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Learn & WatchOur content is meticulously curated through independent research, testing, reviews, and AI-driven recommendations, all designed to present you with the finest product choices. When you make a purchase through our links, it could result in us earning a commission.The Best Cooling Racks of 2024
Last updated: 21 Jun 2024You might think all racks are the same—just a grid of metal, right? Wrong. The quality varies enormously, and picking the wrong one can lead to a soggy cake.
Likewise, a cooling rack is far more versatile than you might think; it's ideal for basting meats to enrich the flavor of vegetables beneath, smoking foods, crisping breads, dehydrating fruits and herbs, and even making crispy, less greasy bacon by letting fat drip away. We voted Checkered Chef Cooling Rack the best cooling rack for its grid pattern, stainless steel construction, and ease of cleaning.
Our Top Picks For Cooling Racks
- Best Overall: Checkered Chef Cooling Rack Shop Now ➔
- Runner-up: HULISEN 2-Pack Non-stick Cooling Racks Shop Now ➔
- Great Value: Wilton 3-Tier Cooling Rack Shop Now ➔
- Most Durable: KITCHENATICS Roasting and Cooling Rack Shop Now ➔
- High-Quality Pick: Ultra Cuisine Cooling Rack Shop Now ➔
- Most Affordable Set: Hiware 2-Pack Cooling Rack Shop Now ➔
View all Contents6 Best Cooling Racks of 2024
Best Overall
The Checkered Chef Cooling Rack is made from stainless steel. It’s the standard 8” x 11 ¾” size to fit most ovens and is perfect for cooling cakes and cookies. Likewise, you can pop it on a baking sheet, let fried food crisp up, or rest meat from the grill for a few moments before you plate it.
Moreover, the grids are wide apart to allow sufficient airflow for quick cooling, but not so wide that food will fall through. Most importantly, this cooling rack ticks all the boxes: it’s affordable, quality, and highly rated. For these reasons, we voted it best overall. If you’re looking for the best all-rounder, this could be the best cooling rack for you.
Pros
- High quality and highly rated (4.7-star rating)
- Made from stainless steel
- Versatile for different uses
- Easy to use and clean
Cons
- Lightweight
Runner-up
The HULISEN 16″ x 10″ cooling racks are perfect for cooling, cooking, roasting, grilling, and drying. The racks are designed to fit half-sheet pans, making them an ideal choice for a variety of baking needs. With convenient handles, these racks are easy to maneuver, adding to their overall user-friendly design. One of the key highlights is their capacity to maximize cooking space. The design also ensures even cooling and crisping, elevating the quality of your baked goods.
In addition to being sturdy, these cooling racks are easy to clean. If you plan on churning out batch after batch of cookies or roasting multiple items at once, this could be the best cooling rack set for you.
Pros
- 2-Pack set; value for money
- Durable and sturdy construction
- Fits half sheet pans perfectly
- Easy to clean and maintain
Cons
- Not everyone likes a black cooling rack
Great Value
The Wilton 3-Tier Cooling Rack is made from steel with a non-stick coating to prevent sticking. It’s a stacked cooling rack, ideal for cooling cookies, cakes, and so much more. You can cool dozens of cookies as there is ample space and ventilation. Further, despite the large capacity, the rack takes minimal storage space. Moreover, the rack can collapse into a single layer and can be stored easily.
Further, the non-stick coating ensures quick clean-up and easy release so there’s no hassle with cleaning. The best part is that you won’t have to grease the grills before putting the baked goods on them. So, if you’re looking for a 3-tiered cooling rack, this could be the best cooling rack for you.
Pros
- Highly rated—4.8-star rating
- Large capacity rack
- Collapsible design for easy storage
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Some customers prefer a single-tiered rack
Most Durable
The KITCHENATICS Roasting and Cooling Rack is made from commercial-grade stainless steel that can be used for grilling, roasting, baking, BBQ, broiling, and drying out fish, meat, and vegetables.
Moreover, multiple welds allow you to rest around 45 pounds at once on this grid, and the extra welds make it super durable. Likewise, the rack has a perfect support design, engineered to prevent warping, wobbling, and bending. Further, the three-cross support bar design ensures that the rack has a 1-inch height that allows space for air circulation. The ample airflow is perfect for quick cooling of cakes, brownies, cookies, and much more. If you’re looking for an exceptionally durable rack, this is the best cooling rack for you.
Pros
- Stainless steel construction
- Half sheet, three cross-support design
- Extra welds for more durability
- Available in many sizes
Cons
- Quality, so slightly more expensive
High-Quality Pick
The Ultra Cuisine Cooling Rack comes with a mesh grill design that aids in better air circulation around the food on the tray. You can use this rack for cooling cakes, crisping up fries, chicken wings, breaded cutlets, onion rings, and a lot more.
Furthermore, the rack can fit inside a standard 13 x 18 inch half sheet pan so you can bake healthier food with less fat. Moreover, the stainless steel rack is constructed in a three-cross bar design that supports the rack from sagging, wobbling, and shaking. Likewise, the heavy-duty design doesn’t let small food items fall through. If you’re looking for a quality cooling rack—which is also a bestseller—this might be the best cooling rack.
Pros
- Popular and highly rated
- Stainless steel construction
- Multi-use design
- Dishwasher-safe
Cons
- Pricey, but popular (1K+ bought in the past month)
Most Affordable Set
On a budget and need two cooling racks? The Hiware 2-Pack Cooling Rack is made from food-grade stainless steel that is rustproof and extremely durable. The thick grid design is sturdy and bears a good amount of weight without bending. The four support feet underneath and the two cross bars give this rack the required strength and balance.
Moreover, the unique cooling design with supporting feet raises the tray by 0.6 inches for excellent air circulation, which makes food crispier and cooler quicker. If you want two racks at an unbeatable price—you’ve just found the best cooling rack set.
Pros
- Cheapest 2-pack cooling racks
- Stainless steel construction
- Fits standard half-sheets
- Easy to clean and dishwasher-safe
Cons
- A budget-friendly set
Choosing the Best Cooling Rack: A User's Guide
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
Best Cooling Rack FAQs
What can I use a cooling rack for?
A cooling rack is super versatile! The best cooling rack isn't just for cooling cookies or cakes fresh out of the oven. You can also use it to crisp up things like fries and chicken wings in the oven. I love crisping bacon on a cooling rack!
What is the best cooling rack?
Choosing the best cooling rack really depends on your needs. The Checkered Chef Cooling Rack is fantastic if you're looking for an all-around that's highly rated and versatile for everything from cooling to crisping up your favorite snacks. If you find yourself doing a lot of baking and need more space, the HULISEN 2-Pack Non-stick Cooling Racks might be perfect for you, especially with their ability to fit half-sheet pans. Both are great options, so it just comes down to your needs!
What is the highest-rated cooling rack?
The Checkered Chef Cooling Rack boasts an impressive 4.7-star rating. It's super versatile and acclaimed for its quality and affordability, making it a favorite in many kitchens. While the HULISEN racks are also highly regarded, especially for their sturdiness and dual pack offering, the Checkered Chef edges ahead with a slightly higher customer satisfaction.
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