It is therefore very important that in your kitchen, you are equipped with baking racks. These equipments are truly a “batterie de cuisine”. Without these often overlooked but essential equipments, you will experience moister and soggier baked items. This especially happens when the end product is allowed to cool only in their corresponding pans or on a solid surface which do not allow air to circulate freely. The main purpose of the wire cooking rack is in order to allow the air to circulate on the product freely. It will allow an even and quick cooling of the product.
How do you choose the right cooling rack for your kitchen? Here are some recommended steps:
- Visit a trusted kitchen supply store. Any store that sells kitchen supplies for baking like muffin and cake pans, for sure also sell cooling racks. Stores that sell restaurant supplies also have cooling racks in their stock. You can also visit auction sites and the storefronts of great stores.
- Choose the right wire cooling rack according to the specifications of your cooking. What you will be baking will determine the size of your rack. Cookies can be fitted inside a small rack while breaks or cakes will need a baking rack that is proportionate to their big size. If you are planning for your baking rack to sit in a pan, ensure that you take the measurements of the pan before you purchase the rack. Another thing to consider for the size is whether the cooling rack can fit in the dishwasher or on the storage place that you want to store the material. Usually, the cooling rack will store along with the baking sheets and cooking sheets as well as pizza pans. If you have these items, you can estimate their sizes accordingly.
- Choose the correct material for your baking rack. The usual cooling racks are metallic. However, there are also some wooden cooling racks or those racks which are chrome plated. There are also non-stick racks but are not really essential; they can be helpful though. You can always have the choice of using parchment paper when cooking sticky foods. If you are planning to use a cooling rack when draining food, make sure that you choose a rack that will not rust.
Ensure that the cooling rack has the best quality. Like purchasing other kitchen essentials, you need to be sure that the cooling rack is sturdy and will not easily rust.