Many apartment dwellers and homeowners need to cope with small kitchens, or at least kitchens with limited counter space. A big countertop dish drainer isn't going to work, but they need something for those dishes, glasses, pans and cutlery that don't go into the dishwasher (if they even have a dishwasher).

The client who asked me for help with this challenge wound up choosing an in-sink dish drainer; that's a nice solution for end users with a large enough sink.

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The Basin from Umbra, designed by Helen T. Miller, is intended for use either on a countertop or in the sink. Purchasers generally find the design works well; the slots are big enough to hold thicker plates just as those from Fiesta, the cutlery section is appreciated, and the size is good for small countertops. However, they note one major drawback (in some kitchens): the spout doesn't work well when used on a countertop with a top-mount sink. The spout is fairly short and doesn't extend over the sink edge, and putting the drainer on the sink edge messes up the drainage angle.

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The DishGarden Dish Rack from Chef'n is also designed to fit in a sink—although it could also be used on a countertop (perhaps with a drainer mat or a towel). It has an unusual round design, which seems as though it would waste space, but purchasers note how much it holds for such a small dish rack. As one purchaser wrote, "Hanging cups on the outside frees up the inside, the little plastic posts on the bottom allow for much more versatile loading than the usual wire separators, and large pieces like cookie sheets fit beautifully with their ends through the sides." The two utensil holders can be placed wherever the end user likes, adding yet more flexibility.

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Another sink-based design is an over-the-sink drainer, such as this one from Polder. It's made of stainless steel to resist rust, and it's adjustable to fit varying sink sizes. Purchasers miss having a silverware holder, though. 

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The Prepworks over-the-sink dish drainer also has extendable arms, and it does include a utensil holder (which can be removed for users who don't need it). Additionally, it collapses to 1/3 its original size for easy storage. It's a more closed design than the Polder dish drainer; that means there will be a reduced air flow, and dishes won't dry quite as quickly. 

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Surpahs over-the-sink multipurpose roll-up dish drying rack takes a different approach, providing a rack that would work for glasses or pans but not for a stack of dishes. (And some end users might be nervous using it for glasses, since it would be pretty easy to knock them off of this rack.) It's made from silicone-coated steel. It has the added advantage of being a dual-purpose product, since it can also be used as a cooling rack. And it rolls up for easy storage.

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Other collapsible or foldable racks are not designed for in-sink or over-sink use, but they still save on storage space. Most of these are X-shaped, such as the Hutzler folding dish rack. As with most other racks of this type, there's no drip tray included, so end users will need to come up with their own solutions for that. While purchasers of some other such racks sometimes complained about the racks collapsing (yikes!) or dishes slipping out of the grooves, this rack gets much more favorable reviews. It's a nice reminder that a good design starts with ensuring the basics are solid.

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The Extend dish rack from Joseph Joseph is expandable, which means users can use it in a small space and take advantage of the extra drying space if they move to a place with a larger kitchen. The designer was Studio17 Design.

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Dish drainers can also be hung on the walls over a countertop; Ikea's Grundtal dish drainer is an example of that approach. Not all users will have free wall space, or be allowed to attach something to the walls in a rental situation, but for other end users this could be a nice space-saving solution for their countertops. The drainer folds up when not in use.

Photo by Jarno Elonen, via Wikimedia Commons

Dish draining closets are common in countries such as Finland, Spain, Italy and Estonia. With an open bottom, the cabinets allow dishes to drain into a stainless steel sink (or onto a stainless steel countertop) as they dry. Since kitchens in North America don't come with such cabinets, designers have developed products to help users modify existing cabinets or build new ones.