I ended up making the wrong choice—a silicone mat that got smelly and dirty and left hard-to-remove stains on my white countertop. Gross.
So I made it my mission to find products that work. In our lab, I tested six dish racks and three mats. I assessed each model across several criteria, including maximum capacity, how well they could hold a standard six-place dinnerware set, whether they tipped over with heavy pots and bakeware, and how well they drained. I also considered how easy each one was to assemble, clean, and store.