Expandable Cooling Rack

Spreading Out: Expandable Cooling Racks

Whether you've got to prepare for a big bake sale, are prepping holiday treats, or are just in the mood to bake up a storm, you're going to need a place to cool all your goodies. Expandable cooling racks allow you ample room to ready your baked goods for hungry tummies.

The Structure

Cooling racks cool food by allowing air to circulate evenly around the entire circumference of the food through their open slotted or grid-like construction.

Expandable cooling racks generally feature two or three "nesting" racks of traditional cooling rack design and material (chrome- or nickel-plated aluminum or steel bakeware wire) mounted on small feet. Expandable cooling rack tiers are graduated in size and attached; lower level tiers slide out easily to the front or sides to create a larger cooling area.

The Benefits

Cooling is an essential part of baking, and while some baked goods, such as cookies, won't stick or become mushy if left for a bit on a baking sheet, other goods, such as breads, will become soggy if left in a pan. Your best bet is transfer your special baked items relatively quickly from the sheet or pan to a cooling rack upon removing them from the oven.

Expandable cooling racks offer both a way to cool large batches of baked goods and a storage-saving design. Just pop your cooling rack into the dishwasher after use, then slide the rack's tiers into nesting positions and store right along single cooling racks and baking sheets.

Expandable cooling racks also feature feet of varying heights (meaning you can choose which baked goods get the most air circulation), and can expand to lengths as long as three feet.

The Variations

Stacking cooling racks. When you don't have the counter space to move out, move up with a stacking cooling rack. Stacking cooling racks offer the same additional space of a standard expandable cooling rack but use the area space of just a single rack. Stacking cooling racks are detachable; each tier can be added or removed, and, because tiers generally have collapsible legs, the whole outfit is very easy to store.

Cooling rack holders. If you have quite a few single, everyday cooling racks, easily turn them into an "expandable" set with a cooling rack holder. Cooling rack holders typically hold three cooling racks; slide each cooling rack into each of the holder's three sided frames to allow baked goods to cool.

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