Ultra Cuisine Heavy Duty Cooling Rack for Cooking and Baking, Professional Grade 100% Stainless Steel, 11.5 x 16.5 Review (2026)

Who this cooling rack is for

This rack suits sourdough bakers who need a sturdy surface to cool one loaf at a time without the wires bowing under the weight of a dense, moisture-heavy crust. Because it is built from thick, professional grade 304 stainless steel rather than the thin chrome-plated wire found on cheaper racks, it holds its shape under a hot Dutch-oven loaf straight out of the oven, which matters since a sagging rack can leave flat spots on the bottom of a cooling loaf. Home bakers who also roast or bake cookies regularly get extra mileage from the rack outside of bread days, since it fits standard half sheet pans for that dual cooking and cooling role.

Build quality and sizing

The rack measures 11.5 by 16.5 inches and is made from 304 grade stainless steel, a food-safe grade known for resisting rust better than lower grades of steel, with a grid tight enough to support bread, cookies and roasted items without smaller pieces falling through. That sizing is designed to fit inside a standard half sheet pan, letting you use the rack both for cooling on the counter and, in a pinch, for roasting meat or vegetables elevated above a sheet pan in the oven. The raised design lifts a loaf off the counter on all sides, letting air circulate underneath a crusty bread so the bottom does not turn soggy from trapped steam while it cools.

Caring for a stainless cooling rack

Stainless steel resists staining far better than plain steel, but Ultra Cuisine's listing and comparable racks in this material note it can still discolor if left soaking in water for extended periods, so a rinse and dry after use, or a normal dishwasher cycle, will keep it looking new longer than letting it sit wet in a sink. Because it is a single rack rather than a stackable set, bakers cooling more than one loaf at a time, or who like to cool bread and a batch of cookies simultaneously, will run out of surface quickly and should plan on buying a second rack or stepping up to a 2-pack.

How it compares with other cooling racks

Against Ultra Cuisine's own 2-pack set at the same 11.5 by 16.5 inch size, this single rack costs less but obviously gives you half the cooling surface, so anyone who regularly bakes more than one item at a time should strongly consider the 2-pack instead. Compared with the Hamilton Housewares 14 by 20 inch rack, this Ultra Cuisine rack is more compact and easier to store in a standard drawer, while the larger rack suits bakers with bigger ovens and bigger sheet pans who want more room per rack.

Bottom line and who should size up

For a sturdy, food-safe stainless rack that will not warp under a hot loaf and fits standard half sheet pans, this Ultra Cuisine rack is a reliable single-rack pick that matches its strong marks for build and fit at this price point and size. Bakers who cool multiple loaves or trays at once should look at Ultra Cuisine's own 2-pack or a larger single rack like the 14 by 20 inch option instead of relying on just one 11.5 by 16.5 inch rack for every single bake session.

Frequently asked questions