Cucina compact drainer
Price £39.95
Weight 0.36kg
Dimensions (d x w x h) Disassembled 40 x 24 x 10cm; assembled 40 x 24 x 42cm
Web www.cucinadirect.com
Tel 0870 420 4300
This drainer’s claim of being compact seems a little inaccurate. It fitted in our test van’s draining area, although its outer edges hampered access to the washing-up bowl. It can cope with a lot of washing up, despite being so surprisingly light. It has 12 wide slots that allow bowls to sit upright, and its upper layer (with a deep cutlery container) is high enough to leave room for a casserole pan on the lower shelf. The lower shelf is lined with a non-slip map that will keep glasses from slipping if the van is not level, but its U-shape catches water and stops it from draining. Assembly is straightforward, but it is too bulky to be stored without first being disassembled. And it doesn’t come cheap.
Verdict Practical but pricey; classy but cumbersome.
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Argos two-tier chrome drainer
Price £7.99
Weight 1.5kg
Dimensions (d x w x h) 38 x 20 x 18cm
Web www.argos.co.uk
Tel 0870 600 2020
This classy-looking chrome drainer is intended for domestic use, but it’s useful for the space-conscious caravanner because it is arranged over two levels. The top shelf has 15 plate slots, which means there’s plenty of room for dishes and bowls, and it’s tall enough to leave space for cups or shallow pans underneath. Its outer legs rested just over the lip of the recessed draining area we used. But don’t worry about it not being a perfect fit in your van, because the tilt ensured all the water fell onto the draining board. It also has a barrier along one side of the bottom shelf, which can keep cups from sliding off if you’ve pitched on a slope, and the chrome finish is easy to clean. The two shelves slide into each other and can be stored in an overhead locker.
Verdict Smart-looking and practical for caravans with larger sink areas.
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*** EDITOR'S CHOICE ***

Towsure foldable dish drainer
Price £4.95 + p&p
Weight 0.68kg
Dimensions (d x w x h) 50 x 26 x 9cm
Web www.towsure.com
Tel 0870 6090070
This drainer has 28 plate slots; more than any other we tested. Despite not fitting our test van’s drainer area, its hinged middle lets it rest at an angle, leaning on the lip of the sunken drain area. But in that position, water fell back into the drainer, and large plates drying in slots on the arm touched the items draining on the base. Also, stacking plates can be tricky; the slots in the base are very narrow, so plates draining there were prone to falling out. And the slats on the arm are so deep that cleaning them could prove difficult. On the plus side, the base has a cutlery container and, when folded, the drainer sat neatly in the recessed drain area.
Verdict Lightweight and affordable, but tricky to use.
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Just Kampers plate and cutlery rack
Price £5.95 + p&p
Weight 0.3kg
Dimensions (d x w x h) 38 x 12 x 10cm
Web www.justkampers.com
Tel 08009156601
This drainer fitted easily on our van’s draining area, but it could also be used in a van without a built-in draining boards because it has its own detachable drip tray. Its 12 slots could accommodate our eight plates but they were not wide enough to fit our bowls. However, there is a cutlery container, and its neat dimensions mean that this model will be a cinch to store.
Verdict Compact, lightweight and practical.
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Woolworths folding dish drainer
Price £6.99
Weight 0.98kg
Dimensions (d x w x h) 35 x 21 x 31cm
Web www.woolworths.co.uk
Tel 0207 2621222
This drainer boasts 18 wide slots in which bowls sit securely, and a second tier for cups. However, the slots are so wide that our test side plates tended to slip from their perch. Moreover, the angle of the top layer was too small for our frying pan to drain upright. The drainer fitted neatly in our sink area, although had the legs been fitted with rubber feet it would have been more stable. There is no cutlery holder but there is plenty of usable draining area for forks, knives and spoons beneath the drainer itself. It folds completely flat, so there are no problems with storage.
Verdict Easy to use, easy to store
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Towsure stowable dish drainer
Price £5.95 + p&p Weight 0.67kg
Dimensions (d x w x h) 32 x 29 x 24cm
Web www.towsure.com
Tel 0870 6090070
This drainer uses tiers to boost practicality without eating up space. Its 15 plate slots are usefully wide, which means that both plates and bowls sit comfortably up top, while the bottom tier can be used for cups. However, unlike other two-tier drainers, there is insufficient space to place pans on the bottom layer. And this bottom layer is not sloped, so water tends to collect in it. And as with the other Towsure product, the deep slots could prove tricky to keep clean. This model does not have a cutlery container. When folded, it fits in the drainer area or shallow overhead lockers.
Verdict An easy-to-use, compact drainer.
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Delfinware white plate rack
Price £9.59 + p&p Weight 0.4kg
Dimensions (d x w x h) 28 x 12 x 15cm
Web www.lawsonshop.co.uk
Tel 01752 825699
Strictly speaking this is a rack for storing plates in a home cupboard, but its design makes it an effective drainer for use in small vans. Each of the four very wide sections will hold a few plates, although a bowl will fill one section by itself, reducing available space. But because the rack is narrow, it will leave plenty of room around it in the draining area for cutlery and cups.
Verdict Pricey alternative offering compromised draining use.
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Delfinware compact drainer
Price £7.29 p+p Weight 0.52kg
Dimension 31 x 24cm
Web www.lawsonshop.co.uk
Tel 01752 825699
This model is ideal for use in caravans with tiny sink units, although people using this kind of tourer will probably be using fewer items of crockery anyway. It has 11 plate slots, so a 16-piece set would overwhelm it, and there’s no room for pans. Its slots were also too narrow for bowls. However, there’ll be no problems finding a space in which to stow this miniature drainer.
Verdict This basic drainer is practical for holding small loads of dishes in small vans.
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Argos wooden folding dish drainer
Price £3.99 Weight 0.96kg
Dimensions (d x w x h) 38 x 30 x 36cm
Web www.argos.co.uk
Tel 0870 6002020
This model gives you a lot of drainer for a low price. Its 16 slots are big enough to accommodate bowls, and a large frying pan could be securely wedged in there on its side, while a separate row below fits cups. We weren’t able to attach the cutlery box to the drainer, because the hooks were facing our van’s glass sink lid. However, this was not a problem since there was enough room to sit it in the draining area. The drainer is unvarnished, which does not bode well for the lifespan (and hygiene) of the wood. And this also means it is prone to splintering. The drainer folds flat, and stows away in the smallest spaces.
Verdict Practical and well priced, if a little rough around the edges.
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