Best Pasta Drying Racks

Buying guide for Best pasta drying racks

Written by Rich Gray

Updated January 2023

Every pasta lover knows that fresh pasta beats the dried varieties, hands down. With a little practice, making your own pasta to cook or store is easy to do. If you’re not planning on cooking it right away, however, you’re going to need some way to dry the pasta so that it stays fresh-tasting and doesn’t stick together.

For this, you’re going to need a pasta drying rack. These racks can help you dry everything from linguine to lasagna sheets. And while fairly simple for a kitchen tool, there are a surprising number of factors that you will need to take into account before purchasing one.

This guide examines what you need to know to buy a quality pasta drying rack that will meet your needs. It covers everything from construction materials and drying capacity to stability and how much you should pay. If you’re ready to buy, check out our top picks for the best pasta drying racks on the market.

In addition to keeping pasta from sticking together, a pasta drying rack can also help preserve pasta so it lasts longer.

Key considerations

Materials

Pasta drying racks are made from a variety of materials, but three of the most common are steel, wood, and plastic.

Stainless steel is not only super durable, but cooks are generally attracted to its clean appearance. If you want a pasta drying rack that will hold up over time and is easy to clean, try to find one largely made from stainless steel.

Pasta drying racks made from wood are fairly common for a variety of reasons. Wood is both cheap and environmentally sustainable. Cooks also like the classic appearance of wood. On the down side, wood can break fairly easily compared to steel, and cheaper wood racks can stain or splinter over time.

Plastic racks are lighter than either wood or steel drying racks, but it also makes them prone to flimsiness. If you go with a plastic pasta drying rack, make sure it is BPA-free. You can find plastic racks in a wide range of colors, so you’re sure to find a rack that fits with your kitchen’s decor.

Style

Pasta drying racks come in a variety of designs, from unique circular racks to straightforward rectangular racks. Some have drying arms only along the top, while others stagger the arms up the rack so pasta hangs at different heights.

Capacity

How much pasta can the rack hold? Some manufacturers measure drying capacity in pounds, others in square feet. The more pasta you can fit on the drying rack, the more pasta you can make at one time. A bigger rack is best for those who like to make and store large amounts of pasta. Bigger racks can usually hold from two to five pounds of fresh pasta. While not always the case, typically the more drying arms the rack has, the more pasta you can dry at one time.

Height

The taller the pasta drying rack – and the higher the drying arms are placed – the longer the pasta you can dry. Rack heights vary, but the majority range from 11 to 20 inches in height. If you like your pasta long, buy a tall rack with its drying arms positioned high up on the rack.

Stability

A pasta drying rack’s weight should be distributed in such a way that you can load it up with pasta and it won’t tip over. Drying arms should be offset on the rack so that one side of the rack does not become too heavy. Note what type of base or legs the rack has and how stable they appear. A wider base or multiple legs will offer the greatest support.

Storage

The majority of pasta drying racks either fold up or can be disassembled for easier storage. Try to avoid drying racks that do not fold or disassemble unless you have the counter space to display the rack. However the rack breaks down, it should be just as easy to reassemble or fold out for use.

When researching wood pasta drying racks, we look for those made of sturdy wood that is unlikely to break under the weight of dough. When researching plastic racks, we look for those that are BPA-free.

Pasta drying racks may cost under $20 or over $70. We look for quality in all price ranges so there’s something for everyone’s budget.

We look for pasta drying racks that are sturdy, built to last, and easy to put together.

When investigating pasta drying racks, we give extra attention to those large enough to hold several servings of noodles at once.

We appreciate pasta drying racks that are rigid and large enough to handle large cuts of pasta, including entire sheets of lasagna noodles.

Some of the most convenient pasta drying racks we recommend are made from durable plastic with metal fittings.

We appreciate tall pasta drying racks that allow you to make long noodles without the dough touching the countertop.

Bonus points go to quality pasta drying racks with arms that can be rotated. This feature makes it easy to load and unload noodles without accidentally knocking any off.

Some of our favorite pasta drying racks to recommend are the ones that maximize drying capacity while minimizing the need for counter space and storage space.

We look for pasta drying racks with bases that are wide enough that you don’t have to worry about them tipping over.

Features

Drying arms

Typically, the more drying arms a rack has, the more pasta you can dry at one time. Arms should be positioned far enough apart to allow for space between the pasta, and they should be crafted so that pasta won’t easily stick to them.

Base

Regardless of whether the rack uses a base or feet for support, that support should be strong enough to keep the rack from easily tipping over while it is being used. Rubber tips on the bottom of the base or feet will also help keep the rack in place.

Rotation

Some pasta drying racks rotate, which makes it easier to load and unload pasta from the rack.

Wand

Some pasta drying racks come with a wand, so you don’t have to use your hands to move the pasta from the pasta maker to your rack. Some of these wands do double-duty by also functioning as pasta cutters.

Pasta drying rack prices

Pasta drying racks range in price from under $20 to $70 or more. The average price for a pasta drying rack is $20 to $30.

Inexpensive pasta drying racks tend to be more compact racks, usually made from plastic or lightweight wood. These racks usually don’t hold much pasta, and some of them are flimsy, but they can be a good choice for those cooks who only occasionally try their hand at creating fresh pasta.

As you go up in price, the quality improves, in addition to the drying capacity of the rack. More expensive racks are made from higher-quality wood or stainless steel. High-end pasta drying racks are usually stainless steel racks that are finely engineered to last for years. Those who really enjoy making their own pasta should definitely invest in a quality rack if possible.

Tips

• Be sure that your pasta drying rack is tall enough to keep pasta from touching the counter. Pasta that is allowed to contact the counter may become contaminated and will also take longer to dry.

• While not a hard and fast rule, pay attention to the country where the rack was manufactured when shopping for a quality pasta drying rack. Unsurprisingly, Italy tends to produce some of the highest-quality racks on the market.

• While a more compact pasta drying rack can be a plus when kitchen space is an issue, it may not provide enough drying space for those cooks who like to create large batches of pasta at a time.

• A pasta drying rack is an effective way to dry a wide range of pasta types, including popular varieties such as fettuccine, lasagna, linguine, spaghetti, tagliatelle, and vermicelli.

• One big plus of making your own pasta is that you can control every aspect of what goes into it. This is the perfect way to enjoy pasta for those who have dietary restrictions or who wish to incorporate more whole grains into their diet.

• One of the features you will pay up for with a pasta drying rack is a warranty. Whereas the majority of racks have a one- to three-year warranty, some higher-priced models offer 10-year warranties.

Because it is usually made with eggs and wheat flour, fresh pasta takes about half the time to cook that dry pasta does, which is made with durum flour.

FAQ

Q. How do I clean a pasta drying rack?
A. As drying pasta isn’t generally a high-mess task, cleanup of a pasta drying rack shouldn’t be that difficult. The majority of racks can be cleaned with a simple wipe down using a dry cloth. If the rack needs a little more cleaning, go with a damp cloth. Stainless steel racks and those that disassemble tend to be the easiest to clean. Unless the manufacturer states otherwise, you should probably avoid cleaning a pasta drying rack in the dishwasher.

Q. Will my pasta drying rack require any assembly when I receive it?
A. Generally, no. The majority of these racks either fold or break down for storage, which is how they will ship. That said, some racks may require light assembly. If this is the case with your rack, be sure that you follow the manufacturer’s assembly instructions carefully.

Q. How long does it take to dry pasta on a rack?
A. This will vary for a variety of reasons, including the type of pasta, the ingredients used to make the pasta, and even the temperature and humidity of your kitchen. So take the following recommendations as general guidelines:

• If you are cooking your pasta right away, there is no need to dry it.

• If you will be cooking your pasta within 12 hours, dry it for 30 minutes before storing it in your refrigerator.

• Any pasta that will be stored in the refrigerator or freezer and cooked on a later day should be dried for several hours before storing.