Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Do you use a dish drain?


Just curious... how many of y'all use a dish drain? Do you keep it by your sink at all times?

If you do not use a dish drain, do you just wash a few dishes, then dry them and put them away, and then repeat this process?

All the pretty kitchen photogaphs I've seen all have one thing in common- no dish drain!!! I was just curious if I was the only person alive (well, my mother, too) that still uses a dish drain?

And just maybe I could do without it to for a while to see if I really need it? Wow, my kitchen counter would seem MUCH roomier without it, I am sure!!

38 comments:

Dianna said...

We had one out at all times before we moved somewhere with a dishwasher. We hardly had any counter space, but it was well worth the room it took! It saves so much time in drying dishes, and it's more sanitary too.

I missed it a lot when our dishwasher broke recently.

Misty said...

I do use one, BUT when we have no dishes in it and have company coming, we put it under the sink. :)

Prasanthi Neeladaran said...

I do use one almost everyday. It sits in one half of our kitchen sink. Have minimal pots/pans in it all times though. This way when someone comes home the sink doesn't look full. In a recent trip, I bought a bigger dish drain because I prefer to keep all my dishes together in one place and prefer to keep it off the counters...The bigger one ALSO nicely fits into the half sink....so it works very well with me and NO, I don't think I can do without a dish drainer....TC

TK said...

I don't use one b/c I like counter space open and free if at all possible. I lay out a dish towel to dry things on when it is just a small amount. If the amount is larger, I put big items in the dishwasher to air dry and keep off the counter. When I have a lot of stuff to wash, or company, I just put it in the dishwasher and let it do the work.
I would love to find a foldable, metal drying rack. If anyone sees one, let me know. Then I could just store it under my sink after I'm done.

Kate said...

I used to use one, but I didn't like the way it looked or the counter space it took up. I also found that it was easier to just leave the dishes there. Laying them on a dishtowel, for some reason, makes me much more likely to put them away quickly.

~Kate
"Which Proverbs 14:1 Woman?"
http://proverbs14-1.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

I wash almost everything in the dishwasher, but for the things I hand wash, I just set them on the counter. The drying rack just took up too much of my precious counter space.

Anonymous said...

I don't, but I kinda want one. We have a dishwasher, but sometimes there are things that don't fit and I just lay them on the counter with a towel...

Anonymous said...

We have a dish drainer. It is a device that I use to teach my teenagers the art of taking care of themselves in the future, should there not be a dishwasher in their first humble abode. It's presence on the counter brings sighs of, "Uggghh!" It is the bitter after the sweet meal taken together. It is the sigh of "Finally, Done!" When empty, one slumps with exhaustion (after 15 minutes of work, compared to 3 hours of watching tv) or looks about to see if, surely they are all done. It is also the "barn" where all dishes procreate. Just look around. They never seem to keep from populating the kitchen. Take a break, use the bathroom, when you return the drainer is empty and the counters full once again. Yes, we keep it to grow character. But, between you and me, when the kids are grown, that thing will go to the storage. And as soon as the kids visit, it will once again have it's humble place of grace on the counter. Oh, the memories!

Melissa said...

I have a tiny apartment kitchen that has a wonderful dishwasher that I do not use :D I much prefer to wash all my dishes by hand. I never liked having to wash dishes BEFORE putting them in the dishwasher...seems like it defeats the purpose of using a dishwasher.

My dish drainer is on the small side, perfect for our limited counter space. Sometimes I think about putting it under the sink when I'm not using it...but then it almost always has dishes in it as I prefer to let dishes air dry to avoid lint residue. I'm strange...I know.

On the other hand, my dishwasher makes great storage for crystal dishes and glass pitchers when I'm not using them :D

Melissa :D

Paula said...

I have a small dish drain that fits across one side of the kitchen sink. I use it for pots/pans and serving dishes. I *try* to empty it as soon as the dishes are dry.

The best thing about it is that it will fit neatly under the sink if I want it out of sight. :)

Heather said...

We use one! I don't like those plastic ones because I think they look cheap but we have a nice stainless steel one that sits on top of a small towel that matches the kitchen decor. We don't even have a dishwasher in our house but we do luckily have plenty of counter space so that's not a big deal. I have never in my life met anyone who washed/dried/put away...always its either the dishwasher or stack 'em up in the dish drainer. You are NOT alone!

Amanda @ Serenity Now said...

I keep mine in the other side of the sink. I will admit that sometimes it is embarrassingly full of dry dishes and sippy cups. ;) We have a dishwasher, but sometimes you just can't wait for a sippy cup!

Sandra said...

I have one because I do not have a dishwasher. I leave mine out since it is always full of dishes. It may be unsightly, but not as unsightly as dirty dishes sitting around everywhere!

50s Housewife said...

My dishwasher broke a few months back and so I bought one. I was using the dishwasher as a drainer for a while, but it I didn't like having it open so much. It takes up too much room in my kitchen. It's out most of the time (it's red so I think it's cute with the rest of the red in my kitchen), but I usually put it under the sink if company is coming.

Meredith said...

I have never put one on my counter due to lack of space (previous homes). Now, even though I do have more room, I'm addicted to the look of an empty counter.

I either keep my small stainless drainboard in one well of our deep sink, or it's tucked in the cabinet underneath.

If I'm only washing a big pot or a few glasses, I usually lay them on a clean tea towel to air dry while I do something else in the kitchen.

Anonymous said...

We have one - it stays in one half of the kitchen sink. It takes up so much less counter space that way. We don't have a dishwasher (don't have room for one!) so this works out well.

Anonymous said...

I use one but it is small and fits inside my sink. I let the dishes drain for a bit and then dry. If the drain rack is left in the sink, no one notices it. The only challenge is rinsing the dishes because it sits in the rinse side of the sink.

Andrea L.

Anonymous said...

I don't like our dishwasher, so I do use one. It's small and I like to wash, then dry them right away and put it away.

Unknown said...

I've always had a dish drain. I'm about to purchase a replacement though.
I found a nice one at Crate and Barrel that I really want.

Unknown said...

Oh boy. I have a mega size one and I hate it. A few years back our dish washer broke but I kept the bottom rack to use as a dish drain. But our family is too big to just use the normal one. No way do we dry each time either. Just unload it when we do another meal's worth. I'm sure it looks funny too on my counter to most people but I don't think about it anymore!!

Anonymous said...

Hello,

We use a dish drainer. It sits in the left side of the sink all the time. Most dishes I'll let air dry, but the larger items and pans I'll wipe with a towel.

Take Care,

Trixie

Mary said...

I use one! I have a pretty stainless one, with a red mat underneath it. I have a lot of red in my kitchen, so it looks great. I also knit red dishcloths, and hang them on the rack, and it looks so cute! BTW, I have a lot of counter space, so for me it works well.

Brenda@CoffeeTeaBooks said...

I have a pretty, red Rubbermaid dish drainer.

Since I don't have a dishwasher (except moi'), I leave it out all the time.

That's why I splurged and bought the heavy duty and very pretty red Rubbermaid. :)

Wendi said...

I don't have one. If I have to handwash something I lay a dishtowel on the counter. I just don't have the counter space for a dish drain.

Charree said...

We have a dishwasher so the only thing that I hand wash are the pots. I just put them on top of the stove to dry off while I finish cleaning the rest of the kitchen.

Have a blessed day!
~Charree

mamajuliana said...

Ours is out on the counter 24/7. I have learned to dry the dishes and put them away and NOT let them sit in the drain...but I have nowhere else to store it, even if it is empty.

We don't have a dishwasher...

Cherish said...

Mine is on the counter next to the sink and it doesn't ever get put away. When I first moved out and couldn't afford one yet, I laid the clean dishes on a towel, and dried them when I ran out of room.

Anonymous said...

I have a dishwasher, but I don't think I'd live happily without my stainless steel dish drain. I use it for the calphalon pots and other items that can't be put in the dishwasher AND I think it is the best way to air-dry fruit after washing it prior to putting it in the refrigerator.

Anonymous said...

Oh, yes--I use one. I have to--I don't have a dishwasher. I have seen in magazines plenty of cute kitchens with them, but most of the kitchens are in Europe or Japan.

Anonymous said...

I do have one. Its so pretty, Its black wrought iron and quite simple but fancy looking, I think because of the iron look of it. I do have a dishwasher also but when I take things out of the dishwasher I stack them in the dish drain, for some reason the bottom of cups and some glasses are still wet. I do try and keep it empty though

Bethanie said...

I don't. I just lay everything on a dish towel. I used to have one, but it got really yucky looking.

Haugh Family said...

No dishwasher, so we definitely use ours! It sits nicely on the counter, next to the sink at all times. If it behaves, I give it a good spa therapy with baking soda about once a week to keep it clean and shiny :)

Grandma Honey said...

I don't use a drainer for my dishes, but I think a few dishes set out to dry on a dishcloth looks so tidy to me. I actually like the look.

Anonymous said...

I got sick of looking at mine a few years ago and tossed it. I'm glad I did. I prefer clear counters, and with only two of us here, a few things drying on a clean towel is no big deal.

~Becky

Tammy said...

I use a dish drainer - I have a double sink, and it is always in one side of the sink. I think magazine pictures just don't show them because they aren't "pretty" but I can't imagine doing dishes without one! I don't like the big ones that go on the counter - I much prefer the small ones that fit into the sink.

Carolyn said...

Yup, I use one! It's always on the counter, with a dishtowel under it (I've found its a LOT easier to keep cleaner then one of the drainer trays), and I use it for things I handwash (mainly pots and pans), and for stuff that comes out of the dishwasher and is still a little wet (towel drying takes too long). If I were having a big dinner party or something, I'd probably store it away for the evening.

Anonymous said...

I gave away ours because my husband is the only person that uses it and since he washes the dishes about 3 times a year I figured no biggy. I did ask first though. Anyhoo I have a dishwasher(its my favorite appliance, Id be fine with out electricity but for the dishwasher part)
Did you know dishwashers use less water and electricity than if you do them by hand? Yes less water in the first place and so less energy to heat it so much that even in combination with the electricity to run it it still ends up less.

Anonymous said...

We have always had one. It still sits beside the sink and gets used 3 times a day! :)

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