Is a Drying Mat Enough for a Few Dishes?

Comparison guide
The gray OXO Large Silicone Drying Mat with raised ribs and a hanging hole.
The gray OXO Large Silicone Drying Mat rolls or hangs away after use.

Choose the OXO Large Silicone Drying Mat if a few cups and bowls can rest securely and you want to roll or hang it away. Choose the OXO Compact Dish Rack if you need upright plate support and a flatware area. The rack has a smaller countertop footprint, but the mat is easier to stow; neither drains automatically into the sink.

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Upright plates or a flat resting surface

For a few cups or bowls that can sit securely, the OXO Large Silicone Drying Mat (1410880) gives you a flat ribbed surface. It has no upright plate slots or separate utensil basket.

Set the mat flat on a clear, stable counter. As a practical setup suggestion, leave space between items and avoid balancing dishes in unstable stacks.

Choose the OXO Compact Dish Rack (1440480) when plates need upright separation. Its peg grid supports them, while flatware lies in the open ribbed area at the front. That area is not an upright cutlery cup. Check that your dishes fit; neither option is a stand-in for a large cookware rack.

Counter space while dishes dry

The large mat takes up approximately 17 by 12.5 inches. The compact rack has an approximately 14 by 10.5-inch base, so it occupies less counter space than this particular mat. Allow for dishes extending beyond either base and leave room to use the sink. If the fit is close, confirm the selected product’s dimensions before buying.

Both occupy counter space while in use. If that is also your food-prep area, being able to put the mat away later will not free the space while dishes are still drying.

The gray ribbed drying mat laid flat on a counter beside a sink.
Measure your clear counter first. The mat takes up approximately 17 by 12.5 inches while in use.

Putting it away afterward

The mat rolls or hangs away. The rack keeps its peg-grid shape, making it bulkier to stow than a rolled mat. Choose based on where you will keep it between washes, not just where it fits beside the sink.

OXO lists the mat as dishwasher safe. For everyday storage, we suggest removing any collected water and letting the mat and counter dry before rolling it up or hanging it away.

A hand holds the gray silicone drying mat rolled for storage.
The mat can roll or hang for storage. Letting it and the counter dry first is our practical suggestion.

Empty collected water

Neither option drains automatically into the sink. After removing the dishes, pour the rack’s collected water out at a rounded corner. The rack’s listing specifies top-rack dishwasher cleaning. Neither setup comes with a guaranteed drying time.

If your existing rack, mat or clean towel already handles your dishes well, keep it and skip both purchases.

Research note: Based on manufacturer information and retailer listings; we have not tested either product.

Choose your option

OXO Good Grips Large Silicone Drying Mat (1410880), gray, single mat

OXO Good Grips Large Silicone Drying Mat (1410880), gray, single mat

Choose it for a few items that can rest securely when rolling or hanging the mat away between washes matters most.

Keep in mind: Takes about 17 by 12.5 inches of counter while in use; no upright plate support, separate utensil basket or automatic sink drainage.

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The OXO Good Grips Compact Dish Rack 1440480 with a peg grid and an open ribbed area for flatware.

OXO Good Grips Compact Dish Rack (1440480), single rack

Choose it for upright plate separation and a flatware resting area, with a smaller in-use footprint than this large mat.

Keep in mind: The fixed peg-grid tray is bulkier to stow than a rolled mat. Collected water must be poured out; flatware lies flat rather than in a cutlery cup.

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