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Cooling rack

Cookware & bakeware · Bakeware

Cooling rack

A raised wire grid that lets air flow under baked goods so they cool without going soggy.

Useful to have · No power needed · 65 recipes

Photo: Donovan Govan., via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-3.0)

What it is

A metal grid on short legs, usually rectangular or round. Lifting food off the counter lets steam escape from underneath. Oven-safe stainless racks can also sit inside a baking tray so food roasts or crisps with air all round.

What it’s for: Cooling cakes, bread and biscuits evenly and keeping their bases crisp.

How to use it

  1. Set the rack on a flat surface away from steam.
  2. Turn cakes out or lift cookies onto it soon after baking.
  3. Leave until fully cool before icing or storing.
  4. For oven use, place it inside a rimmed baking tray before adding food.

Good to know

Tasks
cooling cakes, bread and biscuits, icing and glazing over a tray, draining fried food, oven-crisping bacon and wings
Cooking methods
Oven-baked, Roasted
Materials
stainless steel, chrome-plated steel, non-stick steel
Care and cleaning
Soak, then brush between the wires. Chrome-plated racks may not be oven-safe.
Limitations
Fine crumbs and soft cakes can sag between widely spaced wires.

Safety

  • Only use racks marked oven-safe inside the oven.

If you don’t have one

  • Oven shelf — A clean oven shelf on cups can cool large bakes.

Equipment guide

How it works: Lifting baked goods off a solid surface lets air circulate underneath. Steam escapes from all sides instead of condensing under the bake and making it soggy, and the item cools faster. Set in a tray, the same rack lifts food so oven air or dripping fat can move around it.

MaterialGoodWatch out
Stainless steelDurable, non-reactive, dishwasher-safe, does not hold smells.Can scratch non-stick pans; conducts heat, so all-metal handles get hot.
Chrome-plated steelCheap and common.Plating can flake; rusts once worn; not always oven-safe.
Non-stick (PTFE or ceramic sol-gel coating on aluminium)Eggs, fish and pancakes release with little fat; easy to clean; forgiving for beginners.Coatings wear out (ceramic often faster than PTFE); PTFE should not be heated empty or above about 260 °C; poor at building fond; needs non-metal utensils.
Grid rack
Fine crosshatch supports small biscuits and can go in the oven.
Parallel-wire rack
Simple and light.
Stacking racks
Save bench space.

Buying guidance

Starting out: A stainless grid rack that fits inside your rimmed baking tray.

  • Oven-safe stainless steel
  • Tight grid spacing (about 1 cm)
  • Feet that lift it at least 1 cm
  • Sized to fit inside your baking sheet

No brands or prices — check current reviews before buying.

Techniques:RoastingBakingShallow-fryingDeep-fryingDrying

Related tools

Recipes that use it

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