The 8 Single Best Things We’ve Ever Bought for Our Kitchen Sinks
There’s no way around it: Washing dirty dishes is a chore. Add a few nice upgrades to your kitchen sink area, though, and you can make the experience a bit more enjoyable. Need inspiration? We asked fellow Kitchn staffers which kitchen sink accessories were star standouts. As expected, noteworthy brands (like OXO, Umbra, and simplehuman) easily rose to the top, but so did a handful of surprise items — including an inexpensive sink strainer and a fun faucet attachment!
Here are eight of the single best items Kitchn editors have bought for their kitchen sinks.
1. simplehuman Steel Frame Dish Rack
“I wanted this dish rack from simplehuman for years! It’s pricey, but truly the best I’ve ever had. It has a removable, easily washable utensil holder, cup drying hooks, a wine glass drying rack, and so much space for dishes. I have the larger version, but it’s also available in a compact size, which is great for apartments!” — Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm, Lifestyle Editor, Tools
2. Hilltop Products Kitchen Sink Drain Strainer
“This kitchen strainer is simple, yet so effective. Love that little tab that helps you remove it quickly and easily.” — Nina Elder, Executive Food Director
3. House of Noa Kitchen Mat
“I have two House of Noa mats in my kitchen: One is right in front of my sink. It looks as good as the day I got it (two years ago!) and is still so comfortable and supportive. Also, now that I have a toddler running around and spilling things all of the time, I extra appreciate how easy it is to wipe clean.” — Lauren Kodiak, Managing Editor
4. OXO Soap Dispensing Dish Brush and Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser
“I love my new OXO dish brush! I also bought the Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser, and it’s made my sink so sparkly clean!” — Ariel Knutson, Features Director
5. Ultra EuroJet Kitchen Spray
“I technically did not buy this because it came with my rental apartment, but my faucet attachment is seriously my kitchen’s MVP. It swivels and allows me to easily rinse out my sink, it improves the water pressure, and it minimizes water splatter. I can’t imagine having to wash dishes without it. And I won’t even try to!” — Lisa Freedman, Lifestyle Director
6. Sink Basket Strainer
“Instead of rinsing my dishes and hoping the strainer in the drain does its job, I use a fork or a little dish scraper to push food scraps and crumbs into this catcher. This basket really is much easier to clean than the sink strainer!” — Alison Goldman, Contributor
7. Bamboo Kitchen Compost Bin
“Cute meets stylish with this countertop compost bin, made from bamboo fibers. I keep it perched right near my sink as a helpful daily reminder to compost food scraps.” — Michelle Lau, Lifestyle Editor
8. Umbra Sling Flexible Sponge Holder
“I’ve tried many types of sponge holders over the years. The standalone ones always took up an unnecessary amount of my already-limited counter space and the suction ones were never quite as, well, suction-y, as advertised. This flexible sling from Umbra hangs around my faucet’s neck, so I never have to worry about it staying put — plus it has lots of little holes for drainage and is so easy to clean with soap and water.” — Patty Lee, Executive Editor
Do you have a favorite item you’ve bought for your kitchen sink? Tell us about it in the comments below!