Wire Cooling Rack

A high carbon steel cooling rack, and the piece of kit most home bakers skip. Cake left in the tin or set on a plate keeps cooking in its own heat and steams from below, so the base goes damp and the bottom crust softens. On a rack, air circulates underneath and the steam escapes.

It has a second life outside baking. Set it over a tray and it becomes a draining rack for anything fried, or a roasting rack that lifts meat out of its own fat so the underside crisps instead of stewing.

Why you'll love it

• Stops soggy bottoms — steam escapes instead of condensing under the bake.
• Even cooling — air reaches every face at once.
• Doubles as a roasting rack — lifts meat clear of its own fat.
• Drains fried food — crisper than draining onto paper.

Details

• Material: high carbon steel, non-stick
• Ideal for: cakes, biscuits, bread, roasting, draining

Turn cakes out of the tin onto the rack after about ten minutes — long enough to firm up, not so long that the base sweats.