Comments on: Twenty-first century dish racks http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/ Daily tips on how to organize your home and office. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 22:59:54 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: lola meyer http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/comment-page-1/#comment-46987 lola meyer Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:00:50 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/#comment-46987 Here's a multi-tasker.... a half sheet baking pan (or jelly roll pan) with a cookie cooling rack set inside makes a wonderful dish rack. And there's no problem of where to store the 'dishrack' when you are done with it. Here’s a multi-tasker…. a half sheet baking pan (or jelly roll pan) with a cookie cooling rack set inside makes a wonderful dish rack. And there’s no problem of where to store the ‘dishrack’ when you are done with it.

]]> By: Rosa http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/comment-page-1/#comment-46962 Rosa Mon, 07 Dec 2009 05:38:22 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/#comment-46962 Hilde, A lot of things, even if dried with a towel, need to air dry or they will stick together (plastic cups that stack), or will retain enough water that when you refill them (spice jars, flour tins) the contents will cake. Also, even if you end up drying with a towel, the rack is more efficient - fill the rack, some of the water drips off the plates & cups, you're doing one thing for a while instead of switching back and forth. Then dry and put away the partly drip-dried dishes. Hilde,

A lot of things, even if dried with a towel, need to air dry or they will stick together (plastic cups that stack), or will retain enough water that when you refill them (spice jars, flour tins) the contents will cake.

Also, even if you end up drying with a towel, the rack is more efficient – fill the rack, some of the water drips off the plates & cups, you’re doing one thing for a while instead of switching back and forth. Then dry and put away the partly drip-dried dishes.

]]> By: Regina http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/comment-page-1/#comment-39793 Regina Sat, 25 Jul 2009 19:15:20 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/#comment-39793 When I lived overseas, we had a wire dish rack that sat under a cabinet for drying dishes and storing. I loved this dishrack however, I have been searching for one for over twenty years now and still haven't found one. Any suggestions? When I lived overseas, we had a wire dish rack that sat under a cabinet for drying dishes and storing. I loved this dishrack however, I have been searching for one for over twenty years now and still haven’t found one. Any suggestions?

]]> By: Debbie http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/comment-page-1/#comment-27893 Debbie Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:15:36 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/#comment-27893 I would like to purchase one of these. Can anyone tell me where to find them? Thanks, I would like to purchase one of these. Can anyone tell me where to find them?

Thanks,

]]> By: skyler http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/comment-page-1/#comment-24844 skyler Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:16:09 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/#comment-24844 I have a dishwasher. For things that I don't put in the dishwasher, I wash them in one half of my double sink, and put them on a simple clear vinyl sink mat in the other half to dry. So simple, and nothing to store. The sink mat hangs on the inside of my undersink cabinet door when not in use. I have a dishwasher. For things that I don’t put in the dishwasher, I wash them in one half of my double sink, and put them on a simple clear vinyl sink mat in the other half to dry. So simple, and nothing to store. The sink mat hangs on the inside of my undersink cabinet door when not in use.

]]> By: Hilde http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/comment-page-1/#comment-24830 Hilde Tue, 09 Dec 2008 06:32:50 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/#comment-24830 I don´t quite get it: Why do you need a dish rack? Can´t you just dry the dishes with an old-fashioned dishtowel? I don´t quite get it: Why do you need a dish rack? Can´t you just dry the dishes with an old-fashioned dishtowel?

]]> By: Dave http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/comment-page-1/#comment-24784 Dave Sun, 07 Dec 2008 23:30:15 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/#comment-24784 @Becky From IKEA try this: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80022786 @Becky From IKEA try this:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/cata.....s/80022786

]]> By: Timo Kiravuo http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/comment-page-1/#comment-24774 Timo Kiravuo Sun, 07 Dec 2008 15:24:30 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/#comment-24774 Talking about dish racks is one sure way to get the strong, silent Finns to talk. Like bathroom fixtures, central heating, lack of wall to wall carpets, not wearing shoes indoors etc. The point of the cabinet rack is that the bottom of the cabinet is open, thus all water drips down to the sink. Also, our water is soft and we live on hard rock, so the water leaves few stains when it evaporates and the climate is reasonably dry; humidity indoors does not exceed 80%. So we don't use dish towels much. Which brings out another difference to some other cultures, we rinse the dishes. At lest the British scouts and guides in summer camps are always taking pictures and wondering the Finnish "three pail" scout camp system, where the dishes are first scrubbed to remove sauces and crumbs, then washed in hot water (as hot as you can take) and soap and then rinsed in hot water to remove the soap. Water is abundant in this country, too. Washing dishes at home does is about the same: wash, rinse, put to the rack cupboard to drip and dry and then perhaps put to the real cupboard or more likely take back to use. Towel is used only for the expensive stuff that the guests get to use. Now most families have washing machines (expect my mom, who is in her 70's) and some families have even two, as you can just leave the clean dishes in the machine and start filling the another one. But there is still stuff like frying pans, knives and fine china that do not like the machines, so the drying cupboard will stay on in the foreseeable future. kiravuo Talking about dish racks is one sure way to get the strong, silent Finns to talk. Like bathroom fixtures, central heating, lack of wall to wall carpets, not wearing shoes indoors etc.

The point of the cabinet rack is that the bottom of the cabinet is open, thus all water drips down to the sink. Also, our water is soft and we live on hard rock, so the water leaves few stains when it evaporates and the climate is reasonably dry; humidity indoors does not exceed 80%.

So we don’t use dish towels much. Which brings out another difference to some other cultures, we rinse the dishes. At lest the British scouts and guides in summer camps are always taking pictures and wondering the Finnish “three pail” scout camp system, where the dishes are first scrubbed to remove sauces and crumbs, then washed in hot water (as hot as you can take) and soap and then rinsed in hot water to remove the soap. Water is abundant in this country, too.

Washing dishes at home does is about the same: wash, rinse, put to the rack cupboard to drip and dry and then perhaps put to the real cupboard or more likely take back to use. Towel is used only for the expensive stuff that the guests get to use.

Now most families have washing machines (expect my mom, who is in her 70’s) and some families have even two, as you can just leave the clean dishes in the machine and start filling the another one. But there is still stuff like frying pans, knives and fine china that do not like the machines, so the drying cupboard will stay on in the foreseeable future.

kiravuo

]]> By: LiLi http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/comment-page-1/#comment-12646 LiLi Tue, 13 May 2008 01:32:34 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/#comment-12646 I love the Sesamo, Snip dish rack but I wish it was made of stainless steel instead of the hard plastic. It is rare that I get to fold it up, but when I do, I feel great! The con is that the inside base get filled with yellow crud if one doesn't consistently clean it weekly or bi-monthly. My husband and I have gone through the mini stainless steel dish rack and it is too small as well as the ugly plastic white one with a rubber water mat. (To Lidia, have you ever seen the Sesamo dish rack in person? It really is nicely constructed and it's not as ugly as the other ones in the market. As for the wooden rack that you like, it's really too big for a single person and a couple---it's a dish rack made for a family.) I love the Sesamo, Snip dish rack but I wish it was made of stainless steel instead of the hard plastic. It is rare that I get to fold it up, but when I do, I feel great! The con is that the inside base get filled with yellow crud if one doesn’t consistently clean it weekly or bi-monthly. My husband and I have gone through the mini stainless steel dish rack and it is too small as well as the ugly plastic white one with a rubber water mat. (To Lidia, have you ever seen the Sesamo dish rack in person? It really is nicely constructed and it’s not as ugly as the other ones in the market. As for the wooden rack that you like, it’s really too big for a single person and a couple—it’s a dish rack made for a family.)

]]> By: Colin http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/comment-page-1/#comment-12570 Colin Sun, 11 May 2008 09:29:48 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/#comment-12570 Can someone post a link to a supplier (of over-sink cupboards with racks) in Finland, Italy or Spain? Perhaps a manufacturer could export them to a local distributor? Can someone post a link to a supplier (of over-sink cupboards with racks) in Finland, Italy or Spain?
Perhaps a manufacturer could export them to a local distributor?

]]> By: suze http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/comment-page-1/#comment-6379 suze Thu, 27 Dec 2007 23:58:37 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/#comment-6379 Has anyone seen a type of handwash rack which fits over a grill which drains into the sink drain? I don't know where I saw it or how it was incorporated into the counter so that there was still room for a sink in front of it. It sure looked great and I want one Has anyone seen a type of handwash rack which fits over a grill which drains into the sink drain? I don’t know where I saw it or how it was incorporated into the counter so that there was still room for a sink in front of it. It sure looked great and I want one

]]> By: Faye http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/comment-page-1/#comment-6334 Faye Tue, 25 Dec 2007 12:40:30 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/#comment-6334 I do like the finnish draining solution. I live near New Orleans so I know what Joe Blow is referring to because we do have a very humid climate. Suggestions I would have for this would be no doors instead use curtains. That way air could circulate, also I would suggest at the bottom adding a drainboard tray to solve the delima of retained moisture in the bottom,perhaps to where you could slide it in like a drawer. Then if you wanted to color coordinate your kitchen you could change out to a chosen color. A thick coating of polyeurathane would protect the other wood. I do like the finnish draining solution. I live near New Orleans so I know what Joe Blow is referring to because we do have a very humid climate. Suggestions I would have for this would be no doors instead use curtains. That way air could circulate, also I would suggest at the bottom adding a drainboard tray to solve the delima of retained moisture in the bottom,perhaps to where you could slide it in like a drawer. Then if you wanted to color coordinate your kitchen you could change out to a chosen color. A thick coating of polyeurathane would protect the other wood.

]]> By: Joe Blow http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/comment-page-1/#comment-6325 Joe Blow Mon, 24 Dec 2007 18:25:15 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/#comment-6325 I saw the type of drying-cabinets (linked above at the top of the comments by the Finns) when I visited a friend's house in Toronto. Her mom was Finnish. It's a wonderful way to multi-task -- your storage cabinet is also your drying rack, so things go straight from the wet sink to the put-away. But ... If we put those things in our cabinets in New Orleans we'd have mildew, maybe even toxic black mold, all over our dishes in about an hour. You can't put wet stuff up in cabinets here, you have to be more careful about dampness. Many New Orleanians in the Victorian frame architectural beauties regularly bleach the interior walls of our houses to kill the oozies and goozies. "Modern" surfaces don't make a difference -- they'll just weep. I saw the type of drying-cabinets (linked above at the top of the comments by the Finns) when I visited a friend’s house in Toronto. Her mom was Finnish. It’s a wonderful way to multi-task — your storage cabinet is also your drying rack, so things go straight from the wet sink to the put-away.

But …

If we put those things in our cabinets in New Orleans we’d have mildew, maybe even toxic black mold, all over our dishes in about an hour. You can’t put wet stuff up in cabinets here, you have to be more careful about dampness. Many New Orleanians in the Victorian frame architectural beauties regularly bleach the interior walls of our houses to kill the oozies and goozies. “Modern” surfaces don’t make a difference — they’ll just weep.

]]> By: Twitchy http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/comment-page-1/#comment-5803 Twitchy Sat, 08 Dec 2007 11:49:00 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/#comment-5803 I don't have a dishrack because the majority of our dishes land in the dishwasher, and the rest whivh is washed by hand must be dried immediately and put away as they cannot rest and gather dust in a dishrack. My 2c. I don’t have a dishrack because the majority of our dishes land in the dishwasher, and the rest whivh is washed by hand must be dried immediately and put away as they cannot rest and gather dust in a dishrack. My 2c.

]]> By: Lidia http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/comment-page-1/#comment-5772 Lidia Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:28:23 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/#comment-5772 This "Sesamo" item is really quite an ugly piece of plastic junk and hardly compact at all. I'm surprised the Unclutterer would recommend it. I live in Italy where the over-sink cabinet is the norm; only my kitchen doesn't have it! I use a two-tier wooden rack that I got at Bowl & Board in Cambridge, MA in about 1980. It folds to about 1" thick. http://www.stacksandstacks.com/image/10368ll.jpg $12.99 If it were to break, you could fix it. If you really don't need it any more, you could burn it in the fireplace or compost it or turn it into chopsticks or whatever. This “Sesamo” item is really quite an ugly piece of plastic junk and hardly compact at all. I’m surprised the Unclutterer would recommend it.

I live in Italy where the over-sink cabinet is the norm; only my kitchen doesn’t have it! I use a two-tier wooden rack that I got at Bowl & Board in Cambridge, MA in about 1980. It folds to about 1″ thick.

http://www.stacksandstacks.com/image/10368ll.jpg
$12.99

If it were to break, you could fix it. If you really don’t need it any more, you could burn it in the fireplace or compost it or turn it into chopsticks or whatever.

]]> By: Quatrefoil http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/comment-page-1/#comment-5723 Quatrefoil Wed, 05 Dec 2007 06:19:04 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/#comment-5723 I use a standard stainless steel dish drainer, and when I've finished washing up and the dishes have dried (either with a teatowel or naturally) I put them away and hang the drainer on a hook on the side of a cupboard. It's simple, it gets it out of sight and gives me the draining board space back. Total cost about $10 (drainer and hook). I use a standard stainless steel dish drainer, and when I’ve finished washing up and the dishes have dried (either with a teatowel or naturally) I put them away and hang the drainer on a hook on the side of a cupboard. It’s simple, it gets it out of sight and gives me the draining board space back. Total cost about $10 (drainer and hook).

]]> By: twosandalz http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/comment-page-1/#comment-5722 twosandalz Wed, 05 Dec 2007 04:04:22 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/#comment-5722 I love the sheer capacity of the old-style dish drainers. But they are such counter hogs. It'd be great to have one of those that collapses flat to store easily under the sink or hung from the wall. I love the sheer capacity of the old-style dish drainers. But they are such counter hogs. It’d be great to have one of those that collapses flat to store easily under the sink or hung from the wall.

]]> By: Trevor Bramble http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/comment-page-1/#comment-5721 Trevor Bramble Wed, 05 Dec 2007 03:13:18 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/#comment-5721 I've seen the same cabinets in the Napoli region of Italy. There was a LOT of cooking and eating going on at the house I would visit, and the cabinet seemed very efficient. Amusingly, it seems that some of her (quite grown) children have since gifted her with a dish-washing machine. She has no idea what to do with it and keeps washing the dishes by hand, then setting them in the machine's racks to dry. Of course, everyone is Italian, so this leads to a lot of shouting and gesturing. ;^) I just wonder what she'll do with those cabinets now. I’ve seen the same cabinets in the Napoli region of Italy.

There was a LOT of cooking and eating going on at the house I would visit, and the cabinet seemed very efficient.

Amusingly, it seems that some of her (quite grown) children have since gifted her with a dish-washing machine. She has no idea what to do with it and keeps washing the dishes by hand, then setting them in the machine’s racks to dry.

Of course, everyone is Italian, so this leads to a lot of shouting and gesturing. ;^)

I just wonder what she’ll do with those cabinets now.

]]> By: Gina http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/comment-page-1/#comment-5717 Gina Tue, 04 Dec 2007 22:16:17 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/#comment-5717 The shelves and bottom of those drying cabinets is wire shelving (for those who wondered how dishes would stay in a cabinet without a bottom) and they're available all over Europe as far as I can tell (friends in the Netherlands have them also.) That's easy enough to do to any cabinet already installed over a sink. For a similar solution, IKEA has wall-mount racks that can hang on metal bars arranged in various configurations along the backsplash. The shelves and bottom of those drying cabinets is wire shelving (for those who wondered how dishes would stay in a cabinet without a bottom) and they’re available all over Europe as far as I can tell (friends in the Netherlands have them also.) That’s easy enough to do to any cabinet already installed over a sink. For a similar solution, IKEA has wall-mount racks that can hang on metal bars arranged in various configurations along the backsplash.

]]> By: Louise http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/comment-page-1/#comment-5714 Louise Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:02:48 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/04/twenty-first-century-dish-racks/#comment-5714 Since our counters are dark granite and our appliances are black, we keep a small black dish rack out all the time. It disappears visually. I like the Sesamo, but I think it would stand out more because it is mostly white. We had a small stainless steel and clear plastic model that I thought looked sharp initially. Unfortunately, clear plastic shows water spots and hard water deposits really quickly. We have so little storage space here in our RV that finding a place to put the rack away out of sight is a bigger burden than having it out. Even one that folds flat still needs a flat space big/tall enough to store. RV cabinets can be very small! There are no cabinets over the sink, so the "Finnish Way" wouldn't work for us. Since our counters are dark granite and our appliances are black, we keep a small black dish rack out all the time. It disappears visually. I like the Sesamo, but I think it would stand out more because it is mostly white.

We had a small stainless steel and clear plastic model that I thought looked sharp initially. Unfortunately, clear plastic shows water spots and hard water deposits really quickly.

We have so little storage space here in our RV that finding a place to put the rack away out of sight is a bigger burden than having it out. Even one that folds flat still needs a flat space big/tall enough to store. RV cabinets can be very small!

There are no cabinets over the sink, so the “Finnish Way” wouldn’t work for us.

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