What we’d leave: As is the case with any dish rack with a drainage spout, there’s potential for it to get a little funky, but the spout is easy enough to remove from the bottom to clean things out. We also wish it had a swivel spout instead of on that snapped into place, just for added flexibility.
Size: Closed: 14” x 6.5” x 12.25”, Open: 14” x 6.5” x 20.25”
Material: Stainless steel, plastic
Adjustable: Yes
In sink: No
Features: Removable utensil holder with knife slots, adjustable drain spout, raised cup drying mat
How we tested dish drying racks:
Our first test for these dish racks was to see how well they cleared water by pouring water around the drainage area. We did this several times at different speeds and with different volumes of water to see if we could suss out any flaws or leaky areas. In general, we found that most could clear a heavy flow fine, but lighter drips (which are much more likely from drying dishes) tended to stick around on all of them until they evaporated.
Our second test involved testing capacity and stability by filling each rack up with dishes. For our test we used: Four large dinner plates, four drinking glasses, four sets of flatware, A 5-quart Dutch oven, and a 10-inch frying pan. Separately, we tested each rack out to see how well they handled bowls, specifically whether the design made it possible to rack them up standing up or if you had to place them down flat, which takes up much more space.
What makes a good drying rack?
We were most interested in a dish rack’s ability to function under a wide variety of space constraints. We liked the idea of a dish rack that could accommodate different spatial needs and could adapt itself to the given moment. Stationary dish racks can take up a lot of counterspace, so a collapsible dish rack or one that could otherwise stow away, or be easily moved was a strong contender in our eyes.
Even if you do a good job of hand drying, a dish rack is still a pretty wet environment, and it can get funky and gross, which is why having one that is easy to clean and disassemble is a huge must. You should expect that a dish rack is something you clean on a fairly regular basis, so the easier it is to do that, the better. We also gave positive marks to anything with rustproof or rust-resistant features.
We were less concerned with how much stuff could fit in the dish rack, than we were with how many ways things could fit in a dish rack. A design that lends itself to a variety of orientations and can support all kinds of dishes in the same space is better than a dish rack that has a bunch of separate, specifically designated sections for things at the cost of taking up more room.
Others dish racks we tested
KitchenAid Dish Rack
This is a favorite dish rack among many review sites, and we liked it too. Just not as much as the Joseph Joseph. It has a sturdy stainless steel build, and a smart design with a simple slide out drip tray, making it very easy to clean. Our only gripe with it is that you can’t control the direction the drip tray angles. This means that it has to sit on your countertop at its widest orientation, making this an impractical choice for people short on counterspace. When choosing a winner, we wanted to pick something that would provide greater adaptability (people move, kitchen set ups change). However, if you have the space to accommodate this rack, it’s a great choice.
Simple Human Dish Drying Rack
As to be expected with a Simplehuman product, this dish rack is thoughtfully designed with unique features. It has a rack for hanging stemware and a hydrophilic coating on the basin that spreads water out for faster evaporation. This is the largest dish rack we tested, so if this is what you want, be sure you have plenty of room for it. We would have liked more pegs for supporting dishes upright. Also the drain was a bit difficult to clean compared to other dish racks. If you find yourself handwashing a lot of wine glasses, this might be your model of choice though. Overall, this is a high-quality stainless steel dish rack that is worth it if you have the space.
Kitsure Dish Rack
This was one of the more affordable dish racks we found. It can function on the counter top, suspend over the kitchen sink, or sit inside it. It has a plastic drainage base and a wire metal construction that’s easy to clean, and it could hold all the dishes required in our test. The materials felt a little cheap though, making us wonder about its longevity, so longer testing is needed for us to potentially rate it higher, but overall this is a good, versatile choice.
Umbra Sink Dish Drying Rack
Like the Kitsure, this is a versatile caddy designed to either go in the sink, suspend over it, or, theoretically, sit next to it (although it doesn’t have any base for that). It is pretty affordable and has a modest but workable capacity. Some buyers have complained about the feet rusting, which is worth noting. It would also be great if it came with an optional drain board like the Kitsure. But alas.
Oxo Good Grips Foldaway Dish Rack
We appreciated the attempt at making a dish rack that folds up when not in use, but the plastic components were bulky and rigid, and had to be forced open. We also found this one tricky to clean due to an abundance of nooks and crannies.
Oxo Good Grips Aluminum Dish Rack
We weren’t crazy about the plastic ridges on this dishrack, which we felt were unnecessarily bulky. The design also felt cramped compared to other models we tested.
Brabantia Large Dish Drying Rack
The problems with this dish rack are that it lacked sides, which are helpful for providing additional support when piling dishes high, and that the drip tray was not very effective at containing moisture. To use this dish rack we’d recommend placing a towel underneath it to avoid any messes. It was, at least, one of the easiest dish racks to clean.
Boon Lawn Countertop
We appreciate this as a playful and clever kitchen gadget, but ultimately this dish rack is best used for bottles and small kitchen accessories. It isn’t particularly helpful for dishes and larger pots.
Gir Over the Sink Dish Rack
We didn’t love this style of dish rack—a rollup, over the sink dish drainer. They aren’t very versatile, and take up a lot of sink space, which should be a deal breaker if you aren’t working with a double-basin or large single-basin sink.
Dorai Home Dish Pad
If you aren’t familiar with diatomaceous earth dish racks, here’s what you need to know: Diatomaceous earth is a stone material consisting of fossilized microalgae. It has a low density and high porosity, which makes it useful for a variety of jobs. In this case, the stone absorbs and dissipates moisture while preventing the growth of microbes. It might be hard to believe, but they really do work well as an alternative to dish towels that are prone to getting mildewy.
The Dorai Pad is a pretty simple design, and on its own, isn’t really a dish rack at all. It is a foldable dish drying mat that uses its stone base to absorb excess water. It is a superior alternative to a microfiber mats or plastic drip tray, that could be used in conjunction with other dish racks.
Momo Lifestyle Small Dish Drying Rack
This is another Diatomaceous earth drying rack that’s on the smaller side. The pegs and ridges couldn’t really accommodate larger dishes, and it lacked any space for drying utensils, cutting boards or silverware.
