Customer Reviews Tell the Truth About a Cooling Rack’s Quality
When a product maintains a high star rating and positive customer reviews, it's not just luck—it’s a testament to its performance. Star ratings and customer reviews cut through the gloss of advertising to reveal the truth about a product.
Likewise, customer reviews are gold mines of information when shopping for the best cooling rack. Unlike the description on a product page, reviews give you real-life accounts of how the rack performs in actual kitchens. Did it warp after a few uses? Is it difficult to clean? Does it cool baked goods evenly?
7 Things You Need to Consider When Choosing a Quality Cooling Rack
A cooling rack falls under kitchen essentials. And when shopping for a quality rack, there are certain things you need to take into account.
1. Material
The best cooling rack is usually made from stainless steel, preventing rust and ensuring longevity. Of course, the Checkered Chef Cooling Rack is made from stainless steel and has a 4.7-star rating.
2. Size and Capacity
Ensure the rack fits in your oven and has enough capacity for your typical food volume. Do you need a single cooling rack or a tiered rack?
3. Grid Design
A tight grid pattern helps support smaller items and promotes better air circulation. I always recommend choosing the best cooling rack with a fine grid pattern to prevent cookies from slipping through.
4. Feet and Stability
Look for racks with sturdy feet to elevate the rack for improved airflow and stability. In my experience, the best cooling rack has non-slip feet that ensure stability on any surface.
5. Ease of Cleaning
I will only invest in a product if it's easy to clean. Consider ease of cleaning when choosing the best cooling rack.
6. Price and Warranty
Consider investing in a slightly pricier rack with a warranty for long-term value and performance.
7. Brand Reputation
The best cooling racks are usually sold by well-known brands. Who is the brand you are considering purchasing from? Are they known for making quality products?
What Can I Use a Cooling Rack For?
- Basting: when roasting juicy meat like chicken thighs or steaks, you can toss in vegetables under the cooling tray so they can soak up drippings and get a nice flavor.
- Smoking fish or meat: as smoking meat requires a lot of air circulation, the best cooling rack is the perfect tool for this job. You can simply place the meat on it without a pan or pot and put the rack on the smoker.
- Crisping: cooling racks can be used to crisp up breaded food. You can place any kind of food on the rack and put it in the oven for a few minutes to give it a nice crunch factor.
- Dehydrating: you can use a cooling rack to make oven-dried tomatoes or dehydrated apple rings. The heat-diffusing properties will prevent scorching by keeping food items above the bottom of the pan.
- Oven bacon: another use of a cooling rack is to make crispy bacon. The best cooling rack allows fat to drip off as the fat renders and gives you more crispier bacon than you would make in a pan.
Here's What Real People Say About the Checkered Chef Cooling Rack
This is Why the Checkered Chef Rack is the Best Cooling Rack
"I really like these racks and use them both for cooling baked goods and my husband uses them in the smoker when making jerky. Great product and I'd definitely purchase these again!" -Bater5522
"We use it to cook bacon in the oven so it is crispier. The grease just drips off, making it healthier too. Grid pattern is tighter than cheap ones, but not too tight." -Jarrod McDaniel
"I use these little racks all the time. They are sturdy, easy to clean and make life in the kitchen so much easier. If you are on the fence, I say just get 'em! lol." -Donna Wilson
