We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. What to Buy Cleaning The 5 Best Dish Drying Mats, According to Our Tests We tested 12 microfiber and silicone options from OXO, Yamazaki, and Umbra. By Cindy Brzostowski Cindy Brzostowski Cindy is a writer and editor whose career began in cookbook publishing. An expert in bakeware, cookbooks, and kitchen organization for Food & Wine, she has reviewed over 25 vacuums, 23 steak knives, and dozens of baking tools, such as cookie sheets, silicone utensils, and proofing baskets. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines and Alyssa Longobucco Alyssa Longobucco Alyssa Longobucco is a writer, editor, and stylist living in New York with over a decade of experience in the food, home, and lifestyle categories. When she's not diving into the latest trends and products, she's restoring an 1820s farmhouse in the Hudson Valley alongside her husband and children. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 23, 2024 In This Article View All In This Article Our Top Picks Reviews Our Favorite Dish Drying Mat How We Tested Dish Drying Mats Factors to Consider FAQ Other Dish Drying Mats We Tested Our Expertise Photo: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco Regardless of cooking style, frequency, or kitchen size, there’s a chore that unites us all: dish duty. Even if you have a dishwasher, chances are good that you find yourself washing and drying a few pieces by hand daily, whether that’s delicate stemware, nonstick cookware, or oversized casserole dishes. And, when it comes to washing and drying dishes, it’s a task that can easily snowball into a full kitchen clean if you’re outfitted with a dish drying mat that’s less than stellar at absorbing excess water. The solution? Investing in a quality dish mat that tackles the task of drying your dishes for you while keeping your surrounding countertop free of puddles, mold, and mildew. In our search for the best dish-drying mats, we tested 12 microfiber and silicone designs from OXO, Yamazaki, and Umbra. With oversized mats designed for families and stone designs that cut down on germs, below you’ll find all the details on the best dish-drying mats. Our Top Picks Best Overall Dish-Drying Mat: Bellemain XXL Dish Mat at Amazon $14 Jump to Review Best Silicone Dish-Drying Mat: OXO Silicone Drying Mat at Amazon $17 Jump to Review Best Stone Dish-Drying Mat: Dorai Dish Pad at Amazon $95 Jump to Review Best Self-Draining Dish-Drying Mat: Yamazaki Folding Dish Drainer Mat at Amazon $35 Jump to Review Best Dish-Drying Mat/Rack Combo: Umbra Dish Drying Mat at Amazon $22 Jump to Review Best Overall Dish-Drying Mat Bellemain XXL Dish Mat PHOTO: Amazon $14 at Amazon $14 at Walmart Pros This dish mat is machine washable. Cons This dish mat was the most plush design we tested, which was great for everything except for very delicate stemware, which tended to tip more easily due to the padding. Whether you’re fully reliant on hand washing in your household or typically supplement a nightly dishwasher run with a bit of good old-fashioned scrubbing, this oversized dish mat from Bellemain is a worthy addition to your kitchen. Sized to a generous 17 x 24 inches, this design has plenty of space to hold larger cookware, dishes from family dinners, or a combination of the day’s dirty plates and bowls. The plush microfiber design can absorb up to four times its weight in moisture, so there’s no puddle on your countertop once cleanup is over. Even better, the foam core resists odors, so that musty smell typical of fabric drying mats isn’t a concern. In our tests, this dish drying mat became an instant go-to thanks largely to its size. There was no need to supplement this mat with additional towels regardless of what we were washing — it could easily fit dishes from dinner and the cookware it was made in, or a whole post-party cleanup of dinnerware, utensils, and drinking glasses. This design was the plushest pick we tried, and we loved how it cradled even our most delicate ceramics. The mat dried quickly after each use when hung, though it also comes with a convenient hook at the top if you’d rather dry it that way. The mat can easily be folded in thirds and stored flat in a drawer. Size: 17 x 24 inches | Material: Microfiber | Cleaning: Machine washable PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco Best Silicone Dish-Drying Mat OXO Silicone Drying Mat PHOTO: Amazon $17 at Amazon $17 at Target $28 at Walmart Pros The ridges on this mat help draw water away from the surface of your dishes and glassware, so they dry quicker. Cons You can roll this dish mat up for easy storage, but it won’t stay that way on its own—you’ll have to secure it with an elastic, too. Many home cooks prefer silicone to fabric dish mats, thanks to its non-slip texture and easy-to-clean material. This roomy design from OXO was the best silicone drying mat we tested, with tall, staggered ridges that helped drain water from the dishware while still providing a stable surface for plates, bowls, glasses, and utensils. The mat itself is incredibly versatile; not only is it a surface to dry your dishware on, but its heat-resistant nature means it can double as a trivet or just a place to set a dirty, hot-off-the-oven pan when you’re done cooking. While testing this dish drying mat, one thing that immediately helped it stand out amongst its competitors was its unique ridges. While some silicone drying mats tout similar raised pieces in a more uniform pattern (like on a diagonal), this OXO design has staggered ridges that are taller than most, effectively moving the moisture further away from the dishware and allowing them to dry more quickly. We loved how this nonstick mat gripped our pieces, especially for more delicate items like cocktail glasses and stoneware dinnerware. Said grip is just as good on the countertop too — there’s no budging this mat once it’s in place, and you’ll have to peel it up after use to remove it. We found this mat dried quickly once drained, though we occasionally needed to go back through the ridges with a paper towel to catch a few excess drips. Size: 12.5 x 16.9 inches | Material: Silicone | Cleaning: Dishwasher safe, top rack PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco Best Stone Dish-Drying Mat Dorai Dish Pad PHOTO: Amazon $95 at Amazon $95 at Williams Sonoma View on Doraihome.com Pros This dish pad features an accordion-style tri-fold design that makes it easy to tuck into a drawer when not in use. Cons At $90, this dish drying mat is the priciest pick on our list and may be more than some are willing to spend on such a basic item. A stone surface may not be the first (or even second) material you think of when it comes to drying your dishes, but trust us on this: Dorai’s dish pad is not your average drying mat. It’s made of a sustainable combination of diatomaceous earth (a mineral made from the fossilized remains of aquatic organisms) and recycled paper that wicks moisture and dries rapidly, producing a surface that traps bacteria and holds up to 150% of its weight in moisture. The pad is divided into three sections — all connected with a silicone base — that fold accordion-style for a compact way to store. Testing this innovative dish drying mat was part satisfying cleaning session, part science experiment. Just as quickly as water dripped onto the stone it evaporated, leaving behind a startlingly dry surface that allowed us to tackle a larger load of dishes than traditional drying methods. Unlike other stone drying mats we tested, Dorai’s dish pad is covered in thin silicone webbing, which lends grip to the surface and prevents glassware and other delicate pieces from making direct contact with the stone. Though drips of pigmented water or foods (like the remains of a pasta sauce, let’s say) can stain the stone, it’s rare — if it does happen, the stain can be buffed out using a piece of high-grit sandpaper. Otherwise, you can rinse the stone and silicone clean and allow it to dry completely between uses. Size: 19.9 x 15.2 x 0.5 inches | Material: Diatomaceous earth, recycled paper, silicone | Cleaning: Handwash PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco Best Self-Draining Dish-Drying Mat Yamazaki Folding Dish Drainer Mat PHOTO: Williams Sonoma $35 at Amazon $35 at Williams Sonoma $35 at Wayfair Pros The ridges on this mat are super tall, so there’s pretty much zero chance your dishes or glassware will be sitting in even a drop of water as they’re set to dry. Cons This dish mat is narrow and the smallest design on our list. The ridges are also spaced widely apart, which can allow a rogue piece of flatware to sneak in. Washing dishes post-dinner is an annoying enough task as it is — no one wants to have to clean up after cleaning up. That’s where this Yamazaki dish drying mat comes in. It’s designed to nestle right up to the edge of your sink, with a slightly angled surface that channels any drips or moisture back into the basin instead of onto your countertop. Like all Yamazaki items, this exceptionally sleek drainer mat solves a particular pain point in the kitchen with a barely-there white silicone body that folds up compact for easy storage or double-duty use as a trivet for hot items. In our tests, we were impressed by how much water ended up back in the sink using this mat. While the traditional “collect and dump” method of other silicone mats isn’t the biggest inconvenience, this Yamazaki mat simplified the process even more: There was barely any residual water to dump off the mat once we were done using it. It folded up like a breeze and was easy to store away in a drawer when not in use. We also loved how it could be used as a trivet. This mat is the smallest on our list, making it a better option for households where hand washing is used as a supplement to a dishwasher, not the only means of cleaning dishes. Size: 9.8 x 15.9 x 0.5 inches | Material: Silicone | Cleaning: Handwash PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco Best Dish-Drying Mat/Rack Combo Umbra Dish Drying Mat PHOTO: Amazon $22 at Amazon $22 at Target $22 at Wayfair Pros The rack on this mat holds dishes upright, which allows them to drain faster and fit more. Cons This rack has a dedicated spot for hanging stemware, which was great; however, some drips from the glasses ended up on our countertop. If you crave extra organization when washing your dishes, you’ll want to shop for a dish-drying mat that doubles as a drying rack. This Umbra style provides flexibility with an optional rack organizer that can slide onto the included microfiber mat. The rack provides extra stability and structure, allowing you to stand your dishes upright and corral your flatware in one spot. It doesn’t even take up the whole mat, so you’ll still have plenty of room off to the side for larger pieces like pasta bowls, cereal bowls, and coffee mugs. While testing this dish drying mat, we were wowed by its stability. It’s clumsy to get on (it slides onto the edges of the microfiber mat), so we weren’t expecting the added structure and stability it lent to the overall piece. It was easy to stack dishware of all sizes vertically in the designated rows, and the flatware compartments held a decent amount of cutlery. The stemware holders were also a welcome addition, but when hung the glasses dripped over the countertop, not over the mat. That singular gripe aside, we were impressed by the microfiber mat. It was absorbent and plush while still feeling stable, and dried out quickly, with no residual mold or mildew smell lingering behind. Size: 18 x 24 x 10.75 inches | Material: Plastic, microfiber | Cleaning: Dishwasher safe, top rack (plastic), machine-washable (mat) PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco PHOTO: Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco Our Favorite Dish Drying Mat We tested a dozen dish drying mats for this piece, but our top ranking went to Bellemain’s XXL Dish Mat. The microfiber design was plush, absorbent, and stable, and the oversized dimensions meant the mat could easily flex between a household without a dishwasher, larger families, and less frequent washers. Beyond that, this dish-drying mat can be folded for easy storage and washed in the machine for deep sterilization. Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco How We Tested Dish Drying Mats We tested 12 dish drying mats which varied in size, material, and added benefits. Some dish-drying mats performed only the task at hand, while others doubled as a hot plate or tackled some post-wash clean-up work. Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco Each dish drying mat was rated on three different attributes, including: Design: While the dish drying racks didn’t have to be aesthetic, per se, they did have to be functional, with a design that allowed us to fit a decent amount of dishware. We also paid close attention to how easy the mats were to store and if they had any additional functionality, like an easy-fold structure. Performance: During our tests, we used the dish drying mats for several weeks, putting each through several different dishwashing sessions and testing their ability to dry items, including plates, bowls, glassware, flatware, and cookware. Ease of Cleaning: We cleaned each dish drying mat according to the manufacturers' instructions, whether throwing them in the washing machine or placing them on the top rack of the dishwasher. We also monitored how dirty each mat got with repeated use, noting whether there was any mold or mildew buildup. Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco Factors to Consider Size While the exact capacity of each dish drying mat will vary based on your type and size of dishware, you should shop for a design that is big enough to suit your needs. For households without a dishwasher, that means a mat that can hold at least two meals’ worth of dishes at a time. For others, that may mean a design capable of housing your most-used cookware that requires handwashing, like the cast iron skillet you use nightly or the sheet pan you rely on for cookies. Material When choosing a material for your dish drying mat, the most popular choices oscillate between silicone and microfiber, with a few up-and-coming stone options slowly emerging. Your choice of material is primarily personal, though you will want to consider how easy each material is to clean and how gentle it is on your dishes before choosing. Storage Ability Sure, you’ll be using your dish drying mat a lot — but there are certainly instances where you’ll want it to be out of sight, too. When shopping for the best dish-drying mat, look for designs that can easily be stored away, like rolling a silicone model or folding a microfiber design. Another consideration: Look at the thickness to ensure that, when folded, it won’t exceed the depth of the drawer you plan on storing it in. Frequently Asked Questions Is a drying mat better than a dish rack? If you’re mostly hand-washing large items like pots and pans, then a drying mat, which lays flat and has lots of open room, is your best option. However, if you’re cleaning more plates and utensils, you may find the organization of a dish rack easier to use. Another factor to consider is storage. Unless you buy a dish rack designed to fold flat in some way, it will likely require more storage space than a drying mat, which can usually be folded or rolled up and placed in a drawer. Are dish-drying mats sanitary? Whether or not a dish drying mat is sanitary is determined by how well you care for it. Even though you’re putting clean dishes on a drying mat, there’s still residual water left behind that can develop into mold or mildew unless you clean the mat regularly and thoroughly dry it afterward. As a general rule of thumb, hang your mat and allow it to dry completely between uses (and definitely before storing it away somewhere), and clean it at least once a week in the dishwasher or washing machine. How do you wash your dish drying mat? Dish drying mats can be washed differently depending on their material. Most designs made from microfiber can be cleaned in the washing machine using cold water and dried using a cool temperature. Silicone mats may be dishwasher-safe on the top rack or can be washed by hand using a sponge and dish soap. Always check the manufacturer’s instructions for how to wash your specific dish drying mat. Other Dish Drying Mats We Tested While the five dish-drying mats that earned a spot on our list were the best, we still found several strong contenders throughout our testing. The below are still great options for your kitchen, falling short in just one or two testing categories that prevented them from making our best list. Here’s what stood out — and where they could have done better: Brabantia Microfiber Dish Drying Mat ($13 at Amazon) With an approachable size and velvety microfiber design, this Brabantia dish-drying mat was a close contender for our list of the best dish-drying mats. We found it plush and absorbent, with a thicker “pile” microfiber top that hung on to surface-level moisture just a bit too much. That said, it still performed great with dishes of all types and dried relatively quickly after use. Though it showed a bit of wear after washing in the machine, it didn’t affect the performance during subsequent uses. Crate & Barrel Silicone Grey Dish Drying Mat ($20 at Crate & Barrel) This flexible silicone mat from Crate & Barrel immediately impressed us with its quality and sturdiness. The thick edge around the perimeter kept water corralled onto the mat effectively. However, the ridges on this model weren’t as high as on other silicone mats we tried, and we felt a bit like dishes were left to sit in their water. It was also on the smaller side, making it a better option for a one- or two-person household or a home with a dishwasher. Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco Gorilla Grip Silicone Dish Drying Mat ($20 at Amazon) This bitsy Gorilla Grip silicone drying mat was the thinnest and smallest we tested, making it better suited for smaller apartments without much countertop space. While we liked the pretty teal color the mat came in, the ridges on the silicone were too shallow to elevate the dishware, so they ended up sitting in their drips and taking much longer to dry. The mat also felt very small, and only fit a few plates or bowls at a time, leaving us feeling like cleaning up after a full meal would be challenging. Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco Joseph Joseph Tier Expandable Draining Mat ($20 at Amazon) This tiered draining mat from Joseph Joseph was innovative, with a unique design we didn’t see replicated elsewhere. While we loved the flexibility of its adjustable size (you could keep it completely stacked for a small dish mat, or expand it completely for a three-tiered option), the plastic material left much to be desired. The mat surface was hard and exceedingly slippery — there was nothing to grip the dishware set atop it, and we almost broke a glass more than once. We also found you could only use the tiers independently, even if they were all expanded. If you tried to lay a bowl between tier one and two, let’s say, it was likely to slip down. This design earned points for ingenuity and its ability to be stored compactly. Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco Madesmart Drying Stone ($18 at Amazon) Dish drying stones are a new entrant to the space, so we were eager to try as many well-rated styles as possible. This drying mat from Madesmart held promise, but fell short in several categories, most notably surface area. The petite stone was almost too small for anything more than a single bowl and glass, which made it hard to envision what type of household it would work well for. The stone surface absorbed water fast and dried quickly, but we weren’t fans of how there was no buffer between the stone material and our dishware or glassware. It felt like scratches were inevitable and the sound of the two materials rubbing was akin to nails on a chalkboard. Food & Wine / Alyssa Longobucco S&T INC. Dish Drying Mat ($13 at Amazon) If you’re looking for an inexpensive yet functional drying mat, S&T’s version could be your perfect fit. Overall, we were pleased with the performance of this budget-friendly dish-drying mat but weren’t wowed in the way we were by others in its category. One of the biggest perks of this design is the number of colors it’s available in — we tried out gray, but you could opt for cream, navy, teal, or a selection of other shades that suit your kitchen best. This microfiber mat was the thinnest we tested, and the lack of plushness made it feel cheap. Talented Kitchen Self-Draining Silicone Dish Drying Mat ($18 at Amazon) This Talented Kitchen self-draining design was similar to the Yamazaki model but didn’t perform as well when channeling water into the sink basin. The angle of this mat caused the water to sit more than drain, so we had to pour it out after a drying session anyway. Like the Yamazaki model, this mat was also very slim, only accommodating a few pieces of dishware at a time. There was also no logical way to store it. While it did roll up pretty easily (it is silicone, after all), the ridges meant it was thicker than average, and we had to keep it closed with an elastic to store it successfully. Our Expertise Alyssa Longobucco is a writer, editor, and stylist with a background in food, interior, and lifestyle content. She has over a decade of experience in the digital and magazine industry creating unique and innovative content for storied brands such as Food and Wine, House Beautiful, HGTV, The Knot, Domino, Apartment Therapy, Real Simple, Food52, Good Housekeeping, and more. As a former NYC dweller, she is well-versed in life without a dishwasher and the unique challenges air drying presents. For this piece, she spent a month testing a range of dish-drying mats in her home, putting them to work after a dinner party, weeknight dinners with her family of four, and marathon baking sessions. Cindy Brzostowski is a writer and avid home cook with previous experience publishing cookbooks. Her writing has been featured in Allrecipes, Blue Apron, The Kitchn, and EatingWell among other publications. For this article, she used her expertise and market research to determine the best dish-drying mats. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit