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Despite all of the good things about city living, there are a few downsides: pollution, traffic, crowds, and — of course — not having a dishwasher. Now, if you also have a small kitchen, having a compact dish rack is a must, but you can’t always fit all of your freshly washed dishes on the rack at once. So, instead of leaving them in the sink to, uh, “soak,” I usually whip out a dish cloth, lay it out on the counter, and use it as a makeshift drying mat for the pots and pans that don’t fit into my dish rack. Unfortunately, I then have to hang dry the dish cloth afterwards, and I can only use it a few times before it gets gross and needs to be tossed in the wash. Thankfully, I found the perfect solution to my dish-drying dilemma: the OXO Good Grips Large Silicone Drying Mat — and, it has a surprise extra feature that makes it a double-duty kitchen workhorse.
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Suffice to say, this isn’t your ordinary drying mat. It’s designed to fit large items including frying pans, serving platters, salad bowls, and more, and the ribbed bottom helps everything dry by increasing airflow underneath. It’s also made from soft, food-safe silicone, which prevents scratches and chips if a wet dish or wine glass slips when you’re putting it on the mat. You can also store it pretty much anywhere, since it has a removable hanging hook and can be rolled up and tucked away in a cabinet or drawer when not in use. (It’s roughly the size of an average placemat, so it’s not too intrusive on your storage space.) However, its best feature is that it also doubles as a heat-resistant trivet to hold hot dishes and pans fresh off the burner or out of the oven.
I love using the OXO Good Grips Large Silicone Drying Mat as an extension of my dish rack, since the little ridges on the bottom allow for solid airflow that actually gets the dishes, pots, and pans dry instead of just turning them into miniature, humid terrariums. And, though I have a little cork trivet on my dining table for serving, since this two-in-one beast is heat-safe up to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, I find myself constantly reaching for it to pop fresh-out-of-the-oven sheet pans on (it’s the perfect size) when my stovetop is crowded with skillets, or while I assemble weeknight meals and sheet-pan dinners. Plus, cleanup is a total breeze — I find that as long as I give it a good rinse with hot water after every other use, it really doesn’t get too dirty. (To be honest, if I didn’t live with my girlfriend, I’d probably never wash it, but since I’m trying to stay on the up-and-up these days, I just lay it on a cutting board in the sink and scrub it down with a sponge every so often.)
So, if you’re in need of a little more real estate while drying dishes, or an extra place to put hot pots and pans without scorching your countertops, snag the easy and affordable OXO Good Grips Large Silicone Drying Mat ASAP.
Originally from California, but turned New Yorker since 2000, I’ve been shooting my entire life and am still inspired and excited about it. Lately I have been putting my energies into my Fine Art, which can be seen on my website and on Saatchi Art. Being infatuated with interior design doesn’t hurt either, which mixes well with my love of photographing interiors.
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
I can chart my progress as a cook by the growth of my spice collection. I started out with just a couple of spices, like granulated garlic and ground cinnamon, but then slowly added others like cumin, coriander, chili powder, curry powder, two kinds of paprika, everything bagel spice, Aleppo chili pepper, garam masala, and turmeric (plus whole spices like cloves, nutmeg, and star anise).
Suffice it to say, my spice drawer has exploded. I know that showing my spices the proper appreciation means storing them away from heat and light, which can degrade them and make them lose potency. So I was delighted when my newest kitchen had a roll-out spice rack, and more thrilled when my spice containers — these chic, round stainless steel capsules — fit inside perfectly.
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But I grew less thrilled as time went on and I actually tried cooking with them. Although I had spent years searching for a spice storage solution that was just the right combination of functional and aesthetically pleasing, and genuinely thought I had found it, the powdery rainbow mess in the bottom of my spice cabinet told me otherwise. No matter how careful I was to line up the stainless steel lids to cover the holes on the side of the containers after I was done using them, I couldn’t seem to avoid inadvertently dumping spices everywhere. And wasting perfectly good spices was worse than the mess. (If you’re wondering why I don’t just use the jars the spices come in, I usually bulk-buy my spices, which means they come in bags and need to be re-homed!)
Begrudgingly, I started the search again. I admit I’m pretty particular. Screw caps and tins aren’t easy to open in the heat of the moment. Kilner glass jars are cute, but too narrow to fit my fingers in for a pinch of what was inside — plus, breakable, a likely possibility in my kitchen. I wanted something minimal, and needed something that fit my spice rack.
I finally found it almost unexpectedly, while looking at the organizational wares of a Japanese company called Yamazaki Home. The bottles are sleek and square, but with rounded edges. Outside of the metal rack they come in, they fit perfectly two-by-two in my spice drawer. Which means I can finally get my entire spice collection in the upper rack — no more kneeling to hunt for cayenne. If you don’t have built-in spice storage and want to display your collection in the included rack, it’s a striking countertop display. Even if you don’t have the same sort of drawer that I have, what is key to know here is that the jars line up perfectly, without wasting any space at all.
These containers are also see-through, which helps with spice identification until I get labels on, and made of resin, so they’re not breakable. But the key is really the lid. It toggles one way to reveal holes for sprinkling, and the other way for a slot you can use to measure larger amounts of spices. I can literally do this one handed using only my thumb.
The only downside of this spice rack that I can see is the price. Forty bucks is steep for six jars, and I need about four times that amount. But it’s a price I’m willing to pay for the convenience and finally having a spill-free spice rack. And these were clearly built to last, so I can make the investment now and enjoy the containers for years to come.
Sarah is a staff writer at Apartment Therapy. She completed her MA in journalism at the University of Missouri and has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Belmont University. Past writing and editing stops include HGTV Magazine, Nashville Arts Magazine, and several outlets local to her hometown, Columbia, Missouri.
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
When it comes to corners in your home, you can deal with them in one of two ways: Put them to use or cover them up. If every corner can contribute to your space, whether as a storage spot, a display area for plants or decor, or a cozy place to add lighting, that’s great! However, that’s not always possible. Maybe you just don’t have the right furniture pieces to fit there, or maybe your partner bought a bike that folds in half, and although they’ve used it once in four years, they won’t sell it. So it occupies a corner of your living room under a blanket, because covering it up makes it look better, right?
The best way to avoid having unused or underutilized corners is to set them up with storage or shelving units that work for your space. This versatile Amazon find fits in any sized living room, bedroom, or home office, and it’s an especially smart solution for small spaces. Plus, it looks way more chic than its $70-price point would let on.
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This corner table has three tiers that meet all kinds of storage needs: two open tabletops on the top and bottom and one small nook with a metal wire gate to keep it covered. Depending on where you place the table, it can act as a nightstand in the bedroom, an end table in the living room, or a place to hold odds and ends so they’re out of the way but still organized. One Amazon shopper confirmed the metal frame is sturdy and that the whole thing is easy to assemble. “I was in desperate need of a corner shelf for my guest bathroom,” they wrote. “I was able to [build] it all by myself within 30 minutes.”
You can choose different finishes to achieve a simple wooden look, a rustic farmhouse vibe, or even modern glam with faux white marble tiling. Some options also include minor design changes, such as replacing the single flap door on the middle shelf with two larger double doors, but the table is functionally consistent across almost every style. The only one that’s significantly different is the Modern Brown color, which replaces the covered middle shelf with an open shelf and would be a great fit in bathrooms and laundry rooms.
If you’re looking for something that offers a wide variety of storage choices, the original layout with the covered middle shelf is an ideal pick. The bottom shelf stores books, plants, decor, and anything you don’t use on a regular basis, while the top shelf can be a place to rest beverages, hold lamps, and display framed photos. The middle shelf is your go-to spot for safely keeping things that have a way of getting lost around the home; that means: memento boxes, extra drink coasters, remote controls that don’t get used every day, and anything else that could easily get knocked off a table.
For the same $70 price, you can opt for a model with large double doors covering two levels of shelves. This is a nice choice for showing off knick knacks and an even better choice for turning your corner into a minibar. The two lower shelves are tall enough to hold wine, beer, and short cocktail glasses, while the open top shelf is where your liquor bottles sit proudly on display. Grab one of these multifunctional tables and help your corners work harder for you. You’d be surprised how much they can do!
