How to Organize Spice Jars in the Kitchen
I recently organized my spice jars and documented my process. Hopefully, it is of benefit to others suffering from the spice jar stranglehold!
Spice Jar Standardization
1. Obtain a set of uniform containers. I opted for this set by J. K. Adams. They are made of glass, come with two styles of shaker inserts, and have sturdy, white screw-on lids. The jars are also without an obstructive label. The jars measure 1 3/4″ in diameter and 3″ in height. Some shaker inserts from store bought jars will snap onto these jars. I found this useful for spices that I often pour rather than shake. For smaller sized jars, I found some plastic ones made of natural polypropylene that measure 1 3/4″ in diameter and 2″ in height. Unfortunately, they are only available in bulk and shipping is fairly expensive. I did however find a seller on ebay offering them 10 for $10.99 with free shipping. The jars had red caps instead of white, but they provide a nice contrast to the jars with white lids.
2. Transfer spices. I recommend a funnel to keep from spilling too much. I did not have a funnel available, so I gently rotated the spice jar back and forth to control the outflow of spices. Spilling is minimal, but do it over the sink for easier clean-up. I used this opportunity to discard old spices, which included a 10-year old jar of oregano!
3. Label jars. Jars can be labeled with a marker by writing directly on the jar or the cap. I opted to use adhesive labels. Printer labels or any type of sticker will do. I bought a label maker, the Dymo LetraTag from Wal-Mart for under $30. It should be useful around the house too. I bought a roll of plastic tape with the theory that it will withstand moisture. Be sure to consider the storage location before labeling the jars. For example, if they are going to be stored in a drawer, it would make sense to label the jars on top of the lid.
4. Reserving jars. Consider labeling empty jars as a reminder to purchase new spices that you may want to try after watching your favorite cooking show.
5. That’s it! Place the jars in your storage unit, stand back, and swoon over spice jar utopia. If you need to build a custom storage rack, continue reading for some potentially useful tips.
Building a Spice Rack
I couldn’t find any reasonably priced spice racks for our space, so I designed and built one.
1. Make measurements. Measure the height, width, and depth of your space. Take into consideration any uneven surfaces. Our cabinets had unequal sides, so I allowed for a 1/4″ buffer on each side.
2. Design a plan. Take into consideration the space available and the diameter of the jars to be used. To make use of vertical space, consider designing a rack with multiple levels like stairs.
3. Buy wood. Lowe’s had inexpensive pieces of Poplar of varying widths and depths. After much time making my calculations, I walked out with 2 pieces of wood of differing widths. All I had to do was make sure I cut the lengths properly. Tip: Bring a measuring tape to make sure the wood is the proper size. I bought a couple of packs of flathead wood screws as well.
4. Build the rack. I used a circular saw to trim the wood, a sander to smooth the edges, a drill to make a pilot hole for the screws, a level to make sure the surfaces were even, and an electric screwdriver to assemble the unit. Tip: You can use a drill bit the size of the screw head to create a countersunk hole so that the screw head is flush with the wood.
5. Paint, stain, and/or decorate. I used extremely old white paint that I found in the basement to paint the spice rack.
6. Install. I designed our spice rack to maximize the space within the cabinet. Because the cabinet has a lip on the front sides, I could not slide the pre-assembled unit into the cabinet. Instead, I had to place each piece into the cabinet and assemble it from within, sort of like a ship in a bottle. Take assembly into consideration when designing, building, and painting your spice rack.
7. Cheer! After your spice rack is installed, place your beautiful collection of spice jars upon it.
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