What are the advantages of dedicated cooling racks?

Question

We have a few cooking racks. On the rare occasion that I try to bake (I am not a good baker) and I need a cooling rack, I use the cooking rack. The racks are always washed in the DW so there is no transference of odors or whatnot. So far, this seems to work fine. So, can one use cooling and cooking racks interchangeably? Are cooking racks more versatile since they can be put in the oven and used to support a turkey?

Thanks.

Answer

The rack that I would choose to support a turkey or roast in a roasting pan is quite different from one that I would use to cool cookies. The meat rack is V shaped cradle, with just a few cross bars. The cooling rack is a flat grid that fits in a half sheet baking tray. It could, in theory, be used to bake flat items (e.g. roasted vegetables) and to drain fried items.

Answer

Since you rarely bake and since it seems to work fine for you and since you still have concerns, why not use parchment paper to create a barrier? That way you don't add clutter to your kitchen.

Edit:
Actually dumb of me - the parchment solves one problem, but creates another - poor breathing at the underside of your baked goods.

Answer

Hi, E_M: " So, can one use cooling and cooking racks interchangeably? Are cooking racks more versatile since they can be put in the oven and used to support a turkey?"

Sorry to mix metaphors, but you have a whole fruitbasket of issues at work here. IME it all depends on the design/construction of the rack in question before you can even try to pigeonhole whether it is "cooking" or "cooling", and even then there is crossover. 

There are several features of what many people consider a dedicated roasting rack that would militate against it being a good choice for cooling baked goods. First, many racks meant for roasting are V-shaped and don't sit flat. (even those infuriating folding/adjustable ones). Second, many racks meant for roasting have only widely-spaced, parallel slats (vizualize me cursing a blue streak when my cookies catch on/slip/break between the slats [minds out of the gutter now]) .

Personally, I think the woven-wire racks that fit inside sheetpans work great for both roasting (e.g., potatoes and oven-roasted bacon) and cooling baked goods, but aren't usually high enough for roasting large cuts/joints of meat--your T-day turkey would end up 1/4 stewed.

In my kitchen, I have *one* heavy V-rack for roasting big meat, and a bunch of smaller racks (some parallel, some woven) that *are* IMO interchangeable.

Aloha,
Kaleo

Answer

E_M,
 
 As long as your baking racks can do the job of cooling, then it is all fine. Cooking racks can be much thicker than cooling rack depending of the object in which is meant to support. Also, cooking rack can be non-flat, like this to hold up a bird or a piece of meat:

http://fantes.com/images/8154racks.jpg

As such, those would be unsuitable for cooling cookies. Nevertheless, if you can make them to work. Go for them.

Answer

I did pick up a cheap cookie cooling rack at Home Goods a number of years ago. But I find that clean cutting boards work just as well. I use boards that are only used for veggies. But I clean them and I've never had a trace of an odor transfer. I also like a board for cooling cakes and brownies, but admit that mostly I just put those on my glasstop stove when it is not in use.

Answer

My cooling racks are around 8-10" square, and easily fit in a drawer. 

Warm oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are irresistible.

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What are the advantages of dedicated cooling racks?

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