Kitchen draining area/ board - is the only solution to wipe dishes straightaway?

[WhoWhereWhatWhy]

We’re finally having a new kitchen. Our current one has a stainless steel sink and a half and attached draining board, which has worked really well for us. But when we upgrade the kitchen to a mid range one we think we’ll have an undermounted sink, and i am really hoping that the budget will stretch to Corian/Dekton for the worksurface.

I never ever dry up after I’ve washed up, and often leave bits from the dishwasher that aren’t fully dry to drain on the drainer.

Am I going to need a personality change and dry up straightaway when our new kitchen is in? I can’t see what draining board options I have other than a plastic one that sits on the worksurface or grooves (my fear is that everything will drop to the floor off the side and that water will just pool).

All advice welcome.

We have a Brabritania (sp?) mat, it’s great. Tupperare etc that doesn’t dry in the dishwasher goes on there. If we have an unexpected visit I just chuck it in the drawer and it looks tidy

I have a similar setup. Didn't get grooves as I don't like the look of them. I put most things in the dishwasher but usually wash pots by hand. I put them on a tea towel to dry and it works well. They are dry by the morning so I put them away when emptying the dishwasher. Anything not fully dry from the dishwasher I leave on the counter top.

We use a shower wiper to removed the excess water after the hand washing has dripped. Couple of swipes and the surface is dry

Obviously its dedicated to the kitchen 😂

I find grooves in worktops go yellow over time. For my under mount sink, we avoided grooves in worktops and got a drain accessory with our sink. Our sink is a blanco. And they have an accessory range which includes a drain insert that can go into or over the sink. It’s foldable and can be stored away too. Keeps everything looking nice and tidy!

We have one of these…

https://www.johnlewis.com/brabantia-sinkside-microfibre-dish-drying-mat-mid-grey/p6084138?s_ppc=2dx_mixed_home_BAU&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20155422167&gbraid=0AAAAAD2el1xdIG6cwMjId4OKR-nvs_v4_&gclid=CjwKCAjw1tLOBhAMEiwAiPkRHt9Jgat8CmZgRZRAHN6NMQh0VaerGOuGt_6vtGsaPt2DunGDa_7RLBoCCx0QAvD_BwE

It sits in the cupboard under the sink when not in use.

I just dry the Tupperware as I take it out of dishwasher - same with tefal pans which I hand wash

It's quite something when a functional feature is deemed an old fashioned look. Style over substance.

Mildly baffled by all the people who can't use a worktop once it's got grooves in it. You use chopping boards for chopping, right? And probably worktop protectors for hot things. You do know you can put them on the drainer ...?!

Another ikea suggestion. I have a shelf above my sink for occasional thing to dry
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/kungsfors-dish-drainer-40371225/

Our sink had an accessory which is a stainless tray with a drainage hole in the side. We put a dish rack on top of that and everything drips into it and into the sink. We can put the rack away and the tray fits over the sink as an extra surface. It works very well for us.

I had a round sink with no draining board and have now moved to house with full sink and draining board and honestly this looks tidier. I always regretted my lack of draining board

We just lay out clean tea towels to absorb the moisture and prevent sliding.

Don't make plans the kitchen for the person you want to be.

The best kitchens are planned for the people you are. So think about how you use it.

If you need a personality change to have no drying rack then this is not the kitchen for you

The drying shelves are a good compromise imo

We have a double undermounted sink and a mesh drainer basket that perfectly fits within the second sink. Also a board on top that perfectly covers the second sink and could theoretically hide the unsightly draining items if they weren't piled so high. If I'm using both sinks then the drainer basket - which has different sections for plates etc - can sit on the side on a teatowel or on pur josephjoseph portable draining board (or I may be using that too separately) but more usually there's only a small number of bits to wash up and it can stay in the second sink neatly out of the way. I don't like the grooves on the work surface that some people have - it designates that whole area as "draining board" whereas with my system, 100% of the worktop can be food prep area if needed.

We have an undermount ceramic sink with worktop.
we don’t have a drainer at all now. I bought a silicone one in as whit we have never used in 4 years.

I just use a clean teatowel for large pots or wooden items. Then another teatowel to dry up straight away. It’s so much better as kitchen remains tidy and nothing left out. If I really need to it’s left on a clean teatowel towel.

Dishwasher washes 95% of stuff we own

I have a tiny kitchen open plan at the end of the living room,1960s bungalow. I don't want to see a draining board when I am sitting on the sofa. Tiny dishwasher. The plastic and silicone tubs are Hydrophobic and have a low temperature mass,so they don't dry. I have a silicone fold up draining board hangs behind the kitchen door,2 draining mats, which hang up with tea cloths, oven gloves. I have a small round sink, which came with a round chopping board which fits over the top,makes it fairly invisible (induction hob for the same reason)!I used the microwave a lot,young dgks,who need unbreakable crockery, I bake,batch cook,so I put all this stuff in the airing cupboard, bottom shelf,it's just off the kitchen, I appreciate you wouldn't want to be bothered if you have to go upstairs..I also have a plastic drainer, with lipped sides, I actually use that for watering my orchids.

I also have a dishwasher but also wash a fair few things by hand .
Non stick pans , baking trays , cake tins etc .
i also find that Tupperware style boxes stay wet in the dishwasher, so wet that I have to put them on the draining board .
So if you’re set on having an under mounted sink then I think I’d have a surface next to it with grooves and a draining mat as well , get a few to rotate them.
i have a Joseph Joseph draining rack which looks good and does the job too

They are ugly and arent particularly functional

https://www.houzz.co.uk/discussions/3912043/does-my-stone-kitchen-worktop-need-drainer-grooves

A woman with the same idea as me. We put this arrangement in our last kitchen, exactly as you describe it. A perfect solution imo. Our current kitchen was newish when we moved in and I miss my old sink so much. Hoping to move this year and put in a full double sink again.

I had a 2.5 sink in my last house which was really practical. One bowl for washing, a small bit in the middle for rinsing etc and a second bowl which housed a Simple human drainer inside.
It was hard to find, think I tracked it down on ebay.
This kind of thing
www.qssupplies.co.uk/bathroom-furniture-shower-taps/166829.htm

Firstly, I have Dekton Kira and it’s fabulous. Worth every penny. They will cut draining grooves into the surface for you. Picture attached with the Dekton and grooves.

And you can buy draining boards with water tray under them that drains into the sink.

Most kitchens in this country have the sink in front of a window so you cant put a cupboard there

When we were last in Spain, we had a sink with the draining cupboard over the hob even though the sink was not in front of a window, i think the boiler was above the sink

We have grooves on our white marble effect worktop, they don’t work brilliantly so I also have a wire rack that looks quite nice and out out of place.

A tip I learned here is - after your dishwasher has finished open it, drape a clean tea towel over the inside of the front, close the dishwasher catching the end of the dishwasher in the closure. The condensation will be absorbed by the tea towel.

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