The best dish racks you can buy

If space is limited in your kitchen, consider using the Surpahs Over the Sink Roll-Up Dish Rack to turn your sink into a drainer.

The problem with most dish racks is they take up space. This is true of even the foldable ones. However, the Surpahs Over the Sink Roll-Up Dish Rack features a flexible design that rolls up like a mat to take up minimal room. This makes it ideal for RVs, tiny houses, boats, and other abodes with small kitchens.

The Surpahs rack is made of steel and coated entirely with silicone. The silicone keeps the unit slip-free and heat-resistant up to 400 degrees. The overall dimensions are 20.5 inches long by 13.1 inches wide by 0.25 inches high. Surpahs backs their roll-up dish drying rack with a lifetime warranty.

The Mom Maven recommends the Surpahs dish rack to anyone who has a small galley kitchen like hers. The reviewer observed that she can easily store the rack on the side of her sink when it's not in use. The reviewer at My Great Finds prefers to wash most of her dishes by hand and found the Over the Sink drying rack was ideal. She thought the rack was a bit heavy but appreciated the non-slip feel.

Kitchen Byte liked that the rack was easy to clean and resistant to slippage. However, the reviewer didn't like that it lacked additional compartments, and though the writer didn't have any accidents, they were concerned that the rack might cause dishes to break easily when stacked up.

More than 1,200 Amazon buyers have left five-star reviews of the Surpahs Over the Sink Multipurpose Roll-Up Dish Drying Rack. Babs, the most helpful reviewer, used the roll-up rack in conjunction with a more traditional dish drainer. She set it on top of the roll-up rack on the side of her massive sink, and it allowed the dishes to drain while she continued to wash.

There were a few complaints about the Surpahs drying rack, including that the single color does not work with all kitchen decor. Also, buyers should make a point of measuring their sink before purchasing this model to ensure it will fit.

Pros: Small storage footprint, non-slip silicone design, lifetime warranty

Cons: Small capacity, may not be able to use the sink while dishes are drying

Buy the Surpahs Over the Sink Multipurpose Roll-Up Dish Drying Rack on Amazon for $25 (originally $27.98)

The OXO Good Grips Convertible Foldaway Dish Rack provides a great balance of size and dish-holding capacity.

The feature that sets the OXO Good Grips Convertible Foldaway Dish Rack apart from competitors is that the spout, legs, and side walls fold up for compact storage either vertically or horizontally. Also, the majority of this rack is made out of hard plastic, though there is a stainless steel frame. The overall dimensions are 19.4 by 15.5 by 5.1 inches when open.

The rack has two utensil holders that are divided into three compartments each, which keeps flatware separated for easy organization. There are six slots for standing plates and cutting boards. Finally, there is also an array of tines for cups and glassware. Water drains directly into your sink using the drainage spout.

The reviewer at Floflo Kitchen has been using the OXO Good Grips Convertible Foldaway Dish Rack long-term and strongly recommends it. The reviewer likes the versatile array of dishes it can dry and that it stores and cleans up easily. The only downfall the writer found was that the spout doesn't drain all of the water out.

Village Bakery recommended the Convertible Foldaway Dish Rack for people with limited kitchen storage space. The reviewer was impressed with the many compartments for a variety of kitchen utensils, which made it easier to put items away once they were dry.

Approximately 82% of the Amazon buyer reviews of the OXO dish rack are positive. The most helpful reviewer noted that it holds their cutting boards and doesn't rust. The buyer liked that one side had foldable legs to allow for better drainage. However, the reviewer gave it four stars instead of five because the drain hole location made it hard for all of the water to be diverted out of the spout.

Other buyers both liked the drain spout and were impressed with how much the rack holds.

There was one buyer who noted that her rack spontaneously busted taking a few plates with it after 15 months of use, but this does not appear to be a common occurrence.

Pros: Folds up for easy storage, holders for several different kitchen items, rust resistant

Cons: The drain spout could be in a better location

Buy the OXO Good Grips Convertible Foldaway Dish Rack on Amazon for $39.95

With its unique angled design and compact footprint, the Chef'n CleanGenuity Garden Dish Rack is ideal for smaller households.

What makes the Chef'n CleanGenuity Garden Dish Rack unique is its circular design and angled layout. The overall size is 13 inches in diameter and 6.25 inches tall. There are five legs: two front legs that are an inch high, two middle legs that are 1.5 inches, and a back leg that is two inches. This allows water to drain out of the spout.

The prongs are shorter in the back and longer in the front to give the illusion that the whole unit is flat. The rack is made of BPA-free plastic so you don't have to worry about rust or harmful chemicals coming into contact with your dishes.

Prior to stumbling upon the Chef'n CleanGenuity Garden Dish Rack, Masala Mommy was replacing wire dish racks every six months because they would start rusting. She has been using this rack for over six months now and appreciates that rust isn't an issue, it's small enough to fit in her sink, and there's a mild slant that helps water drain out.

The Wirecutter recommended the Chef'n dish drainer for two-person households due to its small stature. The reviewer appreciated the tall plastic prongs which could easily hold onto dishes. However, the testers do note that when you use the prongs along the circumference, water ends up dripping onto the counter. Fortunately, the rack is small enough to use in-sink.

Around 88% of the buyers who reviewed the Chef'n CleanGenuity Garden Dish Rack on Amazon gave it five stars. Buyers mentioned that it takes a bit of an adjustment to get used to the design of a circular dish rack, but once people got used it, they liked this style of drainer.

One buyer recommended either using a drying mat with this rack or keeping it near or in your sink when using the outer prongs to avoid getting water on your counter.

Pros: Angled design for easy draining, compact enough to fit in a sink

Cons: Tends to drip on the counter, limited capacity

Buy the Chef'n CleanGenuity Garden Dish Rack on Amazon for $27.95 (originally $25.28)

If you have a large household that produces tons of dishes, it might be worth spending a little extra to buy the Simplehuman Kitchen Steel Frame Dish Rack.

What strikes you first about the Simplehuman Kitchen Steel Frame Dish Rack is its sheer size and the innovative drainage system. With an overall size of 22 by 20 by 15 inches, the rack has a ledge that holds four upside-down extra-large wine glasses, a seven-slot bamboo knife block, and two roomy utensil holders.

The drainage system features a 180-degree swivel spout which allows you to drain water directly into the sink no matter how you position it. The rack is made of stainless steel and plastic with a hydrophilic coating, which causes water to spread instead of allowing residue to build up.

Cook's Illustrated recommends the Steel Frame Dish Rack because it received high marks for capacity and design in their tests. The reviewer noted that the little raised feet kept it off the counter, and the swivel spout drained water efficiently.

The Wirecutter recommends the Simplehuman rack for households with several people or active chefs who require additional drying space. Reviewers were impressed with how this dish drainer can hold large pans and pots without tipping or wobbling. And, the water is efficiently funneled out of a spout. Although, they did note that this rack required more cleaning than the other models tested.

More than 750 people have left positive reviews of the Simplehuman Steel Frame on Amazon. Reviewer Dr. Beth has the most helpful review. She recommends this rack because the drainage system works incredibly well. After eight months of use, she found it stayed clean with minimal care, and there were no signs of rust.

Other buyers did complain about the difficulty of cleaning the dish rack's many nooks and crannies. The bamboo knife holder was especially troubling for some.

Pros: Superior water drainage swivel spout, large capacity

Cons: Expensive, takes up a lot of space, requires frequent cleaning

Buy the Simplehuman Kitchen Steel Frame Dish Rack on Amazon for $79.90 (originally $79.99)