Let us set the nightmarish scene for you: You’ve just cooked a big family dinner, and now your kitchen sink is overflowing with pots and pans. You go to load your dishwasher, ready to make clean-up as easy as possible—only to realize the worst: It’s not all going to fit. Why? Those pesky spatulas, tongs, and large spoons you used to prepare your meal are big enough to take up an annoying amount of space, making it a hassle to rearrange your racks and fit in every dish, pot, and utensil for the next load.
But thankfully, one simple feature found in many modern dishwashers could be the solution to your space problems: the third rack.
Our Popular Mechanics gear experts spent countless hours consulting customer feedback, performance specs, and reputable reviews to put together our guide to the best dishwashers on the market. One of the most helpful features they found among the top-rated models? You guessed it—a third rack.
While most dishwashers come equipped with just an upper and a lower rack, not all models include this handy extra shelf. Those that do stand out from the rest. Third racks are typically designed to store and clean relatively flat cooking utensils like spatulas, freeing up more room in the main racks for dishes, bowls, and cookware. No more organizational nightmares every time you load up the dishwasher for a cycle.
Many of our experts’ favorite dishwashers reviewed in our guide include this game-changing third rack, plus other customizable organization features. For instance, our pick for the best dishwasher for organization not only includes a dedicated third rack for baking dishes and utensils, but also features a middle rack with adjustable positions to accommodate stemware and other tricky items.
Our experts’ top overall dishwasher goes a step further with a third rack roomy enough for bowls, along with an impressive 16 place settings—big enough to handle any pot, pan, or plate you could ever imagine.
Perhaps the best part? You don’t have to break the bank to find a dishwasher with a third rack and other helpful organizational capabilities. Our top value pick earned our experts’ nod of approval with features like a third rack, adjustable second rack, and fold-down tines to make organizing your dishware even easier.
Before your next dinner party—and your next kitchen cleaning headache—be sure to check out our full dishwasher reviews guide for more expert advice on selecting the right model for your home.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/a69413021/best-dishwasher-feature-third-rack/