This Multipurpose Dish Rack Replaced My Old Drainer and Finally Cleared My Cluttered Sink

It’s no secret that washing dishes is my least favorite chore, especially when I have to wash them by hand. From washing to drying, the entire process is messy, whether it’s literal dirty dishes or the pile of plates, utensils, and cups that ends up in my dish rack. I’ve been using wire drainers since I still lived with my parents, and the habit never quite left me, but other than a roll-up dish rack, I’ve never considered trying something different — and more efficient — until now. The six waffle makers in my cabinet alone are enough to let you know that I’m a big fan of Dash, and that’s not even counting the others on my wishlist. However, Dash has many other products outside of their waffle maker collection that serve other purposes in the home, such as mixing, measurements, and more. Their SmartStore Dish Rack was the first of their cleaning and organization products that I’ve ever tried, and it worked out better than expected.

When I hear Dash, I automatically think of their mini makers — however, the SmartStore Dish Rack is anything but small. It’s a large dish rack with multiple features and compartments to streamline draining dishes, utensils, glasses, and more. Some assembly is required for its attachments, which include (but aren’t limited to) a drain tray, utensil cup, bottle stand, and stemware holder. There’s even dedicated space for a cutting board that prevents a pileup with the dishes. Putting it together was as easy as sliding parts into place, which I appreciated because it meant I didn’t have to fuss with any hard-to-connect parts.

The dish rack measures 28.5 inches by 14 inches when assembled, so it’s best for those with a lot of countertop space to spare. If you wash a lot of dishes by hand during the week, there’s plenty of room on the rack to hold them. For as long as I can remember, I’ve kept a dish drainer in the sink, but I was able to get rid of it with the addition of Dash’s SmartStore. It holds more dishes than the old drainer and now I have access to both sides of the sink without the faucet being in the way during rinsing. The SmartStore’s drain tray catches the rinse water and any excess runs right back into the sink with help from its built-in spout. Droplets of water that don’t make it to the spout also evaporate in the bottom of the dish rack, so you’ll have dry dishes no matter what.

Outside of the cutting board and utensil cup, I was most impressed by the SmartStore’s bottle stand and stemware rack combo. I use bottles regularly for smoothies and other drinks, and up until now, cleaning them has been kind of a pain. Not so much because of the washing, but because of how frustrating they can be to dry. There’s finding the right positioning and making sure there’s enough airflow to get through and allow them to dry. Dash’s SmartStore has built-in rods that can hold bottles in place, so I don’t have to worry about them tipping over or that there will still be water in them long after they’ve been washed. The stemware rack is also a great touch since you can safely hang wine glasses away from the other dishes, which further keeps the dishes from getting cluttered in the rack. The ability to dry my dishes in an organized manner is a huge upgrade in my household, and there’s no way I can go back to the old standard drainer again.

Buy: Dash SmartStore Dish Rack, $69.99