Oven racks might rank somewhere just below shoelaces when it comes to objects of interest, but think about it: If your shoelaces suddenly disappeared, every step you took would be a frustration and a ...

My mother never made a fruit pie—cherry, apple, peach—that didn't overflow in the oven, leaving sticky juices dripping from the oven racks. I learned from her mistake, but I still have messy racks ...