I Baked Dozens of Cookies to Find the 3 Best Cooling Racks

A versatile cooling rack is a beautiful thing. Almost all wire racks can be used to cool cookies, bread loaves, and other baked goods, but there’s also a wider world of kitchen tasks where they can make a big difference.

A good one can elevate food in a roasting pan, allowing heat to circulate for more even cooking. This is useful for dishes like oven-fried chicken wings, a spatchcocked bird, or a crown roast of lamb. After deep-frying, a cooling rack set over a rimmed baking sheet can prevent food from going soggy. Wire racks can be used for glazing cakes or loaves, to rest meat, and to dry brine chicken, steak, turkey, pork shoulder, or prime rib.

To find the best cooling racks, I tested eight half-sheet and seven quarter-sheet models to see which are worth a spot in your kitchen, focusing on ones that claimed to fit half-sheet and quarter-sheet pans.

The Tests

• Fit Test: I placed each half-sheet cooling rack inside our favorite half-sheet pans, the Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Half Sheet and Chicago Metallic Commercial II Half Sheet, to see how well it fit and if it shifted at all when I tilted the pan. To test quarter-sheet cooling racks, I placed each rack into the Nordic Ware Naturals Quarter Sheet.
• Cookies Test: I baked batches of chocolate chip cookies, let them cool for two minutes on the baking pan, and then moved them to the wire racks to see how long it took for each batch to come to room temperature. I also checked to see if the cookies cooled at the same rate and if there were wire indents on their undersides. After cooling, I used a silicone-slotted turner and metal fish spatula to move the cookies off the rack, evaluating how easy it was to do so. I then washed each wire rack by hand.
• Durability Test: To test durability, I placed 17 pounds (in the form of bags of rice, flour, and sugar to simulate the weight of a turkey being dry-brined) on top of each half-sheet cooling rack for 12 hours to see if the racks bent or warped. For quarter-sheet cooling racks, I used eight pounds to simulate the weight of a large chicken.
  

What We Learned

Grids Were Better Than Vertical Lines

Cooling racks are either made with wires that run in one direction or both directions, forming a grid. I found racks with grids did a better job of cooling delicate cookies without causing indentations, sagging, or misshaping.

One half-sheet rack I tested had wires that ran in one direction (the P&P Chef Cooling Rack), which left impressions on the underside of the cookie, as the warm cookie slumped between the slots. It was also tougher to remove the cookies: Spatulas too easily got caught in the wide slats.

Grid Size Didn't Impact Cooling, but It Did Affect Cleanup

I thought that grid size might make a difference in how fast the cookies cooled. This was not the case. All of the cookies cooled at roughly the same speed, coming from a warm oven to room temperature in about 18 to 20 minutes. 

However, I found grid size did matter during cleanup, especially for the larger half-sheet racks. The smaller the grid, the harder it was to clean the racks. Cooling racks with more wires and smaller grid patterns trapped food debris more readily and soap clung to the grid, forming a film that took extra rinsing to remove. Larger grids also had this effect but less so, making them easier to clean and rinse.

Wire Racks Can Be Too Big, Too Small, Too Tall, or Just Right

The size of the wire rack mattered in terms of versatility, but not as much for cooling cookies. All the half-sheet cooling racks were roughly the same size, give or take three-eighths of an inch, and fit the same number of cookies.

But, these small size differences did impact how each fit in a half-sheet pan. Smaller wire racks shifted and moved back and forth, scratching the pan as the legs scraped against the metal. And larger wire racks didn’t fit in the pan properly, awkwardly hitting the sides or corners and tilting to create uneven surfaces. My favorite wire rack fit snugly in the pan, with just a minimal, quarter-inch shift when I tilted the pan left and right.

Finally, the height of the wire rack was also important. Most wire racks are 0.75 inches tall, which is ideal for fitting within a half-sheet pan's one-inch walls. However, a couple of the wire racks I tested were an inch tall (notably, the Ultra Cuisine Wire Rack), which had them sitting flush with the top of the baking sheet. If you were using a rack set in a half-sheet pan for, say, cooling cookies, a tilt of the wrist could send the cookies sliding off the too-tall rack and onto the floor. And roasted chickens and turkeys on a wire rack that sits flush to the top of the sheet pan means there's more of a chance that juices might splatter onto your oven floor instead of into the pan.

Small Racks Come in a Wider Range of Sizes

Unlike their larger siblings, smaller cooling racks varied in size a lot more. The smallest Williams Sonoma Quarter-Sheet Rack and the largest Great Jones one had a 0.75-inch difference on both sides. Both of these racks came as a set, with a quarter-sheet pan included, and the racks fit into each of their respective pans.

But when tested against the standard-sized Nordic Ware quarter-sheet pan, the vast majority of quarter-sheet cooling racks (even those that did not come in a set) were too large or too small. Only the Nordic Ware and the Ultra Cuisine properly fit into this test pan.

Center Support Wasn't As Important As I Thought

Initially, I thought that center support in the form of legs or extra wires would make for a better cooling rack—figuring it would prevent any sagging or warping when heavy items were placed onto it.

However, after testing, I found that as long as half-sheet cooling racks had a thicker outer frame made of heavy gauge wire, and the internal grid was made from heavy-duty wire as well, center support wasn’t necessary. My favorite rack, the Mrs. Anderson’s Baking Half Sheet Cooling Rack, did not have a center support and still functioned fine, with minimal sagging when weighed down for 12 hours. Once the weight was removed, it snapped back to its original shape with no damage.

Wire support was even less important when it came to the quarter-sheet cooling racks. Due to the smaller size, there was little to no warping on any of the cooling racks after the weight test. The Nordic Ware and Great Jones cooling rack didn’t have any cross-rack support wires, with the legs just built into the edge of the pan. They both supported eight pounds of weight for 12 hours with minimal sagging or warping, snapping back to shape afterward.

As an unforeseen bonus, I noticed racks without center support were easier to clean. The more wires and legs attached to the cooling rack, the more places there were for food debris to cling.

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Wire Cooling Rack

The best cooling racks have a grid—not just wires that run in one direction. A thicker frame around the edge means a more stable rack, even stacked with food. Our favorite cooling racks fit snugly in half- or quarter-sheet pans without sliding around. Oven-safe cooling racks are the most versatile option. A nonstick coating can be helpful, especially for delicate baked goods, but it has a lower oven-safe temperature and doesn't last as long as uncoated racks.

Our Favorite Cooling Racks

The Best Wire Cooling Rack

Mrs. Anderson's Baking Half Sheet Baking and Cooling Rack

$17 $12 at Amazon

What we liked: Mrs. Anderson’s cooling rack is the ideal rack. The outside frame is made from a thick and durable wire. Cookies cooled evenly and spatulas slid effortlessly over it—no snagging. The grid was evenly spaced, which prevented cookies from denting, but didn't have too tight of a pattern to make cleanup more difficult. This rack is also rated for use up to 500°F, making it great for cooking as well. It fit snugly in both of our favorite half-sheet pans, too.

The bottom support only had four legs, with no center support, but the rack still held up after 17 pounds of weight were placed on it for 12 hours, with minimal bending. At the time of writing, this was the cheapest wire rack I tested, making it an excellent product at a great price.

What we didn’t like: I also wish I knew for sure if it was broiler-safe, though I suspect it is at least when used with a low broiler, since it's oven-safe to 500°F.

Key Specs

• Material: Chrome-plated stainless steel
• Oven-safe: Yes, up to 500°F
• Broiler-safe: Unknown
• Grill-safe: No
• Weight limit: NA
• Number of support bars: Two
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes, but hand-washing is recommended

The Best Dishwasher-Safe Cooling Rack

Kitchenatics Half Sheet Stainless Steel Roasting and Cooling Rack

$30 at Amazon

What we liked: This rack performed well, and it was easy to remove cookies from. Since it fit into half-sheet pans snugly, I didn't have to worry about it shifting around when moving it. It's also oven-safe to 575°F, which is quite impressive. Unlike the chrome-plated grid on the Mrs. Anderson cooling rack, this 100% stainless steel rack can be tossed in a dishwasher to clean up stuck-on food.

What we didn't like: The wire grid was a bit small, making it difficult to clean.

Key Specs

• Material: Stainless steel
• Oven-safe: Yes, up to 575°F
• Broiler-safe: Yes
• Grill-safe: Yes
• Weight limit: 45 lbs
• Number of support bars: Two
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes

The Best Quarter-Sheet Cooling Rack

Nordic Ware Naturals Quarter Sheet with Oven-Safe Nonstick Grid

$18 $17 at Amazon $25 at Sur La Table $18 at Wayfair

What we liked: The Nordic Ware quarter-sheet rack fits nicely in the Nordic Ware quarter-sheet pan with minimal shifting. With a slightly larger grid pattern than many of the other quarter-sheet racks, the cleanup was quick. Cookies cooled without slumping issues. The legs come with protective rubber feet that are easily removed. The rubber feet prevent scratching during shipping but have the added benefit of being nonslip when placed on the countertop. Remove the rubber feet and the nonstick rack is oven-proof up to 400°F, making it a great rack for roasting a small chicken.

What we didn’t like: The rack has a nonstick coating, which eventually will wear off, shortening the lifespan of the rack. The rack is also not dishwasher-safe.

Key Specs 

• Material: Steel with nonstick coating
• Oven-safe: Yes, up to 400°F
• Broiler-safe: No
• Grill-safe: No
• Weight limit: NA
• Number of support bars: None
• Dishwasher-safe: No
  

The Competition

Half-Sheet Cooling Racks

• Checkered Chef Cooling Rack: This wire rack arrived slightly bent upward in the center. It also was too large to fit into our half-sheet pans, with the edges hitting the sides of the pan and the feet not touching the bottom of the pan completely. It appears to now be unavailable.
• Ultra Cuisine Wire Rack for Baking Sheet: This wire rack was one inch tall, hovering just at the top edge of the half-sheet pan. It also was smaller in size and shifted nearly an inch back and forth on all sides. 
• Spring Chef Cooling Rack: This wire rack was too large to properly fit into a half-sheet pan. The corners touched the edges of the pan, making it impossible for the legs to rest on the pan's bottom.
• HiWare Cooling Racks for Baking: This wire cooling rack was also too large to fit in the half-sheet pan. The wire gauge was slightly thinner, buckling more when weighed down. It did snap back up after the weight was removed, but I questioned if it would hold up after long-term use.
• P&P Chef Cooling Rack: This wire rack only had vertical wires and it buckled under the weight. The cookies showed vertical line indentions underneath. It also was too small and shifted a lot in the half-sheet pan. 
• PriorityChef Stainless Steel Cooling Rack: This was a good choice for a cooling rack and had a nicely spaced wire grid and sturdy construction. But it was just too small and slid around in the half-sheet pan. 

Quarter-Sheet Cooling Racks

• Great Jones Little Chill: Although this wire rack was a pretty blue color with a nonstick coating and slightly larger holes, it was larger than all the other quarter-sheet cooling racks I tested. This meant it only fit into the Great Jones quarter-sheet pan and no other ones.
• USA Pan Nonstick Baking and Cooling Quarter Sheet Rack: I had high hopes for this USA Pan cooling rack. It has a nonstick coating that’s oven-safe up to 450°F and a slightly larger grid makes cleanup easy. But alas, the cooling rack was too long to fit into the Nordic Ware quarter-sheet pan.
• Hiware Quarter Size Cooling Racks: This wire rack was too long and skinny to fit in the Nordic Ware quarter-sheet pan. 
• UltraCuisine: This was the only other cooling rack that also fit inside the Nordic Ware pan. It’s a solid option if you want a standard cooling rack without a nonstick coating. However, the wire grid pattern is small, making cleaning a little more challenging. It also was an inch tall, which meant the top of the grid was flush with the top of the Nordic Ware quarter-sheet pan.
• Williams Sonoma Cleartouch Nonstick Quarter Sheet Cooling Rack: This set includes a quarter-sheet pan and a rack that fits nicely together. But the Williams Sonoma quarter-sheet pan and rack were both noticeably smaller than the Nordic Ware pan. This meant cooling cookies were quite crowded on the rack and the cooling rack couldn’t be used interchangeably with all other quarter-sheet pans. When the rack was placed in the Nordic Ware quarter-sheet pan, it had nearly an inch on the long side to move back and forth.
• Spring Chef Quarter Sheet Cooling Rack: This budget-priced cooling rack is a solid option. It has a small grid pattern and is oven-safe up to 575˚F. Unfortunately, it is too large for the Nordic Ware quarter-sheet pan. The edges of the rack hit the sides of the pan, with only two of the legs touching the bottom of the pan, leading to a slightly tilted rack when placed in the pan.
  

FAQs

Can wire cooling racks be used in the oven?

Not all cooling racks can be used in the oven, and we recommend checking the manufacturer's care instructions to be safe. Our favorite small cooling rack from Nordic Ware Naturals, for example, is only oven-safe if the rubber feet are removed. One of our favorite cooling racks, from Kitchenatics, is oven-safe up to 575°F.

What's the difference between a cooling rack and a baking rack?

Cooling racks are relatively small, single-layer pieces of equipment that can sit on a counter or be fit into a baking sheet. A baking rack or pan rack is a standalone structure that has multiple slots for pans to slide in. Baking racks are used in professional baking/cooking settings and are efficient for cooling lots of trays of food at once.

Which size cooling rack should I get?

The best larger cooling racks are ones that fit into a standard 18 x 13-inch half-sheet pan, making them more versatile in use. Smaller cooling racks range in size, but the ones I tested fit into a quarter-sheet pans. Our favorite one was 8 x 11.5 inches. You can also find smaller cooling racks ranging in a variety of shapes and sizes, from circular to square to rectangular.

Can you use a cooling rack on the grill?

If the manufacturer says yes, then you can use a cooling rack on the grill. This is a great way to grill more delicate items, like flaky fish or even tofu since the rack's tight grate will keep whatever you're barbecuing from falling through the grill slats. (That said, grill baskets are a better choice for grilling delicate items.)

How can you prevent baked goods from sticking to a cooling rack?

An easy way to prevent baked goods, like cake or cookies, from sticking to a cooking rack is to lightly spray the rack with a neutral oil, like canola. But, before doing so, I recommend placing the rack in a half-sheet pan first, so you don't oil your countertop.

Which is better: round or rectangular cooling racks?

What do you bake more often: cookies and brownies or cakes? If you often bake in springform pans and cake pans, a circular cooling rack will best suit your needs. But if you bake in square or rectangular baking pans, you'll want a cooling rack that matches the pan's shape. Rectangular pans can also hold more cookies.

Why We're the Experts

• Irvin Lin is a food blogger and writer who has been reviewing kitchen gear for Serious Eats for years. His reviews include stand mixers, half-sheet pans, and bowl scrapers. 
• He is the author of the cookbook Marbled, Swirled, and Layered, which was chosen as one of the best baking cookbooks of 2016 by The New York Times. He is an IACP-award-winning photographer, an IACP-nominated blogger, and a blue-ribbon baker. 
• For this review, Irvin examined how well each rack fit into our favorite Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Half Sheet pans, then baked cookies and let them cool on each rack. He also weighed each half-sheet rack with rice, flour, and sugar, to test their durability. He also tested quarter-sheet pan-sized cooling racks.