For years, my kitchen was serviced by a fuss-free Ikea dish rack that cost me only $10. While it did its job, I was getting tired of water dripping all over my countertop, even with a heavy-duty dish drying mat underneath it. Plus, the simple design of the dish rack couldn’t accommodate the occasions when I had to Jenga all the freshly cleaned pots, pans, and utensils after a rowdy dinner party. It was about time that I retired the trusty dish rack and went in search of a new one.
I eventually settled on the Simplehuman Steel Frame Dish Rack after reading plenty of reviews online. At $240 from Tangs, it was hella expensive for a dish rack, so the penny pincher in me did a little digging and found it going for $120 during the Amazon Prime Day sale. It arrived the next day and I immediately got to work setting it up.
After having used it for a month now, here are some of my thoughts on whether the Simplehuman dish rack is worth it.
@uchify.sg Upgrading from a $10 dish rack to a $240 game-changer! Is it worth the splurge? 🔗Link in bio for the full article🔗 Follow us on Telegram for more worthy kitchen essentials #KitchenUpgrades #HomeEssentials #Simplehuman #homedecor
What makes a good kitchen dish rack?
Before diving into the review, you might be wondering: What makes a good dish rack? Having given this a lot of thought in the last 2 months, a good dish rack is:
- Of a good size
- Space-efficient
- Easy to clean
- Durable
The size of a dish rack is rather subjective as it depends on the size of your kitchen as well as the number of people in your home. Those who are living by themselves or have only 2 people under their roof might prefer a compact dish rack, while larger households might want a larger one that can fit multiple sets of plates and utensils.
A good dish rack should also be efficient with its space. We’re talking about being able to hold a variety of tableware from your fragile wine glasses to your gargantuan Owala tumblers. You shouldn’t have to roll out a towel just to dry your cups along with your plates.
Another important element of a good dish rack is its ease of cleaning. Overhead dish racks like those commonly seen in HDB renovations can be a pain in the butt to clean, making them a potential hotbed of bacteria, stale water, and sometimes even mould. A standalone dish rack that lives on your countertop is easier to maintain, provided it can be taken apart.
Finally, a good dish rack is durable and will stand the test of time. If you cook and clean daily, this means that your dish rack will be used at least twice a day—plus however many hours it takes to dry your dishes. You don’t want it to break down after a year and have to waste money buying another. You also want one that is resistant to mould, rot, and rust, AKA plastic and stainless steel dish racks.
Reviewing the Simplehuman Dish Rack
Design of the Simplehuman dish rack
If I could describe the Simplehuman dish rack in one word, it would be “sophisticated”. After unboxing and setting it up on my kitchen counter, the space was elevated immediately both aesthetically and functionally. It has a stainless steel outer body punctuated by grey plastic supports that match the colour scheme, giving it a premium feel that cheap plastic ones could never replicate.
Its fully enclosed design will also contain most of the water within its walls, and you’ll hardly ever get a wet countertop even after an intense washing session.
The wine glass holder comfortably holds up to 4 glasses and can be removed easily.
What struck me the most was how big the Simplehuman dish rack was. It took up almost the entire depth of my countertop when all the accoutrements were attached to it. But what I appreciated was that the said accessories like the wine glass holder and tray below the cup holders are optional, and can be kept away if you don’t need them.
The devil’s in the details.
Another design feature that did not go unnoticed was the silicone-tipped plate holders. While there aren’t many—and I’ll get into it later—this thoughtful detail that Simplehuman implemented makes it so you can dry your precious china without worrying about scratches or chips.
The utensil holder also has multiple compartments rather than one long pocket, ensuring that your forks, spoons, and other cutlery can dry evenly in an upright position. It can also be hung either inside the dish rack or outside, depending on your space requirements.
Unlike the dish rack I had before, which required a dish drying mat to be placed below, the Simplehuman dish rack catches all the excess water and drains it out via the swivel spout. It can be rotated 360°, allowing you to position the dish rack however you’d like, so long as it’s next to a sink. The plastic here also has a hydrophilic coating to prevent the buildup of water spots, and will help drain the water quicker too.
Last, the dish rack is very stable thanks to 4 sturdy legs on its corners. They’re fitted with anti-slip rubber that keeps them in position and won’t scratch your marble countertop.
Using the Simplehuman dish rack
While using the Simplehuman dish rack is pretty straightforward, there were times I felt myself wondering if the design could’ve been made better. For starters, my family uses a lot of plates for our meals. And while this dish rack can comfortably store at least 5 of them—plus the many serving plates—the tableware has to be stacked rather than stood upright.
This is because there are only 2 rows of plate holders available to use. They aren’t very tall either, so bigger plates cannot be dried that way as they might risk toppling over. In my opinion, this was an odd design choice as even having 3 rows of plate holders would’ve been more practical and possible without sacrificing space.
Alas, this was not a deal breaker and more a matter of getting used to it. Everything else was a welcome addition when compared to my previous dish rack. The cup holders allowed me to make space in the main dish rack itself for the numerous plates that are washed after dinner, and the wine glass holder doubled up as a holder for dish towels since my family doesn’t drink that often.
There has also been less water being spilt on the countertop after washing the dishes.
Review of the Simplehuman dish rack
Dish racks are one of the least sexy kitchen accessories, but a well-made one like the Simplehuman dish rack ($176 on Amazon) will definitely motivate you to clean your dishes ASAP after every meal. This was a big step up over its predecessor, and I’d highly recommend it for households with at least 3-4 people. You can also consider the compact version of the Simplehuman dish rack ($120 on Amazon) if you love the design but hate the large size.
Pros & cons of the Simplehuman Steel Frame Dish Rack:
| Pros | Cons |
| Premium and sophisticated design. | Very bulky in size, might not be suitable for single-member households. |
| Thoughtful details and accessories like the wine glass holder, hydrophilic coating, and rotatable swivel spout. | Pricey, would only recommend buying it when there’s a sale. |
Check out our other reviews of home furniture and accessories:
- Is the $3,000 Herman Miller Embody worth it?
- Reviewing the sold-out Dyson 360 robot vacuum
- The 7 best cooking pots as reviewed by Singaporeans
Photography by Nicole Ang.
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