Monday, July 8, 2013

15 Ways to Store the Spices

spice drawer insert

Anyone with a spice collection is likely to struggle with the storage question. Here's a list of all the ways I've found to store the spices; hopefully, one or more of them will work for you.

1. In a drawer

This is the solution I wrote about a few days ago.


2. In a drawer, using a spice drawer insert

KraftMaid, Rev-A-Shelf, Omega National Products, Häfele, Hoffco, Eagle Woodworking and Custom Inserts all make spice drawer inserts. You can find them in wood or plastic, in various sizes. Some can be trimmed to fit, and some can be made specifically for your drawer's dimensions. The one shown above comes from KraftMaid.


spice rack mounted on inside of cabinet door

3. In a cabinet-door spice rack

Some of the ones I see make me nervous; I'm not sure they'd hold the bottles well over time. But some look very sturdy, like the one from Hoffco, shown above. KraftMaid, Rev-A-Shelf and Häfele provide other options.


lazy Susans for spices, inside a cabinet

4. On a lazy Susan

These are three of Omega National's Select Spice Susans, which you can buy from KitchenSource.com and other sites. I like the nice lip on these — but, of course, there are many other lazy Susans you could choose from.


under-shelf spice rack

5. In an undershelf spice rack

This spice rack reminds me of the undershelf baskets at The Container Store — same idea, except it's a product designed specifically for spices. It's made by Kamenstein and sold at Hayneedle.


under-cabinet spice rack

6. In an under-cabinet spice rack

GreatRack makes this nice-looking under-cabinet spice rack, available in maple and cherry. There's also one from Axis International.


base cabinet pullout organizer with spice rack insert

7. In a base cabinet pullout organizer

Rev-A-Shelf has a spice rack insert for its base cabinet pullout organizer.


magnetic spice tins on refrigerator door
Photo by Ross Catrow, found on Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons

8. In a magnetic organizer

There are many ways to do this, some more do-it-yourself than others. Some people really like this approach — like Erin from Unclutterer, who writes:
I encourage you to simply attach two metal strips to the inside of your pantry door or a kitchen cabinet door. Then, as you purchase good spices from a gourmet grocer or an online store like Penzeys Spices, just stick adhesive magnet tape to the back of the tins so they’ll stick to the strip. Detailed instructions can be found on Instructables.
Others have had problems with it — like Brandie of Spoon and Saucer, who writes:
Almost two years ago (I think) I re-organized my spice cabinet. There were small containers, magnets, and squares of metal attached to the cabinet doors. It looked glorious. Until they started to fall off the door, spilling all over the counter.
If you want to give it a try, you don't have to be as do-it-yourself as Erin was. It's easy to find magnetized containers, from Ikea and other sources, which can be mounted in all sorts of creative ways. Or you can buy ready-made products, with containers and a magnetic board for mounting them, like the ones from Soho Spices.


wood spice rack, countertop, for 36 bottles

9. In a countertop spice rack

There are many to choose from; my latest find is this one from Wheatland Wood Craft. Other interesting places to look include J.K. Adams and Olde Thompson. The Scientific Spice Rack is fun, but only holds five spices. [Scientific Spice Rack via Switched On Set.]


wood spice rack, wall-mounted

10. In a wall-mounted spice rack

The Tubular Spice Company has a selection of wall-mounted spice racks; the one shown fits six standard jars per tier. It looks very much like the rack from Out of the Woods of Oregon, but I don't know for sure if it's the same product.

If you have a kitchen rail system, it might have a spice rack option.


spice rack inside a cabinet; rack pulls down for easy access

11. In a spice rack that fits into your cabinet

There are two unique products here. One is the SpiceStack, which I've mentioned before. The other is the Rubbermaid Pull Down Spice Rack, shown above.


masala dabba - traditional Indian spice box

12. In a masala dabba

The masala dabba is a traditional Indian spice box, and you can find one online fairly easily. The Spice Tiffin is a slight variation.


stacking spice containers

13. In stacking containers

I've mentioned the Prodyne spice tower before; you can now get it with a carousel. The RSVP Endurance Stainless Stackable Spice Jars would be another stackable option.


step  / tiered spice rack

14. On a step spice rack

My quibble with some tiered spice racks, which usually go inside cabinets, is that it seems hard to get to the spices in the rear — and too easy to topple those in the front. But there are many variations, and you may find one that works well for you. This one, with a lip on each step, avoids that potential toppling problem. Jen Hofmann made her own version of this style of spice organizer for her own cabinet, and her version looks easier to use than many others I've seen.

15. In a repurposed medicine cabinet

This was an idea from Apartment Therapy — a bit quirky, but maybe useful to someone.

Did I miss anything? What works for you?

2 comments:

Douglas Brent said...

my mother got the lazy Susan ones and she seems to be really comfy with them :0

Susan said...

We have two pullout drawers on either side of the stove, and used inserts from Ikea to hold spices - they are white, undulating plastic, with a finish that grips the bottles, so there's no sliding around. Great solution, and cheap, cheap, cheap.