A grid of wire on short feet that holds hot baked goods above the counter so air moves under them as they cool. A tray of cookies left on its sheet keeps baking from the metal's heat and the undersides go soft from trapped steam; moved to the rack they set crisp. Cakes and loaves are turned out onto a rack after a few minutes in the tin for the same reason. Also called a wire rack.
Set inside a sheet pan, the same rack becomes a roasting rack for bacon, chicken wings and anything that should brown underneath rather than sit in its fat, and a draining stand for glazed or fried food. A rack that will see the oven should be plain stainless steel, not coated.