Ultra Cuisine 100% Stainless Steel Cooling and Baking Rack Set, Heavy Duty Tight-Wire, 11.5 x 16.5 inch, Set of 2 Review (2026)

Who this rack set is for

This set of two racks is aimed at home bakers who cool more than one loaf at a time, or who want a rack under rolls, buns and pastries as well as bread. The 11.5 x 16.5 inch footprint matches a standard half sheet pan, so it slides into most home ovens for roasting and drying jobs alongside baking days. Because you get two racks in one purchase, you can cool a boule on one while a second batch of rolls rests on the other, which matters on a day when a sourdough schedule has the oven running back to back. Bakers who only ever bake a single loaf at a time, or who already own a rack this size, will get less added value from the second piece, but anyone building a first proofing and cooling setup will find the pair useful right away.

Build and materials explained

The racks are made from 100% stainless steel, described by the maker as 304 grade, rather than the chrome plated steel used on many cheaper cooling racks. Chrome plating can flake or rust over years of use, so an all stainless build is the more durable choice for a rack that lives in a hot oven as often as it sits on a counter. The wire grid uses a tight weave with a full 1 inch standoff height, which lifts food off the pan for airflow while keeping gaps small enough that soft rolls and delicate cookies do not sag or slip through the gaps. The maker rates the racks oven safe up to 575 degrees Fahrenheit, well above a typical home bread bake, and lists them as dishwasher safe for cleanup, though the tight grid pattern can trap crumbs more than a wide open weave.

Using the racks day to day

In daily use, the racks work for cooling fresh loaves, resting shaped dough before it goes into the oven, and holding pans for roasting or drying in the oven itself, since the stainless build tolerates direct heat rather than just serving as a countertop cooling stand. The 1 inch lift is enough for air to move under a hot loaf so the bottom crust does not turn soggy from trapped steam, which is the main job a bread cooling rack needs to do well. Because the wires sit close together, crumbs and flour tend to collect in the grid rather than falling straight through, so a quick shake or rinse after each use keeps the rack looking clean. The dishwasher safe rating means a deeper clean is straightforward when the tight grid needs more than a wipe.

Trade-offs and how it compares

The main limit is size. At 11.5 x 16.5 inches, this rack fits a half sheet pan, so anyone who bakes on full sheet pans or larger batches will need a bigger option such as the 14 x 20 inch commercial grade rack from the same category of racks, which trades some of this set's portability for coverage. Compared with the single rack version of this same design, buying the two pack instead simply doubles capacity without changing the wire spacing or material, so the choice mostly comes down to how much cooling space a household needs at once. Against wider mesh racks built for cookies, this tight-wire design holds soft rolls more securely but is slower to rinse clean because flour and crumbs sit in the smaller gaps rather than falling through.

Verdict and who should look elsewhere

For a sourdough baker who regularly cools two things at once, whether that is a loaf and a tray of rolls or back to back boules, this set earns its place with genuine stainless steel construction and a grid tight enough to support delicate shapes. It is not the right pick for bakers working with full sheet pans, since the half sheet size will leave extra pan uncovered, and it is not the cheapest option if a single rack would already cover a household's needs. Anyone who wants wider wire spacing for faster cleanup, or a larger commercial size rack, should look at other options in the same cooling rack category before settling on this two-pack.

Frequently asked questions