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You don’t have to be an expert baker to recognize the usefulness of a wire cooling rack. I rely on mine almost every day—not just for apple turnovers. A cooling rack offers a broad, stable surface for hot pans and trays, as well as for cookies, grilled cheese, and pancakes. Unfortunately, many kitchens still lack them. If you're one of those, here are some of the best alternatives that’ll work in the meantime (until you acquire a proper one).
The purpose of a cooling rack is to provide air circulation around and beneath the items placed on it. This ensures rapid cooling, prevents over-browning from the residual heat of the pan, and allows moisture to escape. Cooling racks typically have legs that raise them about half an inch off the surface, letting air flow underneath. This makes them far superior to a folded dish towel, cutting board, or countertop (which could suffer damage). These alternatives don’t offer an ideal cooling setup—you need something with ridges or open spaces underneath to promote faster cooling and moisture escape.
Top Alternatives to Cooling Racks
Cooling is crucial for two main reasons: it can be applied to entire pans, like baking sheets, cast iron skillets, and frying pans, or to individual food items, such as cookies, cakes, or grilled cheese sandwiches. Here are six methods to consider. Some work better for large pans, others are ideal for single items, and a few can handle both.
Place a muffin tin upside down.
Turning a muffin tin upside down creates a flat metal surface, and the spaces between the cups allow air to circulate freely. This makes it perfect for cooling hot pans like skillets and sheet trays, as well as larger, structured foods like toasted sandwiches. (However, small cookies, delicate cakes, or soft foods might not do well with the wide gaps between the cups.) Just flip the tin upside down on the counter and place the hot pan on top to cool.
An upturned egg carton
If you don't have a cooling rack or a cupcake tin, you might be more likely to have a carton of eggs nearby. This method works much like the muffin tin, where the bottoms of the egg cups support the hot item, and the gaps between them allow for airflow and moisture to dissipate. Simply flip an empty egg carton over (set the eggs aside for a moment) and place the hot object on top. Paper or cardboard cartons are ideal, but avoid using plastic egg crates, as they might melt under the heat.
Offset two sheet pans.
I often use this method when roasting vegetables or baking cookies. Take the hot tray out of the oven and place it onto another sheet tray of the same size or one slightly smaller. Instead of aligning them, position the top tray diagonally. The edges of the bottom tray will support the top one, allowing air to circulate, and the open corners will act as entry points for airflow.
Crumple up some foil.
This method isn’t meant for pans or trays, but it’s perfect for smaller to medium-sized food items that need a quick cooling, like thick cookies, bacon, biscuits, or air fryer snacks such as spanakopita pockets. Take a large sheet of foil, and if you need extra sturdiness, use heavy-duty foil. Crumple it loosely, then un-crumple it, leaving the peaks and valleys in place. Carefully place the hot food on top, letting the peaks support it. If the foil collapses under the weight, you can create more deliberate, even folds and insert forks, knives, or other utensils underneath to keep the foil from flattening completely. Be cautious, as foil can be unexpectedly sharp, and don’t crumple it too tightly, or it might rip when unwrapping.
Arrange a few chopsticks.
This method is useful because you can adjust the chopstick spacing to meet your needs. You can use just two widely spaced chopsticks to support larger pots, trays, or skillets, or, if you have a bunch of chopsticks, you can line them up parallel to each other, about half an inch apart, creating a makeshift cooling rack for smaller items. While the wooden sticks only lift food by about a quarter-inch, this small height allows for much better airflow than placing the food directly on the counter.
Repurpose the grate from your toaster oven.
A conventional oven has large grates, which are too big for cooling needs, especially if you’ve just baked something. On the other hand, a toaster oven’s grate is smaller and resembles a cooling rack. It even has side wires that act like feet. Just make sure the toaster oven isn’t hot, remove the grate, and place it on the counter. Then, you can place your hot items directly on top.
While nothing can truly replace a wire cooling rack, sometimes you need to make do. With these six alternatives, you’ll have most of your cooling needs covered. Try out one or more of these options the next time you’re in need of a cooling rack substitute.
