Kitchen Favorites: Ultra Cuisine Stainless Steel Wire Rack & Half Sheet Pan

My kitchen favorites series is all about the things I reach for every single day, and this week it is my stainless steel wire rack and the half sheet pan it nests inside. I am going to be upfront with you, y’all: Ultra Cuisine is running a creator campaign with Amazon right now, so I earn a commission if you shop through my link — but I bought mine with my own money a long time ago, and this rack earned its spot fair and square. It may be the least fancy thing in my kitchen, and it is also one of the tools my hands touch most.

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Watch the full video above — or keep reading below.

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Here is the honest truth about this rack: it is the least glamorous thing in my kitchen, and I would not trade it for anything. I cool my bread on it every single week, and when I bake cookies it is what they land on to set up. This week alone it crisped a batch of barbecue chicken legs, it made my bacon — oven bacon on a rack is the only way I do it now — and then I turned right around and used it as a drying rack for clean dishes, washing it and reaching for it again all week long.

What makes a good wire rack worth talking about is simple: it lets air move all the way around your food. Set it inside a half sheet pan and suddenly bacon crisps instead of steaming, roasted chicken browns on every side, and cookies and bread cool without going soggy on the bottom. A flimsy rack that rusts or sags ruins all of that — a sturdy stainless steel one just works, batch after batch. If you have never tried it, The Kitchn has a great walkthrough on baking bacon on a rack for the crispiest results.

One honest note: I have had my set a good while, so the one I link is the closest match I could find — same brand, same heavy-duty stainless rack. And no, nobody handed me these for free. I bought mine myself, and they earned their place by being the tool I actually reach for. Ultra Cuisine does run a creator program that pays me a commission when you shop my link, and I would rather just tell you that plainly than pretend otherwise.

Why a Good Stainless Steel Wire Rack Is One of My Kitchen Favorites

A stainless steel wire rack is one of those tools you do not think about until you have a good one — and then you cannot imagine cooking without it. Mine earns its keep every week: cooling, crisping, roasting, drying, and never once complaining. When a single inexpensive tool quietly makes everything you cook turn out a little better, that is exactly what a kitchen favorite is supposed to be.

Stainless Steel Wire Rack Kitchen Favorites FAQ

Can you put a stainless steel wire rack in the oven?

Yes — and that is a big part of why I love mine. A good stainless steel wire rack is oven-safe to high temperatures, so I use it for far more than cooling. It crisps bacon, it roasts chicken, and it even works for things like drying out jerky. Just make sure yours is solid stainless with no flaking coating before you put it in a hot oven.

Is a stainless steel wire rack dishwasher safe?

Mine is, and it makes life so much easier. A 100% stainless rack can go right in the dishwasher, which matters when you use it as much as I do. That said, baked-on bacon or barbecue can need a little scrub — a quick soak first does most of the work for you.

What do you use a wire rack for besides cooling?

So much. I cook bacon on mine, I roast chicken legs over it so they brown all the way around, and this week I used it as a drying rack for clean dishes all week long. Anytime you want air to move around your food — or water to drip away from it — a wire rack is the answer.

Why put a wire rack inside a sheet pan?

Setting the rack inside a rimmed half sheet pan gives you the best of both worlds: the food sits up where hot air can reach every side, and the pan underneath catches all the drips and grease. That is how you get crispy bacon and evenly browned chicken without a greasy mess to scrub off the bottom of the oven.

Is Stephanie paid by Ultra Cuisine?

I want to be upfront here: I am part of Amazon’s creator program, so I do earn a commission if you shop through my link. But I bought my rack and pan with my own money long before any campaign, and they made it into my kitchen favorites for one reason only — I genuinely use them almost every day. The recommendation is entirely mine.

More Kitchen Favorites You’ll Love

• Pyrex 9×13 Glass Baking Dish — the deep glass dish with a lid that I reach for more than anything, from casseroles to desserts to leftovers headed to a potluck.
• SENSARTE Nonstick Skillet — the deep nonstick pan that lives on my stovetop and handles dinner for all seven of us in one pan.
• Bambusi Bamboo Cutting Boards — the boards I love so much I leave them out on the counter like decoration.
• Chosen Foods Avocado Oil — the bottle and the spray I reach for almost every time I cook or roast.

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Stainless Steel Wire Rack — About Stephanie Longstreth

Stephanie Longstreth is the home cook, mom, and storyteller behind StephanieCooksForACrowd.com. She cooks for a family of seven in Florida — five kids, two cats, and one husband who appreciates a good meal. Four of her children came home through adoption, and family stories are woven into everything she makes and shares. Find her crowd-friendly recipes, weekly meal plans, and real family life on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest @stephaniecooksforacrowd.