Side by Side Comparison of: Rubbermaid vs Better Houseware

I've owned this for three years now and it's still holding up great. Sometimes the dish drainer has started to pool with water -- when that has happened, I don't fault the product design -- that's the normal sort of wear you should expect from a low cost product that's been used for a few years. What I've done when that has happened is -- I just bend the drainer so that it slopes to a point where water once again easily drains. Problem solved.

I had two of these exact same dish drainers and both lasted for about 10 years before finally cracking in the silverware holder area. Had no idea that I would not be able to find these locally so as usual I resorted to good ole Amazon and thankfully found them. Hopefully these two will last 10 years again. I like that this particular drainer has two silverware holders, most today only have one and they aren't usually in a fixed position. I'm happy with my find.

Such a good investment! I have no idea why I didn't get something like this earlier?!We had just been using a hand towel next to the sink and stuff was always hard and dangerous to stack. Never dried quite perfectly either.. Especially plates.We finally ordered this, and wow! I don't know why we ever fooled around with just a hand towel.. We have a dishwasher too, but sometimes there are just misc dishes that need to be washed or overflow that doesn't fit in the diswasher. This thing paid off. Even if we stack dishes high on this, pots, pans, etc.. This thing gives it a base to keep everything sturdy so it doesn't tip over.Super useful to have one of these around if you ever hand wash any dishes.

Exactly what I was looking for, and it definitely meet my expectations for size, and quality. I went through a few of the newer models wanting something "cooler" looking, but they all had issues. One had too many crevices, allowing water to pool, the other did not hold glasses very well, and the other was designed very poorly. Went back to the old standard Rubbermaid model (I think my mom used this exact same one), and was not disappointed. The price was extremely reasonable, sometimes less than half the price of the other models, and holds glasses, and plates very well. I ordered the large mat to fit under it, and water drains efficiently. The only thing I would fix would be the utensil organizer included with this model...it was just a tad flimsy and wanted to flip over once items were placed inside, but a simple slide to one side ensures there's support behind it to keep it in place.

exactly what I had hoped for...AND the complaints about how small the silverware holder is are over stated in my opinion...there are 5 of us in my household & it is large enough to hold all the silver (& my kids use a lot) AND my cooking knives...Even the large ones all at once..It is larger than any in the stores...is EASY to clean...It is beautiful...The cup holders are more in number than usual & all of my cups & glasses sit in them perfectly...I couldn't be more happy with this buy...It is worth the extra few bucks...happy happy happyI DID All the research on all the others...I was particularly interested in the stainless steele ones that were a lot more expensive...the reviews were not so good & in the end when this arrived I am so glad I didn't order those...beautiful

First of all, I am pleased with the product. What I am not pleased with is the misrepresentation of the drain board matching the drain in size. I trusted as I so often do the suggested " most people buy this product when they purchase this product" (match). The items do not match! This is a large dish drain and a small drain board. Once my order came and I went back to check out what happened I enlarged the picture and sure enough it has "small" on the label of the drain board. I feel that the products are being misrepresented. Please do not become like so many of the others on line that you can't "trust" what they advertise. I am not pleased to have a small drain board that is of no use to me! I am continuing my search to find a large rubbermaid drain board. Do you know where I can find one?

As dish drains go, it's good because you actually get a lot of space for your drain foot-print. The only drawback to this one is that there is a gap where the utensil attachment hangs, and it doesn't stay in place. My old one didn't have that. Since it moves pretty easily, the empty hole there means things can easily fall through. But as problems go, this is pretty minor.

We recently moved to a new home and somehow managed to misplace our old drainer in the packing, organizing and discarding that always takes place during the move. We took this as an opportunity to upgrade from our plastic dollar store drainer and upgrade to something that was a little nicer while still not costing too much. This drainer is exactly what we needed. It fits perfectly in the sink basin, which is a big plus because we already have way too many items taking up our limited counter space. We ordered the large and the six cup holders, silverware holder and numerous plate slots are perfect for a day's worth of dishes in our home (two adults and one child). The plastic coating means no rusting, sowe'll be getting year's of use from this.

After a few weeks, I finally received a replacement for this item, as the first shipment didn't include the silverware cup. Many of us probably have early memories of a Rubbermaid Dish Drainer in our family kitchens, and this is the closest you'll come to it. It's good for those of us without dishwashers because it has eight hooks, four on both sides, for drying glasses. The silverware cup is a bit small, or at least smaller than I remember them being, but good that you can detach it and scrub it out when necessary. As others have noted, it doesn't have the same heavy-duty feel as the Rubbermaid Dish Drainers of our youth, but is still better than most brands out there. Make sure to order a large Rubbermaid mat to go under it, because that's not part of the package, and it's nice to be able to have the drained water run into your sink.

Rubbermaid Antimicrobial Dish Drainer, Large... I'm am a "old fart", & I will be 65 by Halloween of 2015. I've a few grand-kids, & it seemed to me they are sick most of the time; right now(02-24-2015) we are on the watch for measles. I am a radio man, and while listening to NPR; I heard of a Swedish report of how kids who had to wash "the dishes" by "hand" were not getting as sick as classmates who used electric dishwashers. So now on Sundays, I am going to have the kids do dishes as I did; "by hand".When I opened the shipping box, there was an old friend; just as I remembered from the 1960's... Nuff Said...

Very pleased with mine, love that I'm able to put some glasses on the sides so they don't take up space that the dishes, cookware, etc. needs from the inside. Just wish that the things for the sides were spaced out just a little further so I could use ALL of them at the same time, instead of every-other one. But hey, it does tend to get heavy and tip over if I'm not already balancing it out with the other side, too. lol (Logistics, hey...) Also, there's a very large gap in one end that my stuff likes to come through a lot if I don't plan for it and cover it with a plate or something first. But works, otherwise. And the color is PERFECT!!! <big grin> I am able to fit a lot onto mine.

When I bought this, it was pictured with the drain board, and said nowhere that it did not come with one. I was pretty disappointed when I opened the box. The company sent me one for free since there was nothing saying it wasn't a set, but it was kind of annoying. If you're just looking for a standard wire rack this is it.

This has a large footprint and is S.S which were primary reasons for buying it. I have a number of minor things I would change about it like the face that the utensil cup is too small for the size of the rack and can only be mounted one way. But it's heavy duty and LARGE as racks go. Came quick and undamaged.

This product does not come with a drain board. I just thought it would for some reason. I had to order it separately which made the purchase overall more expensive. The product is nice. Its not very heavy but it has not toppled over or anything because it has sturdy grounding.

I ordered this drainer to replace a 18 year old model by Rubbermaid. I agree with another reviewer - this product has thinner wire and thinner coating. It was also skewed when it arrived and would not sit flat on the counter until I bent it back into the correct shape. Also, my new one arrived without the detachable silverware cup (I hope that is the issue that Amazon is working on - I went to the website the minute I received my new one that was "not as described - missing parts" and saw that they have discontinued shipping this item due to a problem). I am able to use the corner silverware cup from my old one. However, my old cup is green and doesn't match the new black drainer and there is a large opening on the front of the drainer where the cup that was supposed to be there would have covered. I have been buying from Amazon for many years and this is the first purchase I have not been happy with. I hope Amazon figures out their issue and ships me the silverware cup that was supposed to be included according to the description!

This Dish drainer has been downgraded from the previous one which had a nice flatware holder which clips on in the corner. To save money, Rubbermaid removed some of the metal rods at the end and put in a cheap flimsy plastic holder in the way in the middle at the back (if you see a picture with the flatware holder in the corner, that is not what you are going to get.Otherwise, the design is very functional and useful, particularly the wires on the side that let you hang glasses. Apparently, management asked the engineers if they could find a way to make it cheaper and appear to have the same functionality, which it DOES NOT. The change is shameless and inferior to the prior design.Sadly, this new Dish Drainer is a major downgrade to the prior design.

I like it. It's simply, inexpensive, and mostly does what I need. I would have been happier had it actually arrived with the silverware holder. That diminishes its usefulness somewhat. It's not worth the hassle of sending back, so I will probably just buy a cheap silverware holder to go with it. Not happy about that. The rack itself is a good value aside from that. I bought a rubber tray to put under it so I can use it on my countertop and drain water off into the sink. Handy for when my dishwasher is full or I have a pot or two to wash separately.

I grew up with these dish drainers, and they are, for the most part, quite good. The picture here is not completely accurate, though. The utensil basket, for example, is now a bit longer, but much narrower, and less stable. I am not sure why Rubbermaid made that change. It does not really work. Also, most importantly, I need a larger one, especially for pots and pans that I have to hand wash. They just don't really fit. I bought 2, thinking they would fit on my limited counter, but they don't. So I thought I might cut one and kind of rig them together. This creates a rust risk. Maybe there is a bigger and better one out there, but I have not found it. So, I find it a bit disappointing, even though it is relatively well-made. Hence the 3.5.

The dish rack itself is very nice -- large, well constructed. The silverware draining cup is small and has no dividers so when you start loading it everything tilts sideways, making it difficult to to load more silverware. I've just ordered a separate silverware draining cup that should attach easily.Edit: The new silverware draining cup attaches easily, but the design is stupid -- with large slots at the bottom that the utensils slip through. :( I'm not happy.

I already reviewed this product and outlined some issues I had with it and with the company that shipped it. My previous review disappeared and I don't feel like going into detail again, so let me just say I can't recommend this product. I'll see if this review also vanishes.

This could be on me for not paying enough attention, but when I ordered the large black dish drainer I was expecting it to come as pictured with both a drain board and the plastic utensil holder along with the rack itself. When the item arrived it was just the dish rack alone, no utensil holder or drain board. I contacted Amazon customer service and they said the lack of utensil holder was an error on their end but that the lack of the drain board was intentional. To top it off, they said they could not send send replacement parts by themselves and that I had to send the entire dish rack back to them and then they could send it back to me with the utensil holder included.It seems silly that you would even be able to buy a dish rack without a drain board--looks like the board is sold separately for $20+, which seems way too expensive for a piece of plastic. The dish rack itself seems to be of good quality, but beware that the listing is deceptive and does not come with everything pictured.

I missed the part about this item being coated with Microban. I am sensitive to chemicals and avoid products that are treated with them. I need to return it even though it's exactly what I wanted, right down to the color. I didn't have to unwrap it from its clear plastic cover, the chemical residue was on the plastic wrapper when I took it out of the box. Only someone with a chemical sensitivity can understand what I'm writing about. I want to call Rubbermaid and ask if they make this product without the Microban coating.

I have always used Rubbermaid for washing dishes by hand, since I was eleven years old...almost 60 years ago! They made good, thick, durable dish racks and drainers. Over the years the thickness has grown less and less. After my last rack started wearing out and showing metal that might rust, I bit the bullet and ordered this latest design, mostly because it was Rubbermaid and also in Red, my favorite accent color in the kitchen. I've used it only about a week and already I'm looking for another replacement as this will probably not even last a year. When they say "Wire" Dish drainer they aren't kidding! This is a very slim, thin version of the traditional dish drainer they made their reputation on. I've even gone to the Rubbermaid site to see if a heavier version was available, but they don't even mention dish drainers anymore. The size of this one was fine, the color is excellent, BUT...the thin dividers for dishes just barely held a solid ironstone dish, the cutting board wants to tip the whole thing over, the glass holders bend easily to fit your glass, but they bend easily for anything! The cutlery holder is a farce, it lets the items slide all over and are hard to pick out plus the attachment to the rack will break off in no time. Just lifting it off to dry twice a day when I do dishes, it's already getting flimsy. I'm so disappointed that this is just a cheap replica of Rubbermaid's past great quality. I can understand them wanting to offer cheaper items, BUT ALSO OFFER THE QUALITY THEY WERE KNOWN FOR, there are many people who would pay more for something that had a solid, well made finish. Now I have to go through the process of finding some other company who makes something that people use daily and will do the job.

Like "Consuma", I was replacing an older model of this drain rack and can confirm the newer model is not as sturdy.The wire frame is much thinner. Because of this, the attachments for glasses have a tendency to bend outward when heavier glasses and mugs are placed on them. The feet of the old model were made of hard rubber, and helped to keep the rack in place. The feet of the newer model are plastic, and the rack often slips towards the sink as it's loaded with dishes.It's not a terrible dish rack, and I guess the antimicrobial coating is nice, (although I never had a problem with mold on the old rack) it's just a cheaper, flimsier version of the old one.I wrote a review of the Rubbermaid Antimicrobial Large Drain Board, Black that goes with this, it didn't fare as well.

I'm not sure about the measurements of the dish rack that isn't "Antimicrobial" but for the extra money they charge for this it isn't worth it. The dish rack is thin, doesn't have as many plate slots as my old one, and the utensil holder doesn't hold anything. Just like everyone else Rubbermaid is giving less material, charging more money and claiming an attribute that I can't prove right now.

I measured my sink before ordering this, and according to the dimensions listed, it should fit.However, they apparently measure the bottom part only, and not the top, which juts out at least an extra inch.Also, the silverware cup is completely ineffective. It couldn't even support the weight of a single fork.

We have an almost 20 year old version of this dish drainer which, at long last, is starting to fray around the edges (literally). This flimsy replica came bent out of shape (although the box was intact) and seemed like it wouldn't stand up to having a glass placed in one of the holders provided for that purpose. Rubbermaid has discontinued this product, and, with good reason - it's an insult to their loyal consumers. It's just hard to understand why a seemingly reliable company like Rubbermaid would have cheapened their line so profoundly and given me pause about considering their products in the future.

Horrible! Very cheaply made. It arrived bent and missing the tray for silverware to dry in!

I have one of these chrome dish drainers and it began to rust within a month. Will replace with the coated one. Had a coated one before that lasted for years of everyday use as I do not have a dishwasher. Thought the chrome one looked more modern but don't waste your money.As for the utensil cup that comes with them - toss out. Buy one of the utensil drying racks - 3 compartments. They will hang on the inside or outside and work great. Of course, buy one that is coated.

The dish drainer is full of white spots embedded in places too difficult to clean. Unfortunately I tossed an old set out and wish I kept them. They were old but maintained their color and had very little stain. I have no idea why it is so bad and no idea how to clean it. If anyone does know a good way to get rid of these stains please pass it along. I am assuming it is my water but who knows? Very disappointed. I would not purchase this item again nor recommend it even if there was a way to clean it. Instead of feeling I am being protected against bacteria it looks like something is creating it.