The Pasta Drying Rack for Every Pasta Lover’s Kitchen, According to Our Testing

Our Favorite

We loved the SÄNGER Wooden Pasta Dryer for its sturdiness, quality construction, and drying performance. It also has a sizable surface for pasta, so whether you’re looking to make pasta for two or serve a crowd, this rack will fit the bill. For someone who is low on space, we also like the Ourokhome Collapsible Pasta Drying Rack. 

How We Tested Pasta Drying Racks

It won’t surprise you to learn that our first effort to gauge the success of all 15 pasta drying racks was to make pasta. We assembled each rack before making an egg-enriched pasta dough. We then used the manufacturer’s instructions (when available) to dry the pasta. On the spindle-style racks with arms, this included carefully draping the pasta over the arms and rotating them to ensure the noodles weren’t touching each other. For racks with drying bars, we removed a bar at a time before draping it with pasta and replacing it before repeating that step with the other bars. Lastly, for the tiered shelf-style rack, we laid the pasta gently on each shelf, ensuring no strand was touching. 

We allowed the pasta to dry at room temperature overnight and undisturbed for 24 hours. The next day, we carefully removed the pasta from the drying rack, following the manufacturer’s instructions, noting any difficulty adding or removing pasta, and examined its consistency. We paid attention to the physical qualities of the dried pasta, including whether or not the pasta became damaged while being removed from the drying rack (or stuck to the drying rack), as well as the overall texture of the pasta. We then cooked the pasta for three minutes, until al dente, and tasted it, paying attention to the doneness and texture.

Finally, we followed the manufacturer's instructions to wash and dry the pasta drying rack. For applicable models, we folded or collapsed them to determine how well they collapsed for storage. 

After completing each testing stage, we evaluated the quality of each rack, noting any awkward or cumbersome parts of the drying experience, including any problems with noodles slipping or if the orientation of the drying rack arms allowed for the noodles to dry without coming into contact with other pieces of pasta. After testing was complete, we ranked each rack on performance, ease of use, and design. 

Factors to Consider

Design

The spindle-style drying rack is best if you’ll only make long pasta types or don’t mind drying your short pasta using a different rack. We found two styles we like, one with a central spoke and rotating arms and another with horizontal rods arranged side by side and nested into a frame. Both are effective and do the job. But if you’re more likely to make ravioli, tortellini, orecchiette, and other small, flat pasta shapes, a rack with horizontal, ventilated shelves is a more versatile option.

Materials 

Natural unfinished wood is the tried-and-true route for pasta drying racks. Plenty of other styles are on the market, including plastic, aluminum, silicone coated, and more. While these may be more aesthetically appropriate for your kitchen, they may be unnecessary and expensive.

Size 

There are many things to consider when selecting a pasta drying rack. How much pasta do you make at one time? How much counter space do you have? What kind of storage space do you have for a drying rack? All of these things may inform not just the style of rack you purchase but also its size in terms of how much pasta it can hold at once. Lastly, do you need a model with less space on the counter or in the cupboard? If so, you’ll want to look at its size when it is collapsed (or disassembled) and when it is in use.

Ease of Cleaning

Most of the drying racks we tested were a breeze to clean. Dried strands slipped off, leaving no residue, and needed little more than a dusting to store away for next time. That said, over time, buildup can occur on tools that come in contact with flour and dough, so a streamlined design can be helpful when it comes to keeping your drying rack clean throughout its lifetime.

Other Pasta Drying Racks We Tested

Strong Contenders

Weston Bamboo Pasta Drying Rack ($18 at Amazon)
Made of finished beechwood, the color of bamboo, this pasta drying rack may fit into your kitchen better than the unfinished natural wood models. Its most significant drawback is that its ten arms move freely, which can break dry pasta easily. Fortunately, its sturdy base kept this activity from tipping the rack, but we prefer a rack with arms uninclined to shift on their own.

Marcato Pasta Rack ($62 at Amazon)
This costly aluminum pasta dryer sports a spindle design like the other racks we tested. Though it did its job effectively, its legs don’t lock, so it was wobbly, and the arms located at the base of the spindle are so low we’re not sure they’re beneficial.

Bisetti Beech Wood Collapsible Pasta Drying Rack ($18 at Bisetti)
This model, also made of beechwood, wasn’t as sturdy as other racks, which was no surprise as we felt the materials were flimsier than other racks we tried. Designed to fold closed, the Bisetti feels like its base is unstable and subject to shifting from even slight movements. At $24, we found at least two other models more capable than this one.

What Didn’t Make the List

While a good handful of pasta racks impressed us, a few fell short. We tested racks from brands like Norpro, Bellemain, Imperia, Crate & Barrel, and more that didn’t land a spot on our list of recommendations. In some models, we felt its construction was cheap in material, experienced issues with sticking on others, or had too small of a capacity. Instead, we opted for models that were easy to assemble, had a wide surface area, and offered a low-hassle experience. 

Our Expertise

Christa Glennie has been a freelance writer and food editor for nearly 20 years. She is also the author of two cookbooks and specializes in food and drink trends, agriculture, the regional foodways of Western New York, and the restaurant business. For this piece, she interviewed Erin Romeo, author of The Visual Guide to Meal Prep: Save Time and Eat Healthy with over 75 Recipes.