The Classic Kitchen Staple That's Slowly Disappearing

In a tiny, minimalistic kitchen, every square inch counts, and ideally, every tool and utensil has more than one use. If you've already used Ina Garten's hack for storing bulky cutting boards in baskets, there's another clunky utilitarian kitchen item that takes up a lot of counter space, is somewhat of an eyesore, and does one job: the dish rack. It offers a single space for dishes to air-dry while catching water drips. However, modern kitchen designs are doing away with them.

Food Republic interviewed Bree Uebergang, co-founder and cleaning expert at Filthy Clean, to understand what's happening with this ubiquitous kitchen staple — and what is replacing it. "They take up too much space and usually don't look great. Most people I work with want clear counters and clean lines, especially in smaller kitchens," Uebergang explains. When dishes stack up to dry, it gives a cluttered look.

The next point is that dishwashers are incredibly common in the modern-day home. Every year, these handy appliances become more efficient, affordable, and common, and there are sizes that work well in small apartments. While households with dishwashers still need to handwash certain dishes and tools (like non-stick pans), this often isn't enough to justify always having a dish rack on the counter, as dishwasher racks can be used for this purpose, too. Finally, dish racks can get dirty, fast. If you're washing dishes multiple times a day and letting water gather without frequent cleanings, mold and bacteria can breed.

The dish rack isn't entirely obsolete, but there are a few smarter and more sanitary solutions that have stepped in to take its place. Bree Uebergang describes two updated options: "We're seeing more integrated setups that make drying less visible. Things like slotted trays that drain into the sink ... or drying grooves built into the countertop." Drying grooves are low profile and only used when needed; this space can be used for something else when dishes aren't drying.

Slotted trays can be a more permanent fixture placed over the sink, especially if you have one with two basins. For smaller sink setups, slotted trays can be hung and then put away after use. There are also more extensive, multi-layered slotted trays that can be installed above the sink, so there is no need to move them while doing dishes. This also solves the hygiene issue, as water drips directly into the basin and doesn't puddle below the dishes. 

Another temporary dish rack alternative is a microfiber drying mat. These super-absorbent mats soak up the water when you lay freshly washed dishes on them. Again, these can be stored until needed and easily washed with a load of towels and rags. They dry much faster than the average kitchen towel and barely take up room when stored. After handling the dish rack, here's a list of other items you can remove from the kitchen counter and store away.

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