10 Best Dish Drying Rack for Small Spaces (Buying Guide)
A dish drying rack may not be the most attractive of kitchen appliances, it is certainly a beneficial one. Such a handy tool keeps your kitchen neat, allowing better airflow and drainage for those dishes.
However, having plenty of kitchen space has become a kind of a luxury nowadays. Most kitchens are tiny with limited counter space. Therefore, having the best dish drying rack for small spaces in those kitchens becomes highly beneficial.
If you like a minimalist lifestyle or just living in an apartment with a tiny kitchen, then get a dish drying rack that will compliment that space. You will soon realize how handy this thing is to keep your place tidy and clean.
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The 10 Best Dish Drying Rack for Small Spaces
So, you’ve decided to get a dish drying rack for your tiny kitchen but confused as to which one to pick? Since there are many contenders in the market, we’ve hand-picked some of the best ones to make your dish drying task a little bit easier.
1. Joseph Joseph 85040 Extend Expandable Dish Drying Rack
With a transformer-style look, Joseph Joseph 85040 is an innovative kitchen rack that is designed to drain and dry dishes perfectly. Its inflexible drying rack helps the item conform to your tight countertop space.
This dryer has an original rectangular size of 12.5 x 14.25 inches that can easily be expanded up to 20.75 x 14.25 inches. In this way, it can accommodate small or medium-sized kitchen counter spaces with all types of loads.
The Joseph 85040 features plated steel prongs with non-scratch rubber tips. These many prongs help you to dry glass or any crockery safely and efficiently. Since the prongs offer a lot of flexibility, you can hold everything from standard dishes to oddly shaped objects without worrying about wobbling.
There is also an awesome integrated drain spout that can drain excess water into the sink. This spout guarantees you won’t end up with a pool of water on the rack. Besides, you can also close it to trap those water and clean the tray afterward.
Pros
- Rack can extend to double its original size
- Features extendable drain tray
- Draining prongs have non-scratch tips
- Offers integrated drainage spout
Cons
- Cannot be used as over the sink dish rack
2. Sweet Home Collection Dish Drainer
If you want a traditionally designed dish drainer that is also affordable, then buy this item from Sweet Home Collection. Their classic styled dish drying rack is absolutely great for tiny kitchens with limited counter space.
The item includes a set of one dish rack, a plastic cutlery caddy, and a drain-board with a convenient lip for draining water. There is separate space for plates, bowls, cups, and spoons in the rack. Made with vinyl wrapped metal wire, this drainer won’t chip, rust, or scratch any of your cookware.
Its cutlery caddie has two separate compartments which allows you to separate the silverware or even flatware when dishwashing.
With a dimension of approximately 12 x 9 x 5 inches, this drying rack features an integrated draining system. The lip of this drain board extends out a bit over the sink draining all the excess water off the rack. With this in place, you don’t need to bother about water spilling on the counter.
Pros
- Boasts a traditional and classic design
- Includes separate slots for different cutlery items
- Extremely lightweight and easy to clean
- Draining board has a lip that drains all excess water
Cons
- The tray is too thin
3. iBesi Over Sink Dish Drying Rack
Doubling up a small space has never been easier with this drying rack from iBesi. This over the sink dry rack has an awesome design and proves to be a tremendous organizer for small kitchens.
The iBesi over sink rack works best for sinks with sizes up to 33.5-inches. Its large and organized design offers adequate space for most dishes in your kitchen. Even with a bulk size of 33.5 x 11 x 21.5-inches, it has been narrowed down to fit ergonomically to tall faucets.
Made with 3 layers of premium stainless steel with high-temperature black piano-bake-paint plating, its durability is unmatched. Although all these layers add some unnecessary weight to the item, some people prefer it for the stability this extra weight brings.
You can easily tell how superior its quality is just by looking at it. Besides, its four anti-skid rubber feet or suction cups add to this stability and support the whole thing.
The iBesi Dish Drying Rack has a unique design with a space-saving feature that is ideal for today’s teeny-tiny kitchen tops.
Pros
- Unique over the sink space-saving design
- Highly responsive kitchen assistant
- Extremely durable material construction
- High stability with super-strong suction cups
- Offers space for all types of kitchen dishes and cutlery
Cons
- The item is very heavy
4. Zova MR.SIGA Premium Stainless Steel Dish Drying Rack
When you need a stylish dish rack to match your kitchen decor, the product you need to buy is this elegant, functional dryer from Mr. Siga. This premium looking dish rack gives your kitchen a touch of elegance with its polished design.
With a sleek construction made of food-grade durable plastic and stainless steel, this rack is very easy to install, unlike many others in the market. It is, in fact, easier to clean and maintain as well. A combination of beautiful white and green color in this drying rack blends with all kitchen types, wonderfully giving out a natural look.
The feet of the rack is made from rust-resistant high-grade stainless steel with anti-slip silicone. This will always keep the whole item stable without any chances of sliding, even on smooth surfaces.
There are three bin compartments for keeping utensils and rack storage that can carry up to 10 plates and dishes. You can also store bowls, mugs or cups, and other utensils in the additional space between the dish slots and the bin compartment.
The drainage board keeps the rack clean by collecting excess water, and there is a 360 degrees spout that empties the water into the sink. Also, there are two inbuilt handles for you to easily carry the set and move the rack around with less effort.
Pros
- Stylish and elegant design matches kitchen décor
- Anti-slip silicone cover on the bottom
- Built-in handles for enhanced convenience
- Easy assembly of components
Cons
- Cannot store more than 10 plates
5. Brabantia Compact Dish Drying Rack
We bring you another minimalist dish drying rack from Brabantia. Graphically gridded with a small footprint on kitchen counter space, this miniature drying rack can get those wet dishes dry in no time at all.
Unlike the previous items on this list, the Brabantia is made from aluminum and plastic. This has made this item lighter than all the previous selections. But don’t get confused with the weight, its sturdiness can very well be matched with those of metal racks also.
This compact and low profile drying rack will cradle all types of dinnerware, cutlery, glassware, and cookware. Its drip tray also prevents any water from getting onto your countertop and keeps it dry and clean.
Capable of holding up to 5 plates, glasses, and some more cutlery items in a separate chamber, the Brabantia is the perfect solution for the limited worktop space in your kitchen.
One great feature of this rack is that you can use the drying tray, rack, and cutlery holder separately as well as together. Its slightly slanted drainage tray will collect all the water and channel it back to the sink with ease.
Pros
- Very lightweight and corrosion-resistant material
- Separate space for cutlery, glassware, and dishes
- Individual parts can be used separately and together
- Takes up very little space
Cons
- Sometimes, the utensil holder falls over if it’s not balanced
6. Joseph Joseph Y-rack Dish Rack and Drainboard Set
This is the only Y-rack dish drainer in our article, and as you’ll read later on, sometimes this design is much more user friendly in small-spaced kitchens. Since space has become premium in most places, a Y-rack maximizes what’s available – utilizing the vertical area.
Joseph Joseph has a 2-tier design that combines a sturdy base with a traditional-style rack. The rack is Y-shaped and can hold up to 15 plates. The base is for draining pots, pans, cups, or bowls. Since it uses vertical space, there is plenty of space for all types of dishes.
In addition, there is also a built-in utensil holder with a single chamber on the side. Its base is self-draining that features sloping ribs, allowing water to drain freely. There is also a fixed draining spout that empties water into the sink.
The unit has four non-slip feet for sturdiness and safety. This well-made rack actually holds more items than you’d think at first look.
Pros
- Utilizes vertical space in small kitchens
- Can hold many plates and dishes at once
- Sloping ribs in the tray allows water to drain easily
- Dismantling is easy for cleaning
Cons
- The metal rack could rust easily
7. HengLiSam Kitchen Dish Drainer
This kitchen dish dryer is so well crafted that you’ll be amazed at how perfectly stable it is. Made entirely from 201 stainless steel coated with high-temperature baking varnish, its body is fully waterproof, rust, and corrosion-resistant.
The base of the rack is solid stainless steel measuring 16.5 x 11.8 inches. And the four feet of the rack are triangular-shaped, giving the most stability. Since it has been coated with a thickly layered varnish, there is no worrying about it scratching your countertop.
HengLiSam’s storage unit is steel rod made and has a multifunctional design. The unit is entirely removable and very easy to assemble. Besides, it can perfectly store plates, bowls, cups, and other dishes with ease too. However, the offered space isn’t enough to store many dishes at once.
The handle is wooden made to help you carry the unit more easily. On one side of the rack, there is also a three-chambered compartment to store knives, spoons, and chopsticks. This compartment can be moved sideways too.
Despite being made entirely of steel, the HengLiSam Dish Drainer is surprisingly lightweight with only over 5 pounds. Its diversion sink design and adjustable waterspout swiveling 360 degrees can send water directly into the sink, keeping your kitchen counter space nice and dry.
Pros
- Simple and stable design
- Hardy stainless steel construction
- Lightweight and wooden handle for easy carrying
- Diversion sink design and waterspout keep everything dry
Cons
- The unit is too small to keep many dishes at once
8. F-color 2 Tier Dish Drying Rack
When you want to utilize the small space in your kitchen counter to the fullest, the best option is to use a 2 Tier drying rack. Such a design not only utilizes the vertical space in the counter, but it also creates much more space to keep more dishes.
The F-color 2-tier dish drying rack we’re discussing here is made of premium 304 stainless steel, which is entirely rust and corrosion-resistant. Its thick and strong construction makes the entire item very stable and durable. Moreover, this metal body has also been coated to be entirely scratch resistant as well.
This 2-tier dryer has a breathable design that dries your dishes very fast and prevents bacteria growth. Even though it is small in size, this item packs in a ton of features. For one, it can store no less than 16 dishes on the top tier. This makes the bottom tier entirely free to keep cups, glasses, and other dishes.
Each of these racks has its own drainboard to capture all the water drippings. These boards can also be removed very easily to drain the water and clean. On the side, there is a utensil holder with two separate chambers for keeping spoons, forks, and knives. There is also a drainboard underneath this utensil chamber as well!
On the other side, there is a holder for keeping the chopping board. The rack has 4 anti-slip rubber feet that keep the item steady and prevent it from scratching the surface. In addition, the rack is also easy to disassemble and re-assemble for cleaning purposes.
Pros
- Creates additional space for holding many dishes
- Boasts three separate drainboards
- Anti-slip rubber feet keep the rack steady
- Disassembling and re-assembling are easy
Cons
- There are no glass holders or water spout
9. YAMAZAKI Home Dish Drainer Rack
Yamazaki makes some of the best dish drying racks for modern small kitchens, and this model is no different. It has more storage capacity than what meets the eye. This is one of the few stylish and good example of a minimalist designed drainer.
For over a century, Yamazaki has been designing innovative and thoughtful dish drying racks. This Wire Dish Drainer we’re reviewing has both a lovely and a practical design.
The base of this rack is a high sided tray that keeps water from flooding your counter. You can easily remove the wire rack and clean this tray if you want to.
However, there are no separate spaces for different types of the dish other than the cutlery chamber. The drying rack stands slightly above the tray so that you can put the dishes and plates firmly in a standing position.
Yamazaki Home’s dish drainer is a lightweight item for small kitchens with a modern and slick design. Its full black coating matches aesthetically with all kitchen decors.
Pros
- Minimalist and highly functional design
- High-quality stainless steel construction
- Firm standing on any kitchen counter
- Takes up very little space
Cons
- Doesn’t have separate sections for different dishes
10. SHAN ZU 2-Tier Compact Kitchen Dish Rack
We end out reviews for top dish drying racks with another 2-tier from Shan Zu. Not only it has got all the features we discussed previously in the F-color review, but it also makes up for all its shortcomings too.
To begin, it has a very small and low footprint and takes up very little space on your counter by creating much more space vertically for keeping dishes on the removable top shelf.
In the bottom rack, there is also ample space to keep all other dishes. On one side, it features a cutlery holder with three chambers, and the other side features the cup holder section. You can keep 5 cups in that holder easily.
One of the nicest features of this rack is how its manufacturers thought of the safety of its user’s dishes. On two sides of the bottom shelf, there are supporting bars so that the dishes don’t fall off accidentally.
The drainboard at the bottom has been specially designed with a fully extended 2.25 inches long water spout. This water spout is adjustable to 360 degrees to drain water towards any side of the dish rack.
All in all, this Shan Zu dish rack has the best and most organized design for a 2-tier drier, which also takes up the smallest space possible.
Pros
- Able to hold many dishes and plates
- Features cup holder and cutlery holder
- There are two supporting bars for safety
- Drainboard removes water efficiently
Cons
- The lower shelf cannot accommodate big dishes
What to Look for Before Buying?
The best dish drying racks are those which complement your kitchen space and keep it tidy to the best of your liking. Besides, they are also versatile in usage and durable enough to last for many years.
Let’s discuss some of the major considerations you should look for before buying your own drying rack.
Size
When buying decision is influenced by space restraint, the size of the product becomes of utmost importance. When you live alone or don’t need to wash a ton of dishes at once, buying a small-sized drying rack is the best course of action.
If you look for the tiniest dish rack, it will most probably measure over 1 foot in length. So, for a countertop having less space than a square foot, get a dish rack that is a flat mat and sits over the sink.
Versatility
Know that the best dish drying rack doesn’t only dries the dishes but also serves multiple purposes. Modern racks are made for versatile uses and are also very easy to assemble or disassemble.
Other than drying, you can use a versatile drying rack for hanging spoons or table clothes. So look for a modern designed item with versatility in its usage. You won’t regret it.
Material
The material of your dish drying rack is also another important factor to measure the durability of the product. Besides, good material also makes it easy to clean the rack from time to time.
The most common materials used for drying racks are plastic and stainless steel. While plastic made ones are light, easily portable, and versatile in usage, their stainless steel made counterparts are long-lasting, less fragile, and easy to clean. However, they tend to cost more than plastic racks.
Design
When you want to buy a drying rack that takes up little space in your kitchen, considering the design becomes important. Some countertops require a specifically designed rack to compliment and utilize the space to its full extent.
Let’s have a look at the major design types:
- Collapsible
These racks are perfect for the tiniest countertops. Because when all your dishes have dried, you can just store the entire thing aside, making the countertop free again.
However, when in use, collapsible racks are larger in size and thus takes up much space. If this is a problem for you, then look for an X-shaped collapsible rack since it will take up more vertical space than horizontal space.
- Two-tier
If you want to take advantage of using vertical space over your kitchen countertop, consider this option. This is a smart option to double your drying space without sacrificing more of that on your countertop. You just have to make sure to choose one that has good drainage.
- Over the Sink
This is the perfect option if you have no counter space at all. It is a handy kitchen tool as you can use it both as a dishwasher as well as a drying rack. However, this won’t allow you to fully utilize the sink and faucet while the dishes are drying.
Dish Drying Rack FAQ
Are dish drying racks sanitary?
A drying rack may or may not be sanitary, just like a dish drying mat. Actually, this depends on the cleanliness of its user. If you invest some time to clean the rack from time to time, then it will also be sanitary like anything else.
How to clean the dish drying rack?
Cleaning a drying rack is the easiest thing to do. Just take half a cup of bleach and mix it with a gallon of water. Washing the rack with this solution will clean the drying rack within a matter of minutes.
Can I put a dish drying rack in a dishwasher?
Yes. It doesn’t matter whether the drying rack is made of stainless steel or plastic, it is completely safe to put the rack inside a dishwasher.
Is air drying dishes better than towel drying?
When you use a towel to dry dishes, the bacteria from the towel may spread to the dishes. If you don’t have enough time to clean the towel frequently, it is better to air dry the dishes.
How often should I clean my drying rack?
For keeping your dinner plates and dishes, a clean and sanitized space is of utmost importance. That’s why you should clean the drying rack frequently. If you can’t clean it every other day, at least make it a habit to clean the entire thing once a week.
Final Words
Dish drying racks are an indispensable item for all kitchens, even if you don’t have much counter space in your kitchen. In that case, there is no way other than looking for the best dish drying rack for small spaces in the market.
We hope this guideline has made it easy for you to find the right dish drying rack for your kitchen. Now, you don’t have to fret over dishes carrying mold or germs for lack of proper drying. Good luck and happy cooking!
