Spice Storage - Using Spice Racks

Spice racks are a great way to store your spice collection. Generally requiring less storage space than loose bottles, they group your favorite herbs and spices in a convenient organized storage system, making them easy to locate and retrieve while you're cooking or baking your gourmet fare.

Spice racks come in a variety of sizes and shapes. There are spice stands that revolve, wall-mounted shelf models, plastic drawer tray inserts and stainless rack components that hang on the wall above the counter to accommodate individual magnetic spice containers.

Spice Rack Placement

Before you start shopping, first decide what type of system appeals to you. This may largely depend on where you can place it. You'll need to consider where you'll store it, in a cabinet, on a shelf, wall or right on the counter. The most convenient place to keep spices is close to your cooking/baking area or range.

Places to avoid are directly above the stove or in front of a sunny window, because heat and light speeds the deterioration of spices, and once they lose their potency, they should be replaced.

Once you've decided on a type of rack, measure the space to know your storage limitations. If you're planning on a stand, measure the maximum allowable height and make sure you will not be placing it inconveniently in front of a electrical outlet. Allow room for the stand to spin freely.

Spice Rack Capacity

These vary as well. You'll want to be able to hold as many spice bottles as possible, or at least to have storage for your favorites. Keep in mind that you'll more than likely have a few occasional spice bottles that cannot be accommodated in your new spice rack. That being said, there is no rule to how many racks you can have - that depends on your culinary tastes, limited only by your storage potential. You could have a spice rack for cooking herbs and a smaller one for baking spices.

Keep in mind that certain frequently-used spices like cinnamon or parsley may best be stored in a larger bottle or jar. I find it convenient to keep cinnamon in a shaker for many uses, with an additional rack-stored bottle for ease of recipe measuring.

Rack Design Features

Check the spice containers or bottles for quality lids - ease of opening and closing. Some jars may come with a plastic shaker lid - a good feature, but is it tight or will it fall off after a few uses? Are the bottles or spice containers sufficiently-sized to meet your needs? Revolving stands should spin easily and check the construction of the stand or shelf. Does the wall-mounted rack come with hanging hardware? Inquire as to whether you can buy replacement glass bottles for your new rack system, should you break one.

Organizing Your Spices

Once you've purchased a spice storage system, it's a good time to review your spice inventory before you load it, discard of stale spices or those you never use and refresh your spice contents. Some racks come with popular spice labels and you can add your own. Group your spices for types of uses or recipes, that will make retrieval even quicker.

Read More About Kitchen & Organization:

Kitchen Organization 101
How to Hang a Wire Shelf - Video
5 Steps to an Organized Kitchen
Products to Store & Organize
Cabinet Organizers
Kitchen Gadgets & Tools
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