Most times I am for good design, but if design starts to trump function too much, I have to give a product a thumbs down. In my opinion, this dish rack is one of those items. Though I can appreciate the sleek space-saving design, I can’t imagine it would be useful to most people, and even for those who might find it handy, I highly doubt they would pay $110 for it.
I wash all my dishes by hand, so I love it when new products come out that assist in that process, but here are just a few of my concerns with this product.
- It doesn’t hold many dishes. Even a two-person family would push this to the limit.
- Odd-sized dishes that aren’t cups or plates won’t fit well. Even utensils don’t have much of a place.
- Eventually someone will tip it over and break a whole rack of dishes.
- There is no draining mat or drip tray to go underneath. At that price I think one should be supplied.
- Again, the price at $110 is pretty ridiculous.
Now with that said, the designer is Spanish, and I could see this being used in small European kitchens or an efficiency apartment in New York City, especially if there is limited counter space and no dishwasher. The rack also saves space by folding up and will have a smaller ‘footprint’ on your counter when in use, but I would also be concerned that it might not fit under cabinets well. Lastly, I will admit that European sinks often have a built in metal draining rack, so the draining pad/tray may not be an issue if you have a European-style sink.
Despite these redeeming traits and scenarios, I still think this product is not very functional, especially if you have a family of more than one person. If you live in an average-sized home, you will have enough space for a dish rack that is much more useful, yet costs a lot less. Yes, the product does look great, and it is clever how it folds up, but no matter how useful it might be for tight spaces, there is still the $110 price tag to consider too.
Despite my humble opinion, many design blogs and several magazines (including Dwell) have featured this product, so there are people who like the concept. If you are one of those people, you can find the Aurea dish rack designed by Ernest Perera at the Conran Shop. Other shops will also sell it online, but it is usually more expensive.
