How We Tested
1. Best Overall: All-Clad Dual Kitchen Towels
What We Like
- Dual-sided construction provides both absorbency and lint-free drying
- Stylish enough to display
- Can double as oven mitt in a pinch
What We Don’t Like
- Expensive
The All-Clad Dual Kitchen Towels are a standout choice for anyone looking for durable, high-quality kitchen towels. Made from 100% cotton, these towels are not only soft but also highly absorbent, making them ideal for handling spills, drying dishes, or wiping down countertops. The dual-layer construction enhances their durability, allowing them to withstand frequent washes without fraying or losing effectiveness.
One of the standout features of these towels is their generous size, providing ample surface area for various kitchen tasks. The textured design also adds to their utility, giving them extra grip for handling hot cookware or drying fragile items like glassware. They come in a range of classic colors, which can easily complement any kitchen décor.
While the towels are excellent overall, some users may find them a bit thicker than typical kitchen towels, which could take slightly longer to dry between uses. However, their superior absorbency and durability more than make up for this minor drawback. Overall, the All-Clad Dual Kitchen Towels offer a perfect balance of functionality and style, making them a great addition to any kitchen.
2. New Home Gift Autumn Jack O Lantern Tea Towel Kitchen Decor
Our product is made from 100% natural white cotton and is professionally printed in our studio with permanent ink that will not fade or peel. The design is printed on one side, while the reverse side remains blank. For best care, wash with plain detergent and air dry; if needed, use a warm iron on the reverse. Please avoid using baby soaps, free or clear-type soaps, or bleach. Additionally, please note that colors can vary slightly from monitor to monitor, so the color of the product you receive may differ slightly from what is displayed on your screen.
3. Best Value: Williams Sonoma Bar Mop Towels
- Inexpensive
- Absorbent and great for spills
- Durable construction
- Not particularly stylish or worthy of display
- Left some lint behind
We tested several bar mop towels, and this model was the best of the bunch. Ribbed cotton terry makes them absorbent, hemmed edges give them durability, and you have a choice between a 12-inch square towel or 16-by-18-inch rectangle towel. The downsides: The terry left behind some lint on our glasses, and they’re fairly thin, so they didn’t work well as subs for oven mitts. Plus, well, they aren’t that pretty. These are more kitchen-workhorse towels than ones you’d feel comfortable displaying in your kitchen. Given how inexpensive these are, we could easily see having a set for everyday cleanup and big jobs like holiday meals.
What to Consider When Buying Kitchen Towels
- Material and Weave: The material and weave will affect how absorbent a towel is, how it feels on the hands, how quickly it dries, whether or not it is likely to leave lint behind on glassware and the overall look of the towel. All of our recommended picks are cotton, but other popular materials include linen, which is thinner and dries quickly but doesn’t absorb as much as cotton, and microfiber, which can be more absorbent than cotton but attracts a lot of lint in the wash and isn’t very attractive. Most towels feature terry loops, a flatter, woven weave or a combination of both.
- Absorbency: When it comes to absorbency, terry towels feature loops, similar to most bath towels, that help towels soak up liquids. Towels with flatter, woven weaves are usually not as absorbent, but flatter weaves can be better for drying glassware as they’re less likely to leave behind lint.
- Size, Style and Design: In addition to the material and weave and how absorbent the towel is, considering the size, style and design can help determine which towel to choose. Kitchen towels often measure between 10 x 10 inches and 32 x 34 inches. Smaller towels are often better for wiping up spills and cleaning tasks before tossing them in the laundry, while larger towels are better for drying dishes and hands and hanging on a hook or oven handle to air dry and use for multiple uses. Since larger towels will be more visible in the kitchen while hanging to dry, considering the color, pattern and overall style is more important to consider. A corner loop is a nice bonus feature to look for in larger towels since it makes hanging a towel on cabinet pulls and hooks easier if you don’t want to drape it over an oven handle.