The Best Kitchen Towels

These combination basket-and-plain-weave towels soaked up an impressive 2 cups of water. Even after drying a load of dishes, they didn’t feel soggy or heavy. Our hands always felt safe when we folded the towels in quarters to grab hot pots and pans. We loved how easy they were to clean; one tester was delighted to find that even after wiping up soy sauce and kimchi, the towels didn’t hold on to stains or odors. In addition, we liked the bright colors of these towels and thought they were attractive enough to display on a counter or oven door.

These pure white towels were “fluffy and absorptive without being too unwieldy.” In fact, they were among the most absorbent in our lineup—they soaked up more than 2 cups of water. This was due in large part to the ribbed terry weave that collected droplets of water. Some testers noted that the ribbed texture also gave them some scrubbing power. These thick towels allowed us to handle hot items safely and felt “plush” when drying our hands. Although the towels’ lack of color initially made stains more noticeable, we could bleach them.

These towels lived up to their name—they absorbed 2.5 cups of water and allowed us to effortlessly dry a load of dishes. Their thick waffle weave provided extra heat protection and was the perfect surface for air-drying dishes on the counter. Stains washed out well in the washer, and the towels fluffed up nicely in the dryer. Still, some testers felt that they were a little too bulky for delicate tasks such as drying fine glassware.

We liked these supersoft, thick towels for drying our hands and cleaning up big spills. These towels were very absorbent, soaking up 2.5 cups of water. Testers liked that the towels came in different colors within each set so that they could designate one for hand drying and another for food-related tasks. They left all the other towels in the dust regarding heat protection; we had no problem holding a piping-hot cast-iron skillet for a full 5 minutes. Even so, we couldn’t name them winners because their hems started to fray and loosen after a few washes.

These cotton towels came in a set of three two basket-and-plain-weaves and one twill. The basket-and-plain-weave towels were identical in looks and performance to our co-winners from Williams Sonoma. Testers liked that they could use those towels for tougher jobs such as soaking up spills or as landing pads for drying dishes. We also liked their bright blue stripes and that they were machine-washable. The thinner twill weave towel was ideal for more delicate tasks such as shining wineglasses; it soaked up 1.3 cups of water.

We liked the natural, no-frills look of these 100% linen towels. Right out of the package, the towels were notably soft and pliable, and they became even softer after washing. As expected, they shrank slightly after we washed them, but they were still the perfect size for drying a load of dishes and shining wine glasses. They soaked up a little over a cup of water, and we couldn’t hold a hot skillet as long as we could with a cotton towel. They stained minimally during our cleanup test, but their dark color made it barely noticeable.

These linen towels impressed our testers by drying completely just a couple hours after being soaked with 1 cup of water. Although they were a bit scratchy at first, they softened up after a few washes. They were perfect for delicate tasks such as drying wineglasses. We could effortlessly fit these towels into the mouths of wineglasses to finish drying them. A bonus was their stylish rustic appearance. However, their thinness meant they weren’t great for holding superhot pots and pans for long.

These were the only flour sack towels in our testing; the style is named for the thin cotton bags used to hold flour and other milled grains. Testers described them as “very well made” with “tidy hems” and “good-looking enough to tuck proudly in [an] apron string.” These towels felt soft and smooth when drying our hands. We liked their flexibility; they fit into the crannies of a blender carafe and other tight corners. Bread bakers noted that their size was ideal for draping over a bowl of proofing dough. However, these towels were less heat-resistant and absorbent than we would have liked due to their thin weave. They also retained stains.

This serviceable towel was good for drying a small load of dishes and shining wine glasses. It didn’t stain much during our cleanup tests and dried relatively quickly. However, it couldn’t absorb as much water as our top linen choices and its thinness meant that we couldn’t use it to hold hot pots and pans without burning ourselves. We also didn’t like that this towel didn’t come as a set, especially since it cost just as much as other options that included two towels.

Testers were split when it came to these cotton herringbone towels. Some liked the large pack and stated, “There’s no need to get too precious about them.” Others felt like it was excessive, asking, “Who needs 12 dish towels?” Testers liked the versatility of these towels; they were great for drying vegetables, proofing dough, and wiping up small spills. They were “affordable, serviceable, and versatile.” Although their thinness helped them dry quickly, it also meant they provided less heat protection than we'd prefer. They also lost points on absorbency; testers noted that they felt soggy even after cleaning up a small spill. They remained slightly scratchy after a few washes and retained stains.

Stylish and classic, these towels looked great displayed on an oven door handle. They were very lightweight and thin, which made them particularly good for drying fragile wine glasses. However, when it came to other tasks, their thinness was a disadvantage. These towels could only absorb less than a half cup of water and provided very little protection while handling hot cookware.

At $3.99 for four, these towels felt like a steal. Testers liked these fast-drying, ultrathin towels for small tasks such as drying a few dishes. However, because they were so thin, they became sodden quickly. They were great for shining glassware or getting into tight corners. But they felt rough even after a few washes and when using them to hold a hot skillet, we could comfortably do so for only 10 seconds. They also held on to stains and began to fray a bit after multiple washes.

First, the good qualities. These towels were soft and had a nice striped design. That’s pretty much where the positive traits ended. They were the least absorbent towels in the lineup and felt soggy after drying a large mixing bowl. These towels also provided no heat protection; it was impossible to even quickly transfer a hot skillet from an oven to the stovetop without burning ourselves. They were awkwardly long and grazed the floor when hanging from a hook or oven door. They held on to a lot of stains after machine-washing. They were also the only towels in the lineup that had to be air-dried.