Photo by Paolo Bendandi on Unsplash
In my previous apartment, I waged daily battles with an ever-growing collection of herbs and spices. Upon opening the cupboard to the right of the stove, pouches of oregano, red pepper flakes, cumin, turmeric and more would come tumbling down onto the countertop. Finding the ingredient you were looking for required exceptional luck and standing on a stool — there were three shelves filled with herbs and spices, all with questionable expiration dates.
Fortunately, I’ve changed my organizing habits and my herbs and spices now live in neatly-labeled jars on a revolving rack. But there’s no one way to organize these cooking essentials. Here we share 10 game-changing ways to organize herbs and spices in your kitchen, whether you’ve got a walk-in pantry or a single drawer of ‘em.
1. Use a multi-level organizer
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Give those herbs and spices in the back row the attention they deserve with a multi-level organizer. Find a 10-inch, non-skid model at Bed, Bath & Beyond or a minimal, acrylic version on Amazon.
2. Embrace the Lazy Susan
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Susan was not lazy, she was an organizing genius! Easily locate the smoked paprika with a spin of the wheel. We love this two-tier bamboo turntable from Target and this sleek, stainless steel version from The Container Store.
3. Add drawer inserts
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Buying a new, coordinating jar to accommodate every herb and spice you pick up at the grocery store isn’t for everyone. If you prefer to keep your Trader Joe’s-branded spices tucked away, opt for drawer inserts with slanted levels that make labels easy to read. Score these adjustable inserts on Amazon or a black metal version from Walmart.
4. Splurge on built-in organizers
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Planning a kitchen reno? Banish wasted space by installing a custom pull-out spice rack. For a more affordable option, try a slim storage tower like this wheeled design from Home Depot — it’ll fill up that awkward space between the fridge and your countertops.
5. Harness the power of magnets
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Jazz up your refrigerator with magnetic spice tins. The hexagon-shaped containers pictured here are from Gneiss Spice and fit together like a honeycomb pattern, doubling as artwork and organization.
6. Opt for wall-mounted organizers
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Display your collection of herbs and spices with pride by giving them prominence in the kitchen. IKEA’s BEKVÄM spice rack is a classic choice, but this Etsy model is a bit more fashion-forward.
7. Try an under-cabinet solution
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We often overlook under-cabinet space, but it can be used to store spices, cooking utensils, wine bottles, produce and more. Yamazaki, a Japanese home organization brand with products available on Amazon, sells this handy under-shelf storage rack that’s perfectly sized for spice jars.
8. Choose a countertop spice rack
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If you’re a renter like me, drilling holes into the sides of your cabinets just isn’t an option. Thankfully, there are a number of aesthetically pleasing countertop spice racks to choose from, like this farmhouse-inspired design from Amazon or this industrial, clean-lined version from The Container Store.
9. Utilize the inside of cabinet doors
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Every square inch of storage space counts when you’ve got a teeny-tiny kitchen. Install a tiered spice rack to the inside of a cabinet door, like this model from Bed, Bath & Beyond, or go the renter-friendly route with adhesive-backed spice clips, which can be found at Walmart.
10. Buy or DIY a test tube spice rack
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Prove to everyone what a chemist you truly are in the kitchen by buying or DIY-ing a test tube spice rack. I don’t trust myself not to shake out the entire tube of cayenne pepper onto my chicken, but maybe you have steadier hands!
