For many years my sister, Debbie, and I have had an ongoing argument over the use of a dish rack in our respective kitchens.
She would come to my house. She would help with the dishes. She would sigh mournfully and say, “Becky, how in the world do you live without a dish rack?”
I would go to her house. I would help with dishes. I would say even more mournfully, “Debbie, how in the world do you live with this dish rack always in your way?”
It was a standoff. A stubborn, sibling-ish, sisterly stand-off.
But then?
One day I was in Goodwill, one of my favorite spots on earth. As I happily wandered the aisles spying out my bargains, I happened to notice this.
A dish rack.
It was one dollar. One measly little dollar.
And I thought, “You know what? I probably shouldn’t criticize something I have never tried. Therefore, I am going to buy this dish rack and use it for one week. At the end of that week, Steve, Sarah and I will take a poll and see if we like it or hate it.”
What did we have to lose? A dollar?
Well, that was a year ago.
This is what our kitchen sink looks like today. The dollar dish rack has a permanent, honored place in our kitchen.
We would be LOST without it; in fact, we use it every day, all the time, over and over.
Which goes to show that little sisters are very often right. (Thanks, Deb!)
Are you a dish rack user or a non dish rack user?
Is there something else you have in your kitchen that you couldn’t live without?
I’ve always had a dish rack – but I keep it on the counter right next to the sink on a little mat that drains into the sink.
Nancy,
Great idea!
Honestly, I’m good either way.
Steve,
Well, the two primary dish-doers in the house LIKE the rack. So there! 🙂
No dishrack – don’t have a double sink and that makes it not as practical. I have and would use one if it worked in my kitchen as I am always washing something by hand that souldn’t or couldn’t go in the dishwasher. Love my Keurig! Love my magnets on the frig. Only special ones – many memories in each – Oh, and my grandson’s art work! And the alphabet magnets that special out random special messages – funny how evern grown up kids like those.
Need to read before posting – I meant to say “spell out random special messages – funny how even grown up kids like those.” Oh, and “shouldn’t” not souldn’t. Sigh…….
Mary,
We’ve had those letter magnets on our fridge before; they really are a lot of fun for all sorts of miscellaneous messages!
We are definitely dishrack users. Ours is never empty, though. I also love the crockpot and the cutting boards. Can’t imagine cutting without them. Our counters would look terrible! Oh, and the coffee maker…couldn’t live without that one either. 🙂
Gayle,
Isn’t it funny how some people can’t image NOT having a dish rack and others can’t imagine having one? It’s fun to see how we’re all so different.
No dish rack, no cutting board, no food processor, no crock pot. (wow that sounds bad)
Lesley,
I think I could live without any of the things you mentioned–except the cutting board!
Don’t have a dish rack but have used one before. I just might need one but I do have a mat in the sink so the water drains off the dishes.
Ann,
The mat in the sink works!
Ick!! Loathe dish racks. Just another thing to wash. If not they get moldy!!!! If ever I am in a hurry and don’t have time to dry a dish I lay it on a dish cloth
Lauren,
I agree–dish towels make a good spot to lay stuff out to dry. I’ve done that a thousand times!
Wow! I was amazed and honored (and slightly horrified!) to find me and my dish drainer as the topic of today’s post.
I didn’t know I had actually influenced you to become a dish drainer fan. Did you tell me? I don’t remember but then my brain is generally mush.
Anyway, this little sister is proud to know she made a difference in her big sister’s life in some small way. 🙂
Love deb
Debbie,
Well, I guess since the visits between each others’ houses are always at least a couple years apart (oh the sadness of living in far-from-each-other states), you probably wouldn’t remember those conversations that well. I just know we had them often enough over the years that you convinced me to give it a try! 🙂
I used them in my Antique booth to hold dishes or record albums, but no in my kitchen.
couldn’t live w/o my microwave. (literally, since my stove and oven don’t work)
Mrs. Pam,
I love the idea of using a dish rack for something other than what it was intended for. Very creative!
I used to use a dish rack (less nowadays since we have a dishwasher). It’s my sister who converted me to it 🙂 Ah sisters, what would we do without them?
Renee,
Yep, those sisters of ours wield a powerful influence on our lives, don’t they? 🙂
I have a dishwasher now and so I don’t use one, but I never could have got by without one before. I see you have yours in the sink, I kept mine on the counter with a plastic tray that let water drip into sink. my daughter reminded me recently that I taught her how to stack dishes to the bottom of the cupboards, so we didn’t need to dry any. it is a talent believe me. I can not say I keep a neat kitchen so dishes piled skyhigh to dry did not bother me. ( needless to say I did NOT learn this from my MOTHER)
Sharon,
Sounds like you’ve passed down some helpful stuff to your daughter; it’s funny how we can forget the things we taught them. I’ve done that same thing before and Sarah has to remind me. 🙂
I don’t use one. I did, when I had houses without a dishwasher.
Stefanie,
Yes, when you don’t have a dishwasher, it is VERY helpful to have a place to drain all those freshly washed dishes!
I see everyone so far uses a dish rack, I do not. I have never tried one and tend to think they would make the sink look dirty and cluttered. Maybe I have to join the majority and try one. 🙂
Kathy,
Well, that’s what I had to do–give it the ol’ one week trial period! 🙂
I have one out of necessity, but hate it. It takes up too much room in my teeny tiny kitchen. Ah well, if that’s the only thing I have to complain about I’m doing pretty ok!
Jen,
I can certainly see that if you have a smaller kitchen, a dish rack would be a bit cumbersome. And as you said, life would be pretty good if our biggest problem was a dish rack! 🙂
I definitely have a dish drainer. Its always by my sink and rarely is without clean dishes in it 🙂 I am a daycare provider so always am washing up cups, or bottles or toys! I would be lost without mine.
Wendy,
Glad to meet another person who puts their dish drainer to good use! I can imagine that as a daycare provider, yours gets double and triple use!
Becky, I can’t imagine how you got along without a dish rack! Mine is in constant use draining things that I don’t want washed in the dishwasher. It is also much more sanitary to let washed dishes air dry rather than using a dish towel. (Speaking as a retired home ec teacher)
I would find it hard to function without my microwave or the ice maker in the frig. Filling ice cube trays is not high on my list of fun things to do.
Liz,
I imagine that as a retired home ec teacher, you have a LOT of interesting stories to tell! 🙂
Becky, share with us how you do use the dishrack.
Chris,
I mainly use it when I’m washing something by hand that takes up too much room in the dishwasher (a big skillet, for example) or when something isn’t terribly dirty and just needs a quick rinse. (Like when I cut an apple, I just rinse the knife and put and it in the silverware holder part of the rack.) Lots of other times I use it, but those come to mind the quickest!
I use a dish rack and can’t imagine NOT having one!! 🙂 The same goes for my cutting boards and my Pampered Chef food chopper. Oh. My. Goodness.
LeeAnne,
I have always wanted a food chopper/processor thingie. Maybe I will have to put that on my Christmas list.
As for cutting boards, I actually talked to some older ladies once who said they had never owned a cutting board! I was amazed. They just cut up on an onion or tomato holding it in their hand. I guess when you think about it, the pioneer women didn’t have that sort of thing but I’d be sunk without it!
No drainer…dishwasher now. I own very few things that cannot go through the it. So I just wash them up and dry them right away.
I also could not live without my PC food chopper. I had mine for about 15 years and it broke. I was not going to pay the sky-high price they were asking for another one. Several weeks later walked into Salvation Army store and there was one, new in box, sitting on the shelf for $3. I calmly(outwardly) picked it up and walked to the register, paid for it and then ran for the car. I was sure someone would come after me demanding more money. You can keep the big food processors. I love my chopper. I believe OXO now makes one that is more reasonably priced.
Deb,
I can only imagine your excitement at the bargain you found on that food processor. I’m like you–I find stuff in a thrift store that makes me want to dance a jig but I have to be all calm and nonchalant while I’m paying. I do my rejoicing out in the car. 🙂
I am definitely a dish rack user . . . in fact I use one several times every day . . . my own two hands are the only dishwasher(s) I have!!! Hugs to you all! Linda in Pittsburgh
What else do I have in my kitchen that I couldn’t live without? Hmmm, that is a good question! I guess I couldn’t live without my crock pot (slow cooker) And, I love having a small white (dry erase) board on the side of my refrigerator . . . I always write notes to myself so I don’t forget thing I need to take to work or pick up at the grocery store! Love to the Smith family (and extended family)! Looking forward to pictures of Noah when he makes his debut!!!! Linda in Pittsburgh
Linda,
Since you don’t have a dishwasher, that dish rack is definitely a necessity! Love your white board idea; we used to keep one of those at our house too, but I’m not sure where it got off, too. We usually used it just to write messages to each other which was fun. Thanks for being excited with us about Noah!