aroastthat’s ready to sear, I leave them on a sheet tray that I set on the speed rack.
Mine is right behind the oven, so I can take things out of the oven and set them on the speed rack right away. I haven’t moved it around in a really long time, but I have the option to. I use it to cool off the treats that I dehydrate for my dogs. But since I don’t cook in large quantities at home as much anymore, I use it for open shelving. It’s super-convenient if you’re a visual person like me and you need to see your inventory. I need to be able to see what I have in order to remember that I have it. If something is kept in a closed cabinet, I’ll forget about it. This way, I remember to use that jerk seasoning or za’atar. I use it as an encouragement to add spices that I don’t use very often in my food. I like to store smaller things on it that can often get shoved into drawers, likemeasuring spoons. I use a mix of both half-size and full-size sheet trays, which you can stagger (for taller bottles that sit on a full-sheet tray but below a half-sheet tray).
A speed rack gives your space versatility. If you’re an avid cook, it can be many things at once: pan storage, gadget storage, storage tower, changeable shelving. I also dry herbs on mine. Right now, I have bundles of lemon verbena, fennel, basil, and parsley tied to it.
I’d love it if a home version of a speed rack came out in, say, matte black or rose gold. That would be a dream. Every now and then, I search the internet for a copper or rose-gold speed rack. They don’t exist, but that would be so excessive and fun.
New! You can now save this product for later.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAWl_ejJbbq/Jon Demonstrates How He Uses the Speed Rack
The Strategistis designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read abouthere. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
