How do you organize spices in a small space?

Choose a spice rack that will work with your space. Start by deciding where in your kitchen it makes the most sense to store your spices. Then find a rack that will fit in that space. Choose smaller spice containers.

Is it better to store spices in glass or plastic?

Expensive or high-quality spices are always stored in glass containers. Plastic is a porous material that can allow tiny amounts of air to leak in and degrade the spice. Glass doesn’t have this issue and can prolong the spice’s lifespan. You can also seal glass containers better.

What is the best way to organize spices?

The best spice organization method is the one that will make sense to you. For some, this means organizing your spices in alphabetical order. Another option is to organize them by cooking style or ethnicity. However you organize them, choose a display method that lets you see everything. That way, you don’t have a spice that gets hidden and forgotten about.

Spice Rack Ideas for Better Kitchen Storage

“All those spices and herbs in your spice rack can do more than provide calorie-free, natural flavorings to enhance and make food delicious. They’re also an incredible source of antioxidants and help rev up your metabolism and improve your health at the same time.”- Suzanne Somers

Variety is the spice of life, but spices are the life of your food. You could cook food without seasoning, but it would be bland and boring. Whether you’re the type to have a few core seasonings that you use all the time or have an extensive collection, you need to have a secure place that’s easily within reach to store them all.

You could shove them all on a cabinet shelf, but this will look messy and disorganized and be hard to get to your spices. Instead, make your time in the kitchen easier by organizing them. These spice rack ideas will get you inspired to upgrade your storage solution to something that is both functional and beautiful.

1. Discover Creative Spice Storage Solutions

Get creative with the rack you use to hold and organize your spice jars. You don’t have to use open shelves or a complete shelving unit. Sometimes, an item that wasn’t intended to be a spice rack is the perfect solution for your spice shelf.

Spice rack storage — Source: @flaurel_designs via Instagram

Depending on your storage space size, you could use a vintage soda crate that once held the small glass bottles. Or you could use an old milk bottle crate and easily bring your spice jars with you around the kitchen. Affix different sized wood crates to your wall and DIY your own shelving/display unit.

2. Explore Elegant Wooden Spice Racks

A wooden spice rack is functional and beautiful. Choose a wood that’s complementary to your kitchen decor. It could have a worn finish to mimic reclaimed wood for a rustic or farmhouse feel. Or you could use a light wood that will blend in beautifully with a Scandinavian design.

Wood spice rack — Source: @brightkitchentales via Instagram

If you want to build a custom rack, wood is an easy and forgiving material to work with. You can buy affordable pieces of scrap wood and create the perfect rack that fits in your kitchen and holds all of your spices.

Give your rack an old-world elegance with decorative trim pieces that make your rack look as though it’s intricately carved.

3. Maximize Space with Spice Drawer Organizers

If you’re limited on cabinet space, consider keeping your spices in a drawer. This is a nice solution because it puts all of your spices immediately on display. You’ll need to have a drawer organizer for them and spice containers that neatly fit into the organizer and the drawer. This typically means having a set of jars that you transfer the spices into.

Drawer spice rack — Source: @anne.wang2001 via Instagram

If you have a deep enough drawer, you can label the lids and stand them up. However, most people find that their drawers are too shallow for this and end up laying them down. For increased functionality, look for one that puts the jars on a slight slant. This will make it easier to grab one jar and put it back without disrupting the other rows.

4. Choose Sleek Hidden Spice Racks

Modern cabinet makers have found creative ways to hide a spice jar specific storage space in the kitchen counters. These hidden pull-outs are one or two spice jars wide and as deep and tall as your other cabinets. You’ll have several shelves with rails on either side to hold the jars in place. You then pull the drawer out to access your spices or slide it back in place to hide them.

If you aren’t building a new kitchen or remodeling, you can still build a custom hidden pull out. Look at the available space you have around your fridge. You can build a rolling rack with a solid front with a handle that fits into the space.

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5. Hang Stylish Spice Racks in Your Kitchen

Creating a hanging spice rack can be a unique and creative way to organize your spices. If you have wall space, you can string planks of wood together for a multi-tiered shelving system. Use a rough twine or jute rope to give it a rustic feel. A thin boat line can create a nautical feel for a coastal home. String some black rope around a metal pipe affixed to the wall for an industrial feel.

Another hanging option is to utilize the space under your upper cabinets. You could have magnetic strips on the bottom of your cabinet that the spice jars connect to by their lids. Or you could affix Velcro dots to the cabinet and your lids. Then they’ll hang under the cabinet and out of the way. If you decide to do a hanging option, use jars with lids that securely screw-on. Otherwise, you risk the body of the spice jar falling from the lid and spilling spices everywhere.

6. Opt for Efficient Cupboard Spice Solutions

Storing your spices in a cabinet is smart. It puts them easily within reach while cooking and protects them from degrading in the light. However, piling them all on a shelf is a terrible idea, and something will get lost in the back. Arrange them in your cabinet so that you can easily see everything.

Cupboard spice rack — Source: @by_h.h_prosman via Instagram

A lazy susan is perfect because you can line the spices on the spinning plate and spin it to see everything. You could also mount a test tube spice rack on the inside of the cabinet door. This utilizes space that often goes unused. However, you’ll want to make sure the spice jars don’t interfere with the shelves or anything on them.

7. Select Modern Metal Spice Racks

Embrace the sleekness and durability of modern metal spice racks in your kitchen.

Ideal for contemporary spaces, these racks offer a stylish yet functional way to display your spices. Their sturdy construction ensures longevity, while their clean lines and metallic finishes can complement any modern decor.

8. Embrace Innovative Magnetic Spice Storage

The most common magnetic spice racks are strips of metal that you adhere to your wall or cabinets. You’ll then put your spices into magnetic spice jars. The metal strip will hold the jars in place. If you have many spices, you may need to use a large metal plate instead of thin strips to hold all of the jars.

Another option is to use the side of your fridge. If you have access and your jars have strong enough magnets, you can affix them to your fridge. Whatever style you use, the jar will either attach by its lid or the body of the jar. If you don’t want to buy new jars, you could glue magnets to the back of your glass jars.

9. Utilize Compact Spice Organizers

If you don’t need a large spice rack, then a small spice organizer is all you need. You can place it on a shelf, in the pantry, or on the counter. This is nice because you can move it about as your cooking or if you want to reorganize and move your spices to another cabinet, it’s easy.

Organizer spice rack — Source: @joyinthewilderness via Instagram

A popular option is a tiered stand. It will have one or two levels that you can place your spice jars on. Another beautiful display is a criss-cross design that looks like a smaller version of a wine rack. You’ll place your spice jars in the spaces with the tops showing.

10. Adopt Space-Saving Cabinet Rack Designs

Mount a shallow kitchen cabinet on your wall or inside of a cupboard to organize spices. These shallow cabinets are just deep enough to hold your spice jars in a line, with several flat rows lined up above and below each other. You can see everything immediately, and the individual cabinet keeps your spices safe and away from light when not in use.

Cabinet spice rack — Source: @andnomadicfoodie via Instagram

These cabinets are typically made from wood and can be as simple or as ornate as you want. This organizational system works best for people with a smaller spice collection.

11. Style with Chic Open Shelf Spice Storage

Open shelves are trending when it comes to kitchen design. However, committing to only open shelves throughout your kitchen isn’t practical for most people. This doesn’t mean you have to give up on them completely. Modern designs use open shelves as display pieces.

Shelves spice rack — Source: @aoifelouisebrennan via Instagram

Mount one or multiple small open shelves on your wall and display your spices on them. The shelves can be shorter and offset on the wall. Or you can have one long shelf that extends the entire length of your kitchen wall under the upper wall cabinets.

12. Add Rustic Charm with Mason Jar Racks

Incorporate a touch of rustic charm into your kitchen with mason jar spice racks. This idea is perfect for those who appreciate a country-style aesthetic.

Using mason jars for spice storage not only adds visual warmth but also provides an eco-friendly way to organize your spices. You can label each jar for easy identification and arrange them on wooden shelves or racks for a quaint, homey look.

13. Organize with Pantry Spice Rack Ideas

If you have a large pantry closet, storing your spices here can be convenient. A pantry shelf is a perfect place for your spice rack. You can have multiple levels to the spice rack to utilize the vertical space and see all of your spices at once.

If you don’t have the shelf space, consider mounting your spice rack on the backside of your pantry door. When you close the door, the spices will sit in the unused space. When the door opens, your spices will be easily within reach while you’re grabbing the other ingredients needed for your recipe.

14. Go Ultra-Modern with Contemporary Spice Racks

Give your spice rack a modern touch by using clear Lucite or acrylic shelves instead of wood. You can then place glass jars with wood lids on them. Finish the look with crisp white labels that have plenty of white space and a clean san serif font.

Modern spice rack — Source: @holistic_viber via Instagram

Another modern option is to have a countertop spice rack. They’re typically four-sided and have three or four spice jars on each side. You can spin the rack 360 degrees to access the different spices. These racks are nice because they typically come as a complete set with the rack and prelabeled jars.

15. Create Your Own DIY Spice Rack

Do you have a small kitchen or one that is uniquely shaped? Then building your own DIY spice rack gives you the freedom to create your own storage solution. Sometimes, this is the only solution when you can’t find one that fits your kitchen space and spice collection.

The easy approach is to build a unique spice rack out of wood. You could create a stand that sits on the counter or a rack that mounts on the wall. Another simple solution is to mount wire baskets on the back of a door. Then place your spice jars in them.

You want your spices to be easily within reach while cooking. Look for ways you can build a spice rack into an area near your food prep area or stove. You could build a rack that sits on the back of the stove or shelves that mount under your upper cabinets or on another wall.

16. Install Convenient Wall-Mounted Spice Racks

It’s actually not a smart idea to store your spices on a kitchen wall. Exposure to sunlight degrades the quality of the spices. If you regularly use your spices, this isn’t a big deal because you’ll use them before they degrade too much. However, the spices that get used less often may not be as flavorful when you get to the bottom of the jar.

Wall spice rack — Source: @blackwattledeli via Instagram

What you could do is seasonally rotate your spices. Then use the wall rack for the spices that you use most often during that time of year. Another option is to use your wall rack for your favorite spices that you go through faster. Then keep less-used spices safely tucked away.