Bakery racks make your work efficient and swift. While they are many in the field, the baking and the cooling racks are the major ones. The dual comes in different shapes and sizes, but their work narrows down to baking and cooling processes.
Most of the cooling and baking racks are stainless steel or aluminum. You will find a few forged from iron, but the stainless-steel ones are hardy, scratch resistant, heat resistant, and do not rust.
The aluminum ones are less preferred as they can flake and cause food poisoning. Iron racks corrode, scratch, and lose their shine in a short period.
So far, these two shouldn’t confuse you. We have this straightforward guide to help you differentiate these two essential baking utensils.
- What Is A Cooling Rack?
- What Is A Baking Rack?
- Are Cooling Racks And Baking Racks The Same?
- Can A Cooling Rack Be Used As A Baking Rack?
- Can I Use A Cooling Rack As A Baking Rack?
- Can You Use An Oven Rack As A Cooling Rack?
- What Can I Use Instead Of A Cooling Rack?
- What Can I Use Instead Of A Baking Rack?
- What Can I Use If I Don’t Have A Cooling Rack For Cookies?
- What’s A Wire Rack For Baking?
What Is A Cooling Rack?
After baking your pastries, you need a base to cool them down before serving. A cooling rack is the most appropriate piece for the task. The frame is made of durable but thin wire that holds the pastries on your countertop to allow setting and cooling down.
This piece of oven accessory allows air to flow around your pastries and other bakes, thus cooling foods faster and preventing overbaking. Your bakes cool down without getting soggy from steam and condensation.
A cooling rack is manual and easy to use. After removing your food from the hot oven, place it directly on thin wires or while still on the baking pan or sheet. The rack will enable a uniform cooling process for your food.
Read More: The 5 Best Stainless Steel Cooling Rack
What Is A Baking Rack?
On the other hand, the baking rack is simply for holding your pastries when baking. Baking food is easy and faster with this simple oven accessory. Like the cooling rack, it also comprises durable thin wires to place your baking sheet or pan and the food on top.
A baking rack enables uniform hot air circulation during the cooking process. That way, the utensil guarantees evenly cooked dishes. The rack must be heat tolerant and not warp or deform when baking, grilling, or cooking in high oven temperatures.
Are Cooling Racks And Baking Racks The Same?
Cooling racks are dedicated to allowing airflow to cool your bakes. Though you can use the product for different applications such as baking, it is best left for de-panning, cooling, and removing moisture from your bakes.
Unless a cooling rack comprises the suitable material, you cannot use it for baking. Most cooling racks are made of iron with chrome coating. Others are non-stick, thus not ideal for baking.
Baking racks come in sturdy stainless steel or aluminum metallic wires that are highly resistant to heat thus safe for use in hot ovens.
Stainless steel cooking racks are more common as they do not rust or flake. A baking rack can also be used interchangeably as a cooling rack. That means if you have several baking racks, nothing prevents you from using one of them as a cooling rack.
Can A Cooling Rack Be Used As A Baking Rack?
If you didn’t have a baking rack, you could use a cooling rack if the material allows. The cooling rack should be high quality and snuggly fit in your oven.
Your selection for a cooling rack that you can use as a baking rack boils down to if the material can resist high heat. You also require one that can function in different situations. For example, a cooling rack that can withstand oven heat is a plus.
A chrome-coated iron cooling rack cannot make an excellent cooling rack. And so is an aluminum rack. The best material for a cooling rack is stainless steel with no non-stick coating.
In addition, the structure should fit perfectly into your oven if it is a multi-purpose tray. We recommend that you use the perfect rack for a specific purpose.
Can I Use A Cooling Rack As A Baking Rack?
Yes, you can use a cooling rack as a baking rack as long as it is not non-stick and the material is par with the high oven temperatures. But it would be best if you took note of the poor-quality cooling racks in the market before you stack them in your oven.
Oven heat can be as high as 450 to 550 degrees Fahrenheit, destroying poor grade cooling racks. Most of the cooling frames have a coating that mimics a baking rack. The material usually melts at an extreme temperature which can poison your dishes.
If your cooling rack specifications meet the high-temperature resistance, you can go ahead and insert it in the oven. The best practice is to follow the rack manufacturer before using the accessory in hot ovens. Otherwise, get the recommended baking racks for your oven.
Can You Use An Oven Rack As A Cooling Rack?
An oven rack comprises durable stainless-steel wires where you place your pans when baking. They come in singles or tiers, depending on the manufacturer.
In addition, the sizes differ for use in different ovens. You can use it as a cooling rack if you have an extra oven rack after baking.
All you need is to transfer your bakes from the hot oven onto a cool oven rack on your kitchen countertop. That will allow cool air to circulate on your food, thus cooling it and helping your bakes to set.
What Can I Use Instead Of A Cooling Rack?
If you don’t have a cooling rack, you don’t have to place your bakes on flat surfaces. There are several hacks to substitute this crucial rack.
Have a look at these eleven easy hacks;
- BBQ grill – line the grill with a parchment paper
- Baking rack
- A brown paper firepit grill
- Cane rack
- Wooden cooling board
- Burner top
- Paper towel on the countertop
- Paper towel on a cool tray or plate
- Cool, dry pizza baking stone
- Cool and dry chopping board
- Homemade wire rack
What Can I Use Instead Of A Baking Rack?
A baking rack is essential for perfecting grilling, baking, and roasting. The rack has thin wires that allow heat to circulate the food in the oven. It also will enable drippings from your food, thus making food less oily.
What if you don’t have the rack?
But there are several substitutes you can consider;
- Ramekins – If you are roasting a turkey or a chunk of meat, turn four small ramekins upside-down such that they hold up.
- Metal cookie cutters – These are perfect for smaller roasts.
Cooking stove grates -works best if you cover them with aluminum foil. Pierce a few holes in the aluminum foil to allow dripping. - Oven-safe cooling rack
- Microwave rack
What Can I Use If I Don’t Have A Cooling Rack For Cookies?
The last jar you don’t want to see empty is your cookie jar! The snacks are heavenly, especially when your kids are around. But your cooling rack is missing, and you have no idea what you will use after baking. Don’t fret as there are many alternatives right around your kitchen;
- Pizza stone
- Extra baking rack
- Paper towel or brown paper on your countertop
- Wooden chopping board
- BBQ grill lined with parchment/paper
- Wire rack
What’s A Wire Rack For Baking?
A wire rack for baking is a unique rack whose specific purpose includes baking, grilling, roasting, and other oven applications. In addition, this frame separates your oven into compartments where you can bake several recipes at a go.
But this is no ordinary wire; it has to be heat resistant to persevere the high oven heat. Most wire racks for baking are stainless steel because the material does not rust, warp, flake, and is heat tolerant.
Most chefs use it with a parchment paper or aluminum lining and a tray below to catch any juices from the food. Wire racks for baking come in different sizes and shapes to match your oven’s dimensions.
Final Thoughts Of Baking Rack Vs Cooling Rack!
When you finally go shopping for a baking rack, you shouldn’t confuse the accessory with a cooling rack. Picking a cooling rack for a baking rack is a flop beginners make. The two may or may not substitute for each other.
A cooling rack cannot replace a baking rack, especially if the material composition is not heat resistant. If the cooling rack is coated with non-stick material, it cannot tolerate the extreme oven heat. Moreso, the coating will peel off and contaminate your food.
Contrarily, that extra baking rack on your kitchen shelf can function as a cooling rack. Provided it is cool and at room temperature. You will remove your delicacies, place them on a cool baking rack on the countertop, and wait for them to cool.
We have several alternatives for these two essential oven appliances. Choose whatever suits you best to enjoy your baking experiences!
