Up till just lately, I used to be a lifelong metropolis condominium dweller. Each kitchen I had was tiny and, over time, I had discovered each trick within the e-book to benefit from the little countertop and cupboard space that was accessible. I didn’t but have a dish drying rack. I hung my pots and pans. The few small home equipment I deemed worthy sufficient to personal have been relegated to a kitchen cart that squeezed right into a nook between the warmth and a rubbish bin. The cabinets all had risers, hooks, or another type of a Pinterest-recommended group software. Every little thing had a spot — till I had a child.
Pals with youngsters had warned that their stuff would get in every single place. As a first-time dad or mum, I naively thought they meant clothes and toys, so I used to be absolutely ready for onesies and stuffed animals to pile up in his nursery and even the lounge. What I used to be not ready for was all of the objects required to feed him: bottles, pump elements, brushes to scrub these bottles and pump elements, and finally an entire assortment of plates, utensils, bibs, sippy cups, and meals storage trays. They bought their very own devoted drawer and cupboard area, however primarily sat out on the kitchen counter as a result of we used them so incessantly.
When it got here time to eliminate issues that our child outgrew, we grew to become ruthless purgers. Common recommendation was to hold onto every part (“In case you’ve gotten a second!”), however we fortunately packed baggage of hand-me-downs for associates with youthful youngsters. The one exception to that has been the OXO bottle rack that’s been with us from day one.
Bought after our preliminary rounds of child stuff analysis, the drying rack had earned the “space-saving” title in almost each best-of listing and got here with glowing opinions on Amazon. (It presently has 4.9 stars from greater than 14,500 raters.) I believed we’d eliminate it as soon as he outgrew the bottle section, however that has but to occur and he’s about to enter kindergarten. As an alternative, it has change into the default drying rack for all of our ingesting vessels.
Whereas we do now have a standalone dish drying rack that comes with cup holders, I nonetheless want utilizing the OXO in terms of drying our ingesting glasses, journey mugs, water bottles… you get the concept. For starters, it’s surprisingly sturdy for one thing that’s made totally out of plastic. I’ve entrusted it to carry every part from heavy ceramic mugs to delicate stemless wine glasses. It has but to tip over, even with my large 35-ounce BruMate tumbler.
The angled pegs not solely permit any extra water to drip out — apparently, they slant at a very exact 48 levels — however are sufficiently small to let air in for environment friendly drying. And in contrast to with the metallic prongs on my dish rack, there’s no fear of any scratching (or worse) on the inside. Moreover, there are detachable trays on the highest and backside to carry straws, lids, and another elements that should be indifferent and cleaned.
True to its identify, the drying rack’s vertical profile is certainly space-saving, however the 9 pegs are greater than sufficient to carry the varied ingesting vessels my household of three goes by in a day. It’s tall, however not so tall that it will possibly’t clear the area beneath a kitchen cupboard, plus the rack has a flat again that may sit flush in opposition to the wall. One of the best half is it’s dishwasher secure — I frequently machine wash the trays and have even tossed your complete rack in with no subject.
Whereas it’s technically a part of the OXO Tot assortment, the bottle drying rack is available in a surprisingly palatable, non-kid colour scheme. The white and grey design matches seamlessly into most kitchens with out screaming “child product” and explains why it’s caught the eye of so many visitors. Greater than as soon as, a child-free buddy has walked into my kitchen searching for a snack or beverage, solely to cease and exclaim that they want one thing like this for drying their rising assortment of reusable water bottles. Fellow mother and father, after all, snicker and say that they’ve accomplished the identical factor. As a result of if there’s one group who is aware of what it’s like to scrub and dry an entire lot of bottles, it’s mother and father — and we’ve discovered the right software for doing so.
Patty Lee is a author, editor, residence baker and ecommerce kitchen specialist primarily based in New York.
