No drainer at all, I put nearly everything in the dishwasher. Larger items that are handwashed I turn over a dishtowel to air dry, then put away later.

I do the same as idrive65. I don't even have one anymore.

Ditto to the above, even before the renovation. Never had one in all the years. I'm using one for the very first time in my temporary kitchen, though!

Ditto again. Make it a pretty dish towel and you might actually enjoy seeing it there. My accent color is red so I use a pretty red towel for this.

I have a small dish rack that folds flat and gets stowed under the sink when not in use. Almost everything goes in the DW, but we do use the rack to help dry the few items that get hand washed.

Havent used a dish drainer in years. Almost everything goes into the dishwasher or gets towel dried.

Nothing stays in or around the sink after meals :)

yeah thats what we have been doing since the granite is installed. i'd have to say i like the convenience of the drainer because i use our cup to drink water a lot, and (yes i am that lazy) opening and closing the DW everytime just makes it a little inconvenient.

I have soapstone, not granite, but I do the same thing using a towel if I have to. I did just switch to a large single apron front sink. I got the grid to put in the bottom, so if I have a few things, I can use the grid as a drain board on one side of the sink before I dry and put away pans or large items. Otherwise, dishes go right in the DW.

Most of the dishes go in the dishwasher, then the few that I hand wash, I put on a towel to airdry. This is something new to me because I always used a drying rack at the old house.

I have seen some beautiful ones out there. Don't have one
myself but love some of the bamboo ones. With all the
granite, stainless steel and white in my kitchen I thought
about a bamboo one to add a little art and function.

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We decided that we were unable to break our dish drainer addiction. However, we replaced the big old plastic one with a much smaller chrome one. It's less of an eyesore and doesn't let the us stack too much. (So now we have to put things away!)

I have a clear plastic one. If I didn't leave it out DH would put my Le Creuset in the dishwasher (yes, he has done this, and yes it's gets rusty at the edges).

I replaced my big plastic dishdrainer & plastic drain board with a smaller chrome fold up one that I can still pile lots of stuff onto (we had a drainboard cut into the stone.) I hand wash all wood, plastic, old enamel, cast iron and all extra large pots and baking sheets. I hate throwing things out and plastic seems to last much longer and stay more pliable when I keep it out of the dw. I have lots of counterspace so I don't mind taking up a piece of it with something as functional as a dishrack. I thought I would fold it up and put it away but it turns out it doesn't bother me at all. None of our large appliances are covered and many of our small appliances are out on the counter and our kitchen looks like a.....kitchen.

I don't have a new kitchen (yet) ;), but I don't like having a drainer on the counter. I usually put everything into the dishwasher right away or towel dry items. However, I have found that my sink grates are the best way to dry wine glasses and more delicate things without leaving drip lines.

Had it not been for this forum I'd still be in the dark about the wonders of sink grids.

that's why we have a double sink - one side is for washing, the other is for drying. the side that is for drying is about 1/3 the size of the large one.

we wash all cast iron, plastic and wood by hand. my heirloom china and all crystal also are washed by hand. I never had a dish rack.

I loved reading that many of you decide against a dish drainer once you got granite, and that was my plan. We're in a brand new house, Blue Pearl granite countertop, Anthracite 1 3/4 Blanco Silgranit undermount sink. I'm finding I don't want to dry dishes IN the sink like I'd planned. (Don't want to "be careful" with splashing.) Most everything goes in the DW, and I'm okay with a few things in the dish rack, with thoughts of finding something nicer than my Rubbermaid set. Target has Michael Graves and Home pieces -- my first encounter with them. They look much nicer -- just wondering if chrome or stainless or bottom coated either rust or discolor over time. Dishwasher safe? Also saw a clear plastic drain board (would allow the granite to show through!), but would it gook up with water or mineral marks like the Rubbermaid? Any thoughts or experience with these? Thank you.

I like the idea of the drainboard cut into the stone, but DH said no. Now I use a towel and stack anything hand washed and I except to do that in the new kitchen too. When I'm done the dishes I use the damp towel (if it's not too wet) to do the final wipedown of the kitchen.

ellen_h: I had a clear plastic drainboard, it was water marked and looking nasty in no time with all the scratches and whatnot...would never do that again.

Don't be silly, that's what the sink grid is for :)

Blue

I haven't decided what to do in my new kitchen in our "in town" and where we are most of the time home - won't be ready for a few months yet - but at the ranch, the sink was top mounted, so drainboards I was familiar with wouldn't drain into the sink. Most chrome or stainless ones aren't made to drain into the sink - the rack just sits in a pan. I finally found a stainless one by Zojila (link below; you can buy them through Amazon). It is very heavy duty; not as large as the old large rubbermaid ones, but sufficient. Our water there is very hard, but I use a little Barkeeper's Friend occasionally and it cleans up really well.

Here is a link that might be useful: Zojila Dishrack

My old ugly plastic Rubbermaid dish drainer was always on my previous counter. ONly time it got stashed under the sink was when I knew company was coming. I hated it, along with the bright yellow Sunlight bottle!

I have a small stainless steel/chrome? dish drainer that fits into the small side of my much larger and deeper sink, so that even full, it is barely visible. As someone else said, being smaller, just means I have to put the dishes away sooner! With my soap dispenser, I have now gotten rid of the two biggest eyesores of my old kitchen!

I've always been able to throw most things in the DW everywhere I've lived. Except at Holidays. The few odd items I hand wash sit on a towel to dry. (Reading this I think maybe someone should market "Drying Towels"!)

I have one of those folding wooden strainers from Sweden (Boxerpups #4 pic) for YEARS now and RARELY get it out from under the sink. It's built for PLATES and the stuff I'm hand washing is never plates. And they are way too small for large pans. Or any pan really. It's a silly extravagance that looks cute but is pretty useless. :)

We don't use a dish drainer either. Haven't in quite a few years. Most go right into the dishwasher. The items that we don't put in the dw go right on the counter with a dishtowel set on the counter to catch the drips. Air dry. Hasn't hurt the granite counters at all. One less thing to buy and have to find a storage space for. NancyLouise

Biochem,

I've been wondering about that. Our dishes go directly into the dishwasher, and the only things hand washed are pots & knives....

I just can't see putting a Le Creuset dutch oven on top of one of those tiny, adorable bamboo drainers. Smithereens-time!

We've had a large stainless drying rack for years, but there won't be room for it in the new layout. I seriously think I'll try skipping the drainer altogether, and go with the towel-laid-on-the-granite method. Worth a try, anyway!

Speaking of drying pots and pans ...

When I was a kid mom didn't put pots in the dishwasher, she washed them by hand and set them over on the cooktop to dry, then later on poured out the remaining drips. It was a small kitchen short on counterspace. Out of habit, I often do the same -- quick swipe on the bottom, then over to the stovetop, later dump the drips, wipe and put away. One day I was talking to her about it, and she laughed. HER mother had a working woodstove in the kitchen, so placing the pots there actually DRIED them. But old habits die hard. :P

Today there are some lovely dish drainers, but I just use a dish towel for my pots, pans, and lg. casseroles--whatever doesn't go in the DW. I wait about 30 minutes then put them away. I have v.little on my counters because I like a clean uncluttered look. Dish drainers is one thing I hate the sight of.

donka: Thanks for the note about the clear plastic drain board. It helped me make up my mind. Can anyone tell me if the chrome or stainless drainers stay nice-looking or rust or discolor?

idrive65: Loved the story about the cookstove drying the dishes!
Ellen

I've never used one. The few things that don't go into the dishwasher I just prop in one side of my sink to dry.

i thought i would put everything in the dishwasher but then found in a real-life situation you really DO need to make use of a drainer at one time or another. so, i did put a drainer on the granite counter in our old house. we're in the process of building now and i got a 36" single bowl farm sink. i'm getting a drainer to use inside the sink for occasional use. if i need to move it to my showroom marble counters, i'll do it. after all, it's a kitchen!

Kates, I loved the "showroom marble counters" comment, LOL

I use a dishtowel for the few things that I don't put in the DW, but I'm seriously thinking of getting a "small" drying rack.

boxerpups- I love some of the dish drainers you posted. Can I ask where you found them?