I do not have a dishwasher, which means all the dishes get hand-washed in my house, so it's not uncommon for the dish rack to be under quite a bit of strain from the day's plates, glasses, and pans. We went through two replacements of this wooden dish rack from IKEA, which warped and cracked both times. Fed up with "disposable" dish racks, I knew I wanted something sturdy, reliable, long-lasting, yet aesthetically pleasing. This dish rack from Simplehuman fit the bill.
Features:
The rack is made of natural bamboo sealed with a durable waterproof coating and a rust-proof anodized aluminum. It features a drainage system consisting of a swivel spout and drip tray that pulls out beneath the cup holders to divert water into the sink (and not on the countertop). Cup holders stack along the frame, and there are special holders for both utensils and knives. Utensil holder, inner frame, and drip tray are top-rack dishwasher safe, while all other parts need to be cleaned with warm, soapy water. The rack has a 5 year warranty, and measures 20.5"D x 15.2"W x 8.7"H.
Pros:
I really like how sturdy and attractive this unit is. It holds a ton, and I know it's not likely to warp or crack. The units (like the utensil and knife block) are configurable, so you can set up the rack however you see fit. I don't really use the knife rack, since I found I needed the space more for cups and plates. I just slide my knives along the drip tray to dry.
Cons:
While the bamboo and steel are lovely, I'm not crazy about the plastic spout/drip tray, utensil holder, and the base of the knife holder, especially since the plastic spout broke off after only one month's use! (I now have to keep a small bowl underneath the rack to catch the water, which I dump out after every washing.) There could also be more hangers for glasses on the outside, and the rack takes up a lot of counter space. That doesn't particularly bother me, since it happens to fit in the perfect spot next to my sink, but the large footprint may be a hindrance to you. Finally, it's expensive for a dish rack.
The Verdict:
The rack is great-looking and, despite the broken plastic drip tray, the rest of it remains sturdy and solid. If you're someone who likes piling up dishes to dry, and you don't mind spending more money upfront for a sturdy dish rack, then this is a good rack for you!
Buy It: Bamboo Frame Dish Rack, $79.99 from Simplehuman
Related: DBA Dishrack: Is This the Dish Drainer of Your Dreams?
Apartment Therapy Media makes every effort to test and review products fairly and transparently. The views expressed in this review are the personal views of the reviewer and this particular product review was not sponsored or paid for in any way by the manufacturer or an agent working on their behalf. However, the manufacturer did give us the product for testing and review purposes.
(Image: Lasoo)
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I had one of the wodden ikea dishrack in my first flat. I was there one year and by the time I left the rack was still in good shape. When I moved on my own, I bought the $10 Ikea extendable dishrack. I've had it for 4 years now and it's still a charm. I don't understand why one would pay $80 for this, but that's just me.
I've had this dish rack for about a year. It's beautiful, that's important. My only issues would be the knife rack (with larger knives, the tip of the blade end up resting on the plastic, rather than being held by the rack... which is fine since I'd prefer to dry my knives immediately anyway). The spout and everything underneath are a bit tricky to clean.
As far as your broken spout, is that covered under the warranty?
So glad to see this review--I've had my eye on this one for awhile, but just couldn't decide if it was worth the $80 price tag. I think I've decided it's not, since for that price I'd expect it to be absolutely perfect. I didn't realize it had that much plastic, which just aesthetically I don't like. And for a piece to break off after a month for a product of that price and supposed quality is kind of silly. I guess my search is still on!
Oh, dear! $80? Hmm... I'll stick with my dishtowel.
Is the flatware caddy misidentified in that first pic?
It's handsome, I'll give you that. But for $80 I'd expect there to be NO plastic. Just an observation since I don't expect to EVER meet a dish rack I'd pay $80 for (tho i'm not above drooling over a few)
$80 for a dishrack? I'll pass. I'm fine with the plastic or wire ones at Walmart!
I've had a simplehuman dish rack similar to this for about 2 and a half years, it's been under constant heavy use (me being a stay at home mama and part time farmer) and has held up beautifully. Nothing has broken, perhaps my model has a heavier drain spout. I was a little anxious to spend so much money initially, but it's cheaper than a dishwasher (which I might buy if our place was larger) and it makes my life so much better! When this one breaks, which won't be soon, I'll definitely buy another.
Here is the one I have:http://www.simplehuman.com/products/dishracks/steel-frame.html
The price seems a bit steep to me, I've had my $20 Target dish rack made of bamboo and SS for 6 years and no complaints. Counter space is at a premium in my house and this looks like it holds less dishes than my cheaper one, but those side cup holders are something that I covet. And for those that don't like the idea of a plastic knife drying block...you shouldn't let your knives air dry anyway, so if it's removable just take it out.
$80! No thanks! The dish rack is not something I think of as needing to be pretty anyway.
$80 is just too much...but, I just bought Simple Human's $30 compact one that is just awesome. I love that is raised higher, off the counter, and has the spout. Fantastic. If Bed, Bath, and Beyond carry it, they have coupons.
I have a similar Simple Human dish rack (the one without the bamboo), and have been surprised by how much better it has made my life. We had gone through a couple of those wooden Ikea racks (both ruined within a year), as well as a $20 rack from Target that seemed totally standard and normal, but our dishes would not stack properly or fit in the designated slots - maybe they are just not the standard size dishes, I don't know. My plates would end up resting in the drip tray because of the design of the dish rack, and the drip tray was not high enough to go over the edge of the sink, so there would always be a gross pool of water collecting around it. Doing dishes actually took longer, because I had to carefully and strategically place everything in the tray. It was annoying to deal with multiple times a day.
I had been reading about these Simple Human racks and someone gave us a gift card to Bed Bath and Beyond, so we finally took the plunge. We do SO many dishes (we cook a lot plus I work from home, so there is constantly a stack), and I like that you can quickly customize the inside so that you have different stacking options - i.e. if you're washing a lot of pots and pans versus plates and bowls. It's also easy to take apart and clean, at least in my experience. $80 is a lot to spend, but if you spend a good deal of time doing dishes every day then having the right tools can really make a difference and in my opinion it has been worth it - especially since I ended up spending $50 on three crappy dish racks in three years anyway.