The Drainer Topic

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Most of us probably have a drainer of some sort in the kitchen.  I've had a Rubbermaid for decades.  For the last few years it has been sitting on the end of my kitchen island cart like so:

 

 

 

Pay no attention to any breadcrumbs.  The heavy plastic part has held up pretty well.  Less so the bottom rubber tray.  I was never thrilled that the tray hangs out over the edges of the cart.

 

This weekend I ordered a simplehuman drainer and a Top Shelf silicone bar mat.

 

Plan A was to replace the plastic tray of the drainer with the bar mat.  It was so, so close.  But the mat did not lie flat.  I wondered how the bar mat would work just by itself...

 

 

 

Looks great, if I don't mind saying so myself.  Still, I am a klutz, and I feared knocking glassware to the floor.  So I tried setting the drainer on the mat:

 

 

 

This setup is quite sturdy.  Without the bar mat I'd be afraid of the whole drainer sliding off the cart.  It does seem an underuse* of a beautiful black silicone bar mat, and I must say I'm not thrilled with the simplehuman plastic piece.  Nonetheless it's the best arrangement I've come up with.

 

What do others do for their kitchen drainers?

 

 

*pun not particularly intended.

 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

4 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

*pun not particularly intended.

 

Good, because it took me several seconds to get why there would be one. Duh, the mat goes under the drainer. 

 

I have a dishwasher, but I hand wash a few favorite glasses, carbon steel items, skillets, my trusty knife used for almost everything. Not a lot. The small amount I have I just either dry immediately and put up (knife, carbon steel, cast iron) or drain a glass or two on the counter propped up by the raised lip around the double stainless sink. I can't justify dedicated counter space to a drainer. I prop my nonstick skillets between some heavy glass canisters full of tea and spices to drain. I normally put them up as soon as they air dry, but since I've been cooking from a wheelchair, I leave them there for quicker grabbing.

 

If the dishwasher goes out and I'm forced to hand wash everything, I get a clean bath towel, fold it in half and use that for a temporary air dry area.

 

When I had a dish drainer, because I didn't have a dishwasher, years ago, I hated the way the drain tray got nasty if I didn't clean it constantly. Another unenjoyable task in the kitchen I don't miss a bit. 

 

Your set up looks really nice. Way cooler than the all plastic one like I had and you were using before.

 

 

[MetsFan5]

It makes me laugh how we all use different words for the same things. I always called those “drainers” dish or drying racks. I only pull one out when I am doing a lot of hand washing. Otherwise I keep a kitchen towel to place them on, and once they dry, I toss the towel in the laundry. 

 

   “Drainers” to me (and I very well could have made this up in my mind as I have a tendacy to misuse works to suit me) are those catch alls  in the sink that fill up with junk that makes me gag. 

Edited February 27, 2018 by MetsFan5 (log)

[Anna N]

 I cannot afford the counter space for a dish drainer. I have a dishwasher but also have a few things that must be hand washed. I have a cooling rack that just fits in the bottom of my stainless steel sink. Since I have two sinks the second one becomes my draining tray. 

Edited February 27, 2018 by Anna N (log)

[liuzhou]

3 hours ago, MetsFan5 said:

I keep a kitchen towel to place them on, and once they dry, I toss the towel in the laundry. 

 

Me too.

 

[rotuts]

I also use sink # 2  , on the L of the larger deeper sink ( is has the dispose-all )

 

as a drip-dry tub

 

It nicely fits a plastic coated metal dish drainer

 

[Darienne]

We have a Rubbermaid drainer and tray and a dedicated place for them in a shallow shelf in a cupboard directly across from the dishwasher.  It's a galley type kitchen so everything is quite handy.  I never use it, but when we have company, particularly the annual Dog Weekend, it gets used constantly.  Ugly things. 

 

One of our sons had a wonderful two storey stainless steel dish-drainer setup which I coveted...but we gave it to one of his friends when he died.  I still think about it every now and then.   But then I think of our son every day.

[kayb]

Put me in the other side of the sink camp, mostly for pots, pans, big things that don't fit well in the dishwasher. Knives get laid on a cutting board and dried before going back in their boxes.

[weinoo]

I got one of these, which is perfect for the space I have, and the way I do dishes after meals...

 

 

It folds up...

 

 

It rolls up (for storage in a small space)...

 

 

And I often fold it in half, put a towel underneath, and let stuff drip dry for a few minutes, before putting everything away!

 

 

P.S. It's a Franke, and it can go in the dishwasher!

 

P.P.S. It works as a hotplate, as well. 

Edited February 27, 2018 by weinoo (log)

[lindag]

I hand wash a few things every day....pots and pans, knives and glassware.

If I didn't hand wash my glasses I'd never have any clean ones since I only run the d/w about once a week or so.

I have two of these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014FVDJ0M/ref=twister_B0089A2M2C?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

so there's always a clean one when the other needs laundering.

The water beads up on top so they dry very quickly.  There's no standing water and no musty odors.

Edited February 27, 2018 by lindag (log)

[blue_dolphin]

I use of of these microfiber dish drying mats.  The one I have is 14" x 21" It folds in half and gets stored under the sink when not in use.

[BetD]

I hated our drainer, the tray underneath always seemed kinda gross, so I tossed it out years ago. I put a dish towel on the counter for a quick drain, and finish up drying with another and put the dishes away within a half hour or so.

 

 

Edited February 28, 2018 by BetD
Spelling is hard...... (log)

[scubadoo97]

We have a 18x16 microfiber type mat after having a dish rack for many years.  The thing gets musty smelling after awhile that transfers to the glassware.   I'm looking into the rubber bar mat as an alternative.  The biggest is 18x12 which is little smaller but should work fine 

[gfweb]

I use the continuous grate on stove top to sit drying pans on. Maybe hit them with a little flame to speed things up.

 

I know, its barbaric.

[weinoo]

1 hour ago, scubadoo97 said:

We have a 18x16 microfiber type mat after having a dish rack for many years.  The thing gets musty smelling after awhile that transfers to the glassware.   I'm looking into the rubber bar mat as an alternative.  The biggest is 18x12 which is little smaller but should work fine 

 

I've bought these bar mats, which I actually use on my stainless steel shelving, to keep the noise level down when moving pots and pans.  They come in 12" x 12" pieces, are and easily cut with a good pair of scissors.

 

 

 

Edited March 1, 2018 by weinoo (log)

[scubadoo97]

Thanks weinoo

Edited March 1, 2018 by scubadoo97 (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

On ‎2‎/‎28‎/‎2018 at 11:25 AM, BetD said:

I hated our drainer, the tray underneath always seemed kinda gross, so I tossed it out years ago. I put a dish towel on the counter for a quick drain, and finish up drying with another and put the dishes away within a half hour or so.

 

But in my case things in the drainer are "put away".

 

[caroled]

On ‎2‎/‎27‎/‎2018 at 6:49 AM, rotuts said:

I also use sink # 2  , on the L of the larger deeper sink ( is has the dispose-all )

 

as a drip-dry tub

 

It nicely fits a plastic coated metal dish drainer

 

I also have this in red with a corner utensil holder. In right side of sink, no mat (as there is no counter space), and there always seems to be something in it! 

Edited March 11, 2018 by caroled
To finish a thought. (log)

[Nancy in Pátzcuaro]

Has anyone found a dish drainer that looks better than the usual plastic or plastic-coated wire ones? One that would look decent, perhaps even attractive, on the counter by the sink? Even when new the WM ones seem underwhelming.

 

Nancy in Pátzcuaro

[weinoo]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder - as is said!

[rotuts]

@caroled

 

" I also have this in red '

 

good for you !

 

red is always Best !

 

the WalMart did not have red

 

so I was Crushed and got Black

 

' looks clean Longer '

 

Edited March 11, 2018 by rotuts (log)

[caroled]

@Nancy in Pátzcuaro, Kitchen aid has some very stylish/modern looking ones in red, black, stainless/grey.  Google and have a look...they may have exactly what you're looking for.

[Nancy in Pátzcuaro]

 

6 hours ago, caroled said:

@Nancy in Pátzcuaro, Kitchen aid has some very stylish/modern looking ones in red, black, stainless/grey.  Google and have a look...they may have exactly what you're looking for.

Thanks for the tip--I'll check it out.

 

Nancy in Pátzcuaro

[Doofa]

Hope this helps. I've had one of these for last few years and it has been well worth it. D

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0957/0496/products/black_blum_dishrack_lime_80_large_dc76551d-40b1-41b8-867b-94a73ba2649e_1024x1024.jpg?v=1520343747

Edited March 13, 2018 by Doofa
Adding link. (log)