I Finally Found a Dish Rack That Frees Up My Counter Clutter — And It’s Only $20

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Dish racks, no matter how beautiful, just take up too much counter space that none of us ever have. Don’t get me wrong: They’re useful and have their place in many kitchens, but once your dishes are dried and put away, then what? Where do you put what’s essentially an empty crate?That’s why I love my minimalist roll-up over-the-sink rack: It takes up no counter space at all. But occasionally — say, after a weekend of procrastinating dishwashing — I need something with a little more carrying capacity. That’s when I pull the Ahyuan Collapsible Dish Drying Rack out of my camping gear.

The Ahyuan Collapsible Dish Drying Rack is an inexpensive collapsible drying rack that’s been absolutely essential in my camping stash, but also in my day-to-day life. You can get the rack by itself, or with a drainboard to catch excess water (which I bought), or with a swivel spout to direct water back into your sink. I personally prefer the one with a drainboard, because it doubles as an extra serving tray when I need it. Some reviewers also complained about water draining too slowly with the swivel spout version.

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The rack measures 12.5 by 14.5 inches, and the drainboard base is 11.2 by 16 inches; both feel just right and don’t take up too much counter space when they’re in use. I can squeeze a small sinkful of dishes into the rack if I use all the little dividers smartly. When expanded, the rack is a little more than five inches tall, but it collapses down to just over two inches — pure magic!

This means I can store the rack vertically with my sheet pans for even easier access in my cabinets instead of leaving it out on the counter. When coupled with my roll-away drying rack, it’s exactly what I need. Before I bought the rack, I wondered if constantly collapsing and expanding it would wear it out, but I’ve had it for more than a year and it still looks and works like new. It’s also dishwasher-safe, so when it accumulates water stains, I just run it through a cycle. Or, you know, I can just wash it by hand and let it air dry! Everything about it is easy, which is just what I was looking for in such a utilitarian item.

The rack is lightweight, which is ideal for camping, but is also helpful if you store it in a cabinet when not in use — your arms won’t get a nightly workout. The heavy-duty plastic and silicone materials are BPA-free and sturdy, but the silverware divider is a bit flimsy — mine came with a backup piece to replace it if needed.

Buy: Ahyuan Collapsible Dish Drying Rack With Drainboard, $20.69

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