Washing and drying dishes is a part of daily life, whether you cook at home or always make takeout. Even in homes with a dishwasher, dishes can pile up, making it difficult to wash and dry them all if you don’t have a good space-saving dish rack that can pack a lot without leaving delicate items precariously placed. We’ve researched and tested dish racks since 2014, and in testing for our 2021 update, KitchenAid’s full-size dish rack stood out. Its robust steel frame basin is of considerable size and drains water in an orderly and efficient manner. 3 Tier Dish Rack
Of all the dish racks we tested, the KitchenAid full-size dish rack offered the best balance of capacity and features for a four-person household. It was one of the few shelves we tested that held all the plates we tried to fit in it, but at about 20½ inches long and 15 inches wide, it’s not too intrusive on a countertop. The drain pan successfully captures excess water and channels it into the sink. The steel sides reinforce the rack and help prevent the dishes from falling over (which can be a problem with more minimal racks, like our upgrade pick). You can also disassemble this rack into three pieces (the cutlery holder, the tray, and the actual rack) for easy cleaning, but the parts are not designed for the dishwasher. One of our long-term testers tried to examine hers and the tray sagged. Instead, we recommend following the manufacturer’s instructions for hand washing or cleaning this rack just for cleaning.
The Simplehuman Steel Frame Dish Rack is the largest of our picks, big enough to hold dishes for a four-person household and a bit more. It was the most effective grate for draining water during our tests, and it has a closed container that won’t easily overflow if you accidentally pour a ton of water on it. The drain pan extends beyond the rack on one side to collect drips from the glasses, and the rack has a rotating spout that allows you to position it on your countertop as needed. An additional rack on the side (with a separate drip tray underneath) keeps fragile stem wine glasses safe, a feature not offered by many other dish racks. However, this rack has a surface area equivalent to that of a medium-sized microwave and is 7 inches wider than the KitchenAid Dish Rack. It also costs more than our pick and has more individual pieces to clean (six total). The utensil holder and wire rack are dishwasher safe, but all other parts must be washed by hand, according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
If you want a dish rack that you will probably never have to replace, get the Zojila Rohan Dish Drainer. For a hefty price, you get a grate made almost entirely of high-quality, heavy-gauge stainless steel; only the removable foot covers are plastic. The rack holds the same number of dishes as our top pick, plus its unusual design looks good on any kitchen counter. The steeply angled drain pan is effectively channeled into the sink, and the grate sits high enough off the counter to be compatible with all top-mount sinks, even porcelain sinks with the highest rim . The Zojila also comes with a lifetime warranty. (However, it’s annoying that the company now expects you to activate the guarantee by writing a review on Zojila’s website, posting about her on social media, or following Zojila on YouTube or other social channels. The review doesn’t need to be positive, but still an unpleasant stipulation). This shelf doesn’t have closed sides like the KitchenAid and Simplehuman ones, so smaller items can escape without careful placement. And this rack is pretty heavy at 7.2 pounds, so some folks might not find it as easy to maneuver when it’s time to clean. Zojila recommends washing the grate by hand, but cautions against using steel wool, as it can scratch the stainless steel surface.
If you need something now that’s a little smaller and a lot less expensive than our top pick, we recommend the lightweight but decent Rubbermaid Antimicrobial Dish Drainer, which you can pair with the Rubbermaid Antimicrobial Drain Plate (sold separately). It is smaller and therefore capable of holding less than our other comp size picks.