Compact Steel Dish Drying Rack

Forty and a half centimetres by thirty and a half, which is about as small as a dish rack can be while still holding a genuine load. Ten plates stand upright in the slotted rail, with room alongside for bowls, mugs and glasses. In a kitchen where the counter beside the sink is the only free surface, the difference between this and a full-size rack is the difference between being able to use that counter and not.

The rack is stainless steel rather than coated wire, which is the part that matters over time: coated racks chip where plates rub against them and then rust from the inside out at exactly those points. Underneath it sits a sloped plastic drainboard with an adjustable spout, so the water can be directed back into the sink from either side depending on which way round the rack has to go.

That swivel spout is worth more than it sounds. Most compact racks assume the sink is on one particular side and leave everyone else mopping up. Being able to turn the outlet means the rack fits the kitchen rather than the other way round. Lift the rack off the board to wash both properly every week or so, and dry the steel after washing to keep water marks off the finish.

• Stainless steel rack with sloped plastic drainboard
• Approximately 40.5 x 30.5 x 13cm
• Holds up to ten plates plus bowls, mugs and glasses
• Adjustable swivel spout drains to either side
• Rack lifts off the drainboard for cleaning
• Dry the steel after washing to avoid water marks