Nearly a decade ago, I invested in my first kitchen sink basin. It was an enameled porcelain Kohler—and after living with scratched and stained enameled sinks in various rentals, I was determined to keep the finish on the one I finally owned bright and white.
I obsessively cleaned the porcelain every night, but avoided using harsh abrasive cleaners, which can erode the smooth enamel over time and lead to excessive staining. I also ordered a stainless-steel grid rack that fit perfectly in the bottom of the basin, in hopes of avoiding any chips or scratches from metal cookware and cutlery.
When I sold the house in which I’d installed it, I had to say goodbye to my sparkling sink, but a bottom rack is now a nonnegotiable for me, even in the stainless-steel basin in my current rental apartment. Because it turns out that sink rack does a lot more than protect pristine porcelain.
Why you need a bottom sink rack
It’s a soft(er) spot for your dishes
I don’t know how many times I’ve had a wine glass slip from my soapy, slippery hands (or dish gloves) and shatter when it hit the bottom of my sink, but even one time is too many. Losing glassware and other delicate dishes this way isn’t much of a concern anymore, because even a stainless-steel grid has enough give to help soften the blow of a dropped dish.
Draining pasta water is way less gross
Sinks—especially kitchen sinks without garbage disposals—don’t always drain as quickly as they should. It’s usually not too hard to clear, but if you don’t think about it until you drop a colander in there before quickly draining a big pot of boiling pasta water, you risk contaminating your dinner with whatever won’t go down…or worse, whatever backs up. A stainless-steel sink rack provides a little extra elevation to protect your food from the flood zone.
Your sponge could stay cleaner
Your kitchen sink might not be as clean as you think it is, and if you tend to toss your sponge or scrubby in it when you’re done doing dishes, you’re basically breeding bacteria. A sink rack provides some much-needed space between the surface of the sink and the sponge, as well as a little extra breathing room to help it dry more quickly, versus marinating in its own moisture (ew!).
What material to choose for your sink rack
Most bottom sink racks are made of stainless steel. But if you want an even softer spot for your dishes to land, you can get a perforated silicone mat, which is often more affordable than metal. It will protect your sink like the stainless-steel grid too, but keep in mind that it won’t provide much extra elevation for sponge drying and straining pasta water.
