The Best Space Saving Dish Rack For a Small Kitchen

Whether you live in a tiny studio apartment, or a larger home with limited counter space, a space saving dish rack is beneficial for all. Who likes looking at a giant dish rack on someone’s countertop anyway? 

Below I have compiled a list of the 13 best small dish rack options for small spaces. The list is in order of most space-saving to least. You can determine what best suits your small space as you scroll through!

Best Space Saving Dish Rack Options

Microfiber Drying Cloth

In my opinion, a simple microfiber towel is the ultimate space saving “dish rack.” In fact, this is currently the “dish rack” that we use in our home. When it’s time to hand wash a load of dishes, I lay an absorbent microfiber towel on the counter next to our sink. After hand washing, I set dishes on the towel to dry. 

If I’m on my A-game, I’ll follow up by hand drying said dishes with a second microfiber towel and putting them away immediately after washing. Then I can hang both microfiber towels on our oven to dry until our family’s next meal. Zero counter space or sink space is wasted!

If you go this route, be sure to wash your towels every few days. Learn how to wash microfiber appropriately.

Surpahs Over the Sink Multipurpose Roll-Up Dish Drying Rack

If you have a larger sink in spite of little counter space, then an over the sink drying rack might be the option for you. This over the sink drying rack rolls up to be extremely compact. I love that it’s easy to store when not in use in a drawer or cabinet. It also isn’t obnoxious to look at when it’s out and in use. 

This is the ultimate space saving dish rack option if you truly don’t have space on your counter to set your tools to dry. 

Umbra Sinkin Mini Dish Rack

If you live alone and only have a few plates, cups, and silverware to wash at any given time, then this is a nice option. This dish rack is teeny tiny and can sit either on the counter next to your sink, or directly in your sink basin. I wouldn’t recommend this for larger families as it only has the capacity to hold 3 plates and two cups. A tiny dish rack like this is perfect for someone living alone in a small studio who doesn’t cook a whole lot. 

Compact Dish Rack

Here is a small stainless steel dish rack for those who appreciate a more industrial look. It’s a tiny bit larger than the Umbra Sinkin Mini Dish Rack at 14” by 6.5” by 5”. I like that there is no plastic used in the construction of this dish rack. This product is made from rust free stainless steel, a much more durable and sustainable alternative to plastic or even silicone dish racks. 

I also like that you can fit up to 14 plates and that it includes a cutlery drying basket. There’s a lot of utility that you’ll get from this small space dish drainer. 

YAMAZAKI Self Draining Mat

If you’re looking for a bare bones tiny space dish drainer, this drainer mat could be for you. It works well on its own or you can place it underneath one of the mini drying racks mentioned above for a next-to-sink solution. This drainer mat is also easy to store out of sight when not in use. 

YAMAZAKI Tower Dish Drainer-Drying Rack for Kitchen Counters

When it comes to living in a small space, the more objects in your home that can serve multiple purposes the better. This drying rack is one of those objects. It can of course be used in or next to your sink as a typical drying rack. It comes with a removable and adjustable spout for draining water into your sink, which is nice.

It can also be used as a soapy water bin to soak dirty dishes. If you don’t have a dishwasher in your small space, it is SO much easier to clean small dishes and cutlery by soaking them in soapy water first. After soaking for a few minutes, you can quickly rinse them clean and dry with a dish towel. Instead of filling a large sink with water to soak dishes, you can save water with this bin instead. 

Prepworks by Progressive Collapsible Over-The-Sink Dish Drainer

Ok, this is arguably the least attractive option on this list but it certainly counts as small space friendly. If you truly do not have counter space to dry dishes, this collapsible rack will pop open and hang on your sink width or length-wise.  It collapses into the size of a small cutting board once you’re finished using it. This makes it both easy to store and easy to clean because it will fit right inside of your dishwasher. 

Neat-O Over-The-Sink Kitchen Dish Drainer Rack

Here we have a slightly more attractive (albeit less space-saving) over-the-sink dish rack. This dish drainer fits in most sinks, has a chrome metal finish, and can hold multiple plates and cups. The biggest drawback to this dish drainer is the lack of a cutlery drying basket. 

What’s nice about this dish rack, is you can set it over a dish towel next to your sink as you load the rack. Once it’s full, you can transfer it to sit inside of your sink. This will free up counter space while your dishes dry before your next meal.

YAMAZAKI Tower Wire Dish Drainer Rack

This dish drainer rack is sold with a self draining tray that sits beneath the drying rack. The draining spout can adjust to face any direction and allow excess water to drain into the sink. I like that this dish rack is made of high quality steel, not plastic (although the draining tray is likely plastic). This small dish rack could be stored next to your sink or inside of your sink without the draining tray. It also includes a cutlery basket, which not all small space dish drying racks offer.

Sagler Wooden Dish Rack

I grew up with a bamboo wooden dish rack much like this one. I think that these are beautiful to look at in both large and small space kitchens. What makes this option great for small spaces is its ability to fold up and store away. So if you’re dealing with limited counter space, you can wash dishes and set them on this rack to dry. Once you finish washing, you can dry the dishes and put them (and the drying rack) away. Your counters remain clear!

This drying rack does not include a dedicated cutlery drying basket, which isn’t ideal. But it also is made from a natural, sustainable material so you can feel good about avoiding another plastic purchase in your home.

simplehuman Kitchen Slim Wire Frame Dish Rack With Removable Spout

What sets this dish rack apart is the cutlery drying basket. This one includes a bamboo knife block where your knives can safely rest until fully dry. Otherwise this dish rack is fairly basic with a plastic base and sink draining mechanism. It has a chrome basket and an overall minimalist aesthetic.

YAMAZAKI Tower Dish Drainer-Drying Rack

This dish drying rack is very simple and clean. I don’t like that it’s completely plastic, but it does manage a small footprint and high utility. Much like the wooden dish rack above, this one fits multiple dishes, cups, and other kitchen objects. It comes with a tray that will collect water, but does not have a sink drain. You will have to manually empty the bottom tray into your sink and likely clean it daily.

With all of that said, if you’re in the market for a minimalist, modern, small space dish rack then this one ticks all of the boxes.

Dish Drying Rack Kitchen Organizer with Double Layers

I told you we were going to move from smallest to biggest, didn’t I? This double decker dish drying rack is a great option for larger families who live in a home with a smaller kitchen. Or perhaps for families that don’t have a dishwasher (I personally don’t know how you do it…). Based on the photos, it looks like this dish rack can hold 12-13 plates PLUS 12 bowls and a few cups on the main shelves. Off the sides of this dish rack is space for cutlery as well as larger objects like cutting boards.

This option includes removable draining trays beneath each section that can easily slide out to be emptied and washed. What’s incredible is the fact that the counter space footprint is still comparable to most of the options above. I think this is a winning selection for large families or homes without dishwashers.