8 Best Dish Racks of 2023

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If your counter can accommodate a double-decker rack, then we highly recommend this one. It's sturdy, shiny, and uses space pretty efficiently. Read More

We liked that this no-assembly-required rack can be used over the sink or on the counter. It's collapsible and can accommodate bulkier dishes. Read More

At a glance, just a small plastic rack with metal prongs and a cutlery basket. But take a closer look, because this rack is seriously great. Read More

A modern-looking dish rack with no assembly needed, but it may not be big enough for a large family. Read More

This is small, only sits in the sink, and can be easily put away. If you have just a few dishes to wash at a time and no counter space, this is your dish rack. Read More

Updated December 22, 2022

The most satisfying part of hand washing your dishes is seeing every plate, utensil, and glass drying after a job well done.

Even if you have a dishwasher, you still have to hand wash a few things from time to time. A good dish rack can help dry your clean dishes without leaving puddles all over your countertop. If you have limited drying space, a bin that can fit in the sink or collapse for easy storage is a lifesaver.

We tested the most popular racks on the market for weeks to find the best dish drying rack for any kitchen. Our favorite is the PremiumRacks Professional (available at Amazon) . The Prepworks by Progressive Collapsible (available at Amazon) is our best value pick.

Through two rounds of testing, PremiumRacks remains the best dish rack you can buy.

Before unboxing the PremiumRacks, we never knew dish racks could have so many bells and whistles. This cleverly-designed double-decker delivers large capacity with a small countertop footprint.

The bottom portion is a standard rack, fine for balancing bowls or a colander, while the top portion holds plates more securely than most racks. A cutlery basket hooks onto the side, as does a second basket that can be topped with a lid designed for sharp knives. The cup holder clips don't work as well as they should, but you have plenty of space to dry your cups on the rack itself—especially if you dry your cutting boards in the special cutting board attachment.

The rack also comes with two drain boards—one meant to let water pool, and another designed to tip water into the sink—plus a microfiber cloth to set underneath.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the features, don't be. Following the Ikea-style assembly instructions takes just 10 minutes, and after that everything is fairly straightforward. All of the extras are optional, including the top rack, but we highly recommend using the double-decker if your cabinets are high enough to accommodate it. It's sturdy, shiny, and uses space efficiently.

Double-decker design

Lots of additional features

Takes some time to assemble

If you want a dish rack that includes easy storage, we recommend this Prepworks by Progressive Collapsible Dish Rack with Drain Board.

Putting things together can be just as much of a pain as washing dishes, so when we discovered this Prepworks is ready to go out of the box, we fell in love. Just push the bottom to make it as deep or shallow as you need.

The optional drainboard can be set to either drain directly into a sink, or to let water run off to the side if you want to keep this Prepworks on the counter. The rack's plentiful grooves help plates and bowls stack and stand easily, and one side has a slotted section for utensils. Unfortunately, if you expand the rack to its full depth, the slots become too large, and you may have to work harder to get your silverware to stand up so that it can dry.

This large but lightweight rack is beautifully simple, with just two pieces. Because it's collapsible, you can slide it underneath the counter and out of the way if you want to use the sink or just keep it out of view.

No assembly required

Lightweight

Collapsible

Large

Utensil slots too big

May need to be cleaned often

The Joseph Joseph is our favorite dish rack for small spaces.

The Joseph Joseph Extend Rack is perfect for small spaces. At a glance, it's just a small plastic rack with metal prongs and a utensil holder. But take a closer look, because this rack is seriously great.

The prongs offer flexibility for holding everything from standard dishes to oddly-shaped objects, and in testing, they held a lot of items without too much wobbling.

The only limit here is its small size, which is suited for one or two people with a cramped kitchen. But if you’re hosting a dinner party and want more space, the Extend Rack can reach almost twice its size. The process is smooth and easy, even when you have dishes on the rack, and it gives you a lot more space to work with.

We won't pretend the grooved plastic of the extension is the most successful drying surface ever, but if you want a small rack for everyday use with the option of something larger when the need strikes, the feature is a godsend.

The drain spout is also awesome. It can be opened to tip excess water into the sink, or plugged if you’d rather deal with your puddles later. During testing, we never actually witnessed water moving through the spout—it seems that smaller amounts of water will pool in the base, but larger amounts should be able to drain out.

Can extend to hold additional dish-ware

Space saver

Plastic tines are a bit wobbly

The OXO Good Grips Foldaway Dish Rack is a good product for a small kitchen. Assembly is simple, it doesn't take up much counter real estate, and it folds for easy storage when not in use.

There are pegs for glasses and two containers for utensils, and you can fold features up and down as you need them. There are plenty of drain holes and a drain spout you can open or close. The rack's legs can also be extended so that it tilts to help drain into the sink.

The OXO has a modern look, and the dishes dried pretty efficiently. Its small size may be an issue if you have a lot of dishes or if you want it to sit over your sink. Still, someone who doesn't have a large volume of dishes might be happy with this cute, versatile dish rack.

No real assembly needed

Lightweight

Collapsible

Legs extend to tilt the toward drain or sink

Small

May need to be cleaned often

This dish rack fits in or over the sink instead of using a drip tray or drainboard. The arms extend to fit over sinks of any size. However, the drying space is compact, and extending the arms doesn't create more space for dishes.

It's great for drying a few dishes—very few—then tossing under the sink and out of sight. Neither drying nor draining was an issue, and it had enough slots to hold plates and cups securely.

A little assembly is needed to snap the utensil holders in place, but there are no other accessories. This rack is for someone who occasionally needs to wash a plate and a glass, not a family.

Easy assembly

Lightweight

Easy to move out of the way

Small

No drain tray

Note: Simplehuman has released an updated version of this model that we have not yet tested. You can purchase the updated version from the same Amazon product page.

The Simplehuman dish rack is full-size and noticeable. Its legs lift it high off the counter, and smooth, shiny stainless steel encases its large body. A clever wine glass holder with a fold-out tray for catching drips extends high off the side, as do cup holders and a large cutlery basket. Beneath the rack is a removable drip tray that can be pulled out to catch water from the cup holders and a spout to guide water into the sink.

Of all the racks we tested, only this one successfully drained most of its water through its swivel spout. It's also easy to clean, thanks to the anti-residue coating on its tray. It felt the sturdiest, and while it doesn't have a lifetime warranty, the brand guarantees its products for 10 years, which isn't bad for something you'll probably use every single day.

However, we actually hated using this pricey tool. The structured part of the rack causes dishes to lean back in a way that's both precarious and an inefficient use of space.

The rack is extremely large, but much of its space is not structured at all, meaning you can't fit as much as you’d think. Cups were unsteady on the cup holders. On top of that, it's large and tall enough that it becomes a focal point of your kitchen.

Sturdy stainless steel finish

Wine glass holders

Inefficient use of space

Pricey

This popular Kitchenaid full size dish rack is nice to look at and great for pots and pans. Unfortunately, plates had trouble standing up in it, making drying times longer. It was also too big to fit in the sink, though its drip tray tilts slightly so that water runs into the sink. No assembly is required.

No assembly needed

Modern looking

Plates wobbled

Dishes took a while to dry

The medium-sized Polder has plenty of space, but uses it poorly. We couldn't even balance a shot glass on its cup holders without it toppling down. Dishes placed in the rack wobbled and fell on one another in a way that made breakage feel inevitable. There's also a lot of unstructured space that seemed like it could be put to better use.

There's a big divided utensil holder that hangs off the side, a drip tray that collected but did not drain water during testing, and a removable drying tray that doesn't seem particularly useful. You’ll want to pass on this one.

4-piece set with removable items

Poor use of space

Dishes and glasses topple over

While testing dish racks, we paid close attention, making sure excess water did not cover your countertops.

I’m Tanya Ballard Brown, a seasoned editor and project manager, and 2019 fellow with the Nieman Foundation for Journalism. After Kori Perten, a former Reviewed editor, first tested dish drying racks two years ago, I was tasked with updating this guide and reviewing new products.

Even with a remodel, I wasn't able to squeeze a dishwasher into my small kitchen—oh how I tried!— so washing dishes now falls to me and my hands. With limited counter space, I really value a dish rack that is compact or that can rest in the sink. My kitchen is also open to the rest of the house, so being able to put it away when guests are visiting helps soothe the neat freak in me.

Kori Perton is a cooking enthusiast who spends a lot of time preparing food, which means a lot of time is spent washing dishes, too. After shattering her roommate's beloved bowl when it toppled from a particularly precarious rack, she was eager to find better options. Thankfully, after the first round of testing, she did.

Since our first round of reviews, we’ve tested over a dozen products. Each was evaluated over several weeks, noting how securely they held everything from plates and colanders to glasses and coffee mugs. We observed whether dishes actually air-dried on each rack, and checked to see if water pooled on the counter or in the bottom of the rack. We also tested for efficient use of space, special features, and customizability.

During testing, we used each rack to dry two place settings, then again to dry the dishes needed for a four-person dinner party. We also dried several oddly-shaped objects on each rack, such as a water bottle, a small cookie sheet, a Dutch oven, and baking dishes. After two hours, we noted whether objects were dry.

These tests helped compare the performance of each dish rack: Do the dishes fit? How many dishes will fit in the rack? Is it easy to put together? Are all the dishes dry after a reasonable amount of time?

After several weeks and many, many wet dishes, we are able to make confident recommendations based on data and personal observation.

Since the main purpose of these products is to dry dishes, they should perform that function. But there are other things to consider while shopping. Think about the size that works for you, accessories, assembly, and materials to help find the best fit for your kitchen.

Maybe you need a rack that can accommodate wine glasses. Maybe you want your dish rack to sit inside or across the sink rather than beside it on the counter. You should also consider the dimensions. Find the balance between "small enough for your space" and "large enough for the dishes you wash every day."

Look hard at any accessories that come with the rack. Are they things you’ll actually use? Don't pay for features you don't need.

Also consider: Do you want something that is ready to use, or are you willing to spend a little time assembling? In general, simpler is better. You don't want pieces falling off, especially if you have small pets or young children who may put them in their mouths.

Finally, consider water flow and storage. Does it drain via a spout, or does it tilt so that water isn't pooling in the drain board? Do you want something that can be hidden away when not used? Do you want a specific color or style to match your kitchen decor?

Material can make a huge difference in a dish rack. You want something sturdy, that's easy to clean and maintain. (Some dish racks are dishwasher safe themselves, when it's their turn for cleaning.)

Rubber or plastic may stain or require occasional washing. They also won't look as sleek, and cheaper plastics may deteriorate over time. Stainless steel holds up well and can resist rust, but isn't impervious to it. You can find wood or bamboo options, as well, and while they have advantages, they’re also susceptible to mold.

Kori Perten

Former Editor, Home & Outdoors

Kori began her journalism career as a teenage fashion blogger and has enjoyed covering a wide variety of topics ever since. In her spare time, she's an amateur poet, avid reader, and gluten-free cake baker extraordinaire.

Michael Garrett Steele

Contributor

Michael Garrett Steele has been writing and editing professionally since 2013, and has been a part of Reviewed since 2020.An MFA in music composition, Garrett has lent audio expertise to everyone from Independence Community College to Bethesda Softworks, informing reviews of audio equipment and services. Garrett also covers tech, drawing on experience working everywhere from IT helpdesks to enterprise architecture sales. Steele has also become a go-to reviewer for minor plumbing fixtures since covering bidets for Reviewed in early 2020.

Tanya Ballard Brown

Contributor

Tanya Ballard Brown is a seasoned journalist and project manager as well as a neophyte comedian who likes to try things. She has reviewed books, movies and television shows, and now Ballard Brown is reviewing all (ok, maybe some) of the things. She does this work so you don't have to.

Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.