Are you a baker? Do you love to cook? Do you have kids? If you said yes to any of these questions, then you are probably in need of a quality cooling rack.
If you are looking for a durable, well-crafted, and budget-friendly cooling rack, then you have come to the right place. In this article, we will share with you some of the best cooling racks available in 2021 and tell you why they made our list.
Cooling Rack (What is it?)
A cooling rack is a baker’s dream come true. This is a wired rack that has a small grid-like hole weaved into it, allowing you a space to put your food items, like cookies and pies, to cool down right after they come out of the oven. This is important as you never want to leave a meal on a hot pan or stovetop for too long.
Most cooling racks are versatile and can fit into basic-sized pans and hold at least a dozen of cookies at a time. However, there are some out there that are better than others, made for specific jobs, or simply a nicer design.
Baking Cooling Rack (Our Top Picks for 2021)
Since we love our baked goods so much, we decided it was time to take a deep dive into everything cooling racks to get a good idea of what is out there, how much they cost, and which are better in certain situations.
We ended up finding so much good information we couldn’t help but write an entire article regarding what we found.
So, here are the top 10 cooking racks we located to date, along with all of their features, details, and why we loved them so much.
1. Nifty Solutions BC4422 Nifty 3-Tier Cooling Rack (Best Over-All)
We love this 3-tier cooling rack from Nifty Solutions. It is Betty Crocker’s first-ever space-saving rack. While this cooling rack can hold up to 3 pies, 36 cookies, multiple casseroles, etc. While the stand may stack up, it doesn’t expand out, taking up only 1 square foot of space.
This durable design can hold up so much weight thanks to the all-steel construction and additional support arm. This strong grid construction is designed with an anti-stick property and is machine washable.
What we like about this product:
- Easy construction and collapsible
- Dishwasher friendly
- Heavy-duty
- It doesn’t take up a lot of space
2. Wilton 3-Tier Collapsible Cooking and Baking Cooling Rack (Runner Up)
Not only is Wilton a popular baking brand because of its durable, great designs, and innovative products, but also because of its affordable prices.
This 3-tier collapsible cooking and the baking cooling rack is an amazing option for bakers of every kind and is budget-friendly for just about any household.
At 10-inches wide and 16-inches tall, this baking rack can hold up to 3 dozen cookies easily. It makes any large order manageable. Once you have finished baking and are ready to clean up, simply rinse the rack with soap and water and easily collapse it to save on space.
What we like about this product:
- Holds up to 3 dozen cookies
- Easy to clean
- Budget-friendly
- Stackable rack saving counter space
3. Ultra Cuisine Wire Cooling Rack for Baking (Best for Multi-tasking)
This Ultra Cuisine cooling rack is an ideal option for anyone tackling heavy-duty baking. It is an 11.5 x 16.5-inch stainless steel baking rack that is easy to use and even easier to clean with a dishwasher-safe construction.
The wires are created from a professional grade 304 (18/8) stainless steel and a heavy-duty small, wired grid, with small holes, perfect for allowing your food to breathe while not risking any little item to fall through.
This multi-use design is heat resilient, having the ability to withstand close to 600°F. Because of its durability and strength, this is the perfect rack for cooling pies or serving a hot dinner dish.
What we like about this product:
- Heavy-duty, with three support bars to hold a lot of weight
- 100% solid stainless steel
- Oven-proof perfect for air frying food
- It fits perfectly in half-sheet pans
4. Stainless Steel Stackable Cooling Rack for Baking (Best for Big Jobs)
We like the design of this stainless-steel stackable cooling rack. It is perfect for those big jobs, whether you are a professional chef trying to bang out a huge order quickly or a mom of 3 little ones trying to prepare enough cookies for everyone’s class. This is the rack for you.
This product comes with three individual racks, two of them with stackable, folding legs, and the other with supportive feet, keeping your goods spaced out and safe from slipping and falling.
These racks are durable and can hold just about anything from three separate cakes to a conference room’s worth of homemade donuts.
What we like about this product:
- Rustproof and corrosion-proof
- Dishwasher safe
- Non-sticky
- 3-layers for tons of cooling
5. Spring Chef Oven Safe, Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Baking Rack (Best for Decorating)
For anyone that has spent time decorating cupcakes, cookies, or any other dessert, you know how messy clean-up can be. This Spring Chef baking rack is the ideal cooling rack to keep this problem to a minimum.
With this versatile 10″ x 15″ cooling rack, you can leave your baking where they sit (placing parchment paper underneath or any sized pan.) and decorate them. The small leftovers will fall directly beneath the wires and onto the pan, making clean up a cinch.
The rack was made from heavy-duty 100% Solid 304 (18/8) Stainless Steel and is rust and warp proof. You will never have to worry about cracking or chipping metal pieces or toxins making their way into your food.
What we like about this product:
- No chipping or cracking coating
- It fits up to 10”x15” cooking pans
- Warp proof
- Oven and dishwasher safe
6. Baking Rack Set Stainless Steel Round Rack for Baking (Best For Heavy Dinners)
If you are someone who likes to serve fresh hot meals at the dinner table, or you plan on hosting for the holidays this year, this Picowe cooling rack set is the perfect product.
These cooling racks are round, opposed to the more typical rectangular racks, making them great for handling heavier items because of the smaller coverage and stronger hold.
This set comes with four different sized cooling racks made from a stainless-steel material and includes 1 x 7inch, 1 x 8inch, 1 x 9inch, and 1 x 10inch, giving you plenty of space for cooling, steaming, layering, and so much more.
What we like about this product:
- Budget-friendly
- Heavy-duty circular design
- Nest together for optimal storage space
- Easy to clean and maintain
7. Wilton Industries Perfect Results Mega Cooling Rack (Best Value)
Wilton is a well-known, reputable, and reliable name in the baking world, so it isn’t a big surprise two of their cooling racks would be on our favorites list.
This specific cooling rack is one of the biggest we have found, with a cooling space of 16″ x 10″ and weight of .5 lbs. It is created from durable alloy steel and is designed with a coating of non-stick spray to keep clean up a breeze.
The heavy construction of this Wilton rack reduces the chances of warping and allows the rack to reach high temperatures without any damage to the wires. It offers convenient easy to grip handles built into the grid. This makes it easy to transport even when wearing the thickest oven mitts.
What we like about this product:
- Affordable for any budget
- Has a massive surface area
- Include a non-stick covering
- Made by a reputable brand
8. 2 Pieces Steel Cupcake Baking Racks (Best For CupCakes)
While this may not be your average everyday rack for cooling pies, cookies, or cakes, it had to be added to the list for its unique quality and benefits. If you are a cupcake lover, (who isn’t?) you are going to love this cupcake baking rack.
It takes the frustration out of removing your cupcakes from a tin pan after the batter seals itself to the wrapper. It simplifies the entire process from baking, to cooling, doing decorations, and even transportation.
Have you ever had an ice cream cone cupcake? If not, you are missing out. This cupcake rack is reliable, made from quality steel, and can hold up to 12 cupcakes.
What we like about this product:
- Fun and unique
- Makes the cupcake process painless
- Affordable
- Strong and sturdy
9. Betty Crocker All in 1 Oven Baking Rack and Air Crisper (Most Versatile)
This Betty Crocker all in 1 oven baking rack is a versatile item that has a cooking rack and pan, all in one. You can place this pan into the oven to use as an air crisper, fryer, grease collector, etc. Or you can take it apart and use the pan for baking your cookies and the cooling rack to air them out when they are done.
This rack is a 5mm steel chrome plated cooling rack that is dishwasher safe and can withstand high temperatures up to 500°F.
This product has excellent reviews, and customers seem to enjoy the oven to countertop aspect.
What we like about this product:
- All in one, versatile product
- Easy to clean and dishwasher safe
- Can withstand high temperatures up to 500°F
- Very budget-friendly
10. Nifty 3-Tier Oven Rack (Best for Making Pies)
Since we have our “favorite” cooling racks specifically for cookies, cupcakes, and even dinners, we had to have one for pies. We choose the Nifty 3-tier oven/cooling rack as one of our top 10 thanks to the ability to bake three pies at one time, then cool them down right after.
This rack is made of alloy steel with a durable chrome-plated steel finish. It is a high-quality product that won’t break easily and can hold up a lot of weight without giving or bending.
Once you are finished with it, the oven rack easily folds flat and is dishwasher safe, making your clean-up worry-free.
What we like about this product:
- Strong and durable
- Collapses for easy storage
- Top-quality construction
- Provides three tiers for more cooking and cooling space
Cooling Racks FAQs
Do you still have questions regarding cooling racks? That’s okay; we have some answers. Here are a few of the most commonly asked questions.
Are Cooling Racks Essential?
Cooling racks are great for saving counter space and freeing up pans for most situations. However, these are essential when creating baked goods that can’t stay sitting on a hot surface or too long, such as cookies, biscuits, pastries, etc.
What Is The Best Material For Cooling Racks?
Ideally, you want an all-metal wire rack. This way, you never have to worry about chipping or peeling off metals or other toxic materials. These types of racks also last longer and can be used in the oven when needed.
Are Cheap Cooling Racks Bad Cooling Racks?
There are many budget-friendly cooling racks on the market today that are just as well-built, durable, and high-quality as some of the more expensive options. You should never feel like you must spend an arm and a leg to get quality products.
What Can Cooling Racks Be Used For?
Besides the obvious use, cooling food, most cooling racks can be placed in the oven and are great for steaming, dehydrating, cooking meat, or baking the foods you plan to cool later. (We will discuss this more a little later on.)
Cookie Cooling Rack
When looking for a good cooling rack for cookies, you won’t necessarily look for the same features as you would for pies or cakes. Each cookie needs its own space and plenty of room to breathe, so you are going to want a rack with smaller wire grids and large surface space.
It should be made from a high-quality material that won’t chip or peel, risking metal or toxic particles getting into your food.
Wire cooling racks (What are they for?)
While there may be other materials used for cooling racks, the most common is going to be a wired cooling rack, this is so the food has a place to sit and cool down while still allowing air to flow around it.
Wired racks are designed to be heat resistant for you to remove the food immediately from its hot pan, to prevent the cooking process from continuing to progress, possibly burning your food.
While cooling trays are often seen used for cookies, cupcakes, and other delicious baker desserts, they can also hold up other items such as loaves of fresh bread, a large bowl of freshly cooked soup, or even an entire roasted turkey.
Using cooling racks to serve dishes (such as that turkey) will allow you to bring your food directly to the dinner table without having to worry about the pan scorching the wood or tablecloth.
Cooling Rack in Oven, Is It Safe?
Many people think that because these are “cooling racks,” they have no business being in the over; however, that simply isn’t true. Many of these racks are designed to hold up against significant temperatures and can be utilized for many different things.
- Cooking bacon over a pan, allowing the grease to drip down
- Steaming vegetables over a pot of hot water
- Roasting meats like steak, chicken thighs, chicken, and vegetables
- Dehydrating fruits
Although you can use cooling racks for all these things, you always have to make sure your cooling rack is equipped for this type of job.
Never place a cooling rack coated with a non-stick spray in the oven; try to find pure metal options like cast-iron or stainless-steel cooling racks.
Another thing to be extremely aware of is how hot these products can get. Always be sure to wear cooking mitts when you are placing the racks into the oven and especially when you are taking them out.
Interesting Ways to Use a Cooling Rack in Your Home
Although this is usually a baking staple in everyone’s home, there are creative people out there who have come up with other fantastic ways to utilize this product. Here are a few interesting ways to use a cooling rack that has nothing to do with cookies or pies.
Message Boards
Hand a cooling rack on the wall and invest in mini clothespins and some post-it notes. Leave messages for your family regarding missed calls, to-dos, or just about anything else.
Organized Those Annoying Tupper Ware Lids
Place a cooling rack onto a large rectangular plastic storage bin and slide your loose Tupper ware tops into the slats. This makes them easy to store and easy to find.
Dry Your Dishes Fast
Place a cooling rack across the top of one of the sides of your sink and use it to hold freshly washed dishes until they have dried out.
Chop Hard-Boiled Eggs
For those who enjoy hard boiled eggs that are crumbled on top of your salad, a great way and fast way to do this is to place a rack on top of your bowl and push the egg straight through. This will give you crumbled hard boiled eggs in seconds. It will also give you the right texture and consistency.
These are just a few fun ideas; what can you do with a cooling rack?
Summing Things Up
There are so many options out there when it comes to finding the right cooling rack to add to your kitchen. Our suggestion is to find one that works for your situation, read the reviews, and only spend what you can afford.
