Spice Racks Blog

I admit it, I’m kind of clumsy. I go into craft projects with the best of intentions, but if my fingertips don’t end up getting glued together at least once, well - it just hasn’t been a full day! Also, that whole ‘measure twice, cut once’ advice - that one just doesn’t seem to sink in.

And that’s why I love these Hardwood Spice Racks. They’re hand crafted - and my hands had nothing to do with it! They are so simple, and have a timeless charm. They can either sit on a countertop, inside a cabinet, or you can even mount them to a wall. I found these at Stacks And Stacks, and they’re available in two lengths - 16 or 24 inches. So, until I take that remedial wood shop class, I’m going to take pride in these racks!

Plus, there’s something so nice about the natural beauty of hardwood. It seems like there’s a big push these days for chrome, or metal, or stainless steel, or aluminum kitchen accessories. And all of those are nice, but sometimes it’s nice to get back to nature. After all, we’re not robots! Why should we feel like our kitchens should look like some sort of robot emporium? All that metal can be so cold!

I was watching the movie ‘Dune’ the other night, and realized, you know what - they just don’t make enough movies about spices anymore. It seems like there’s a bunch of movies about chocolate. There’s “Like Water For Chocolate”. And “Chocolat”. And I’m sure there’s a bunch of others, but you don’t see any movies called “Allspice” or “Tellicherry Peppers”. Get on it, Hollywood. Anyway, ‘Dune’ is a good science fiction movie that also is about the importance of spices. In fact, in the movie you need Melange (the spice) to extend your life, or travel through space, or just to be powerful. Sting is in the movie, which I thought was kind of strange, but it was the 80s! Anyway, I’m not sure how it ended, because I fell asleep, but it seems like a really interesting movie! I give it four Cinnamon Sticks out of five!

Anyway, though they talk a lot about Spice in the movie, they don’t talk about spice racks very much. As you see, I added a picture of a space age spice rack into the the movie still above. But let’s get a closer look at the rack in question:

Look at that beauty! It’s certainly a great spice rack for Paul Atreides (played by Desperate Housewives star Kyle MacLachlan). This Stainless Steel Carousel Spice Rack is a great spice rack for this, or any other universe. It has a patented auto measure dial dispenser that measures and dispenses spices in precise increments. One click for 1/4 tsp., two clicks for 1/2 tsp., etc. The individual dispensers will accommodate the entire contents of a standard spice bottle, and have large openings to accommodate measuring spoons and volume pouring, as well as shaker tops. Great for your counter, or stash it in your cabinet. Or your spaceship!

So, all the internet seems to be abuzz about some video called “Married To The Eiffel Tower“. It’s about these people that are in love with inanimate objects, like the Eiffel Tower, or the Golden Gate Bridge. Yep, that’s right - people in love with things that just sit there. Sounds like my ex-husband. Just kidding! Not really.

Anyway, the documentary video is pretty interesting. Some people think I love spice racks - but I don’t want to go on a date with a spice rack. But if I did, I would definitely see if the Alder Spice Rack wanted to go get dinner and movie.

This handsome Alder Spice Rack from StacksAndStacks features a smooth lacquer finish, and will accommodate standard sized spice jars and bottles. This spice rack can be either wall mounted, or left on a countertop. It’s sturdy and versatile, the kind of rack that you can take home to mama.

Sometimes though, you don’t want to start a long term relationship with a spice rack. You just want one that will get the job done at the time. Mr Right Now as opposed to Mr Right.That’s why there’s spice racks like the Wall Mounted Wire Spice Rack. This rack isn’t anything flashy or fancy, but if you just want your spices held, it’ll do.

Have you seen any spice racks lately that remind you of an ex? If so, let me know! As soon as I find a spice rack that doesn’t work half the time, and has a wandering eye, I’ll tell you more about my ex-husband.

I’ve never had a maid. It seems like it would be nice, but it’s always been a little out of my price range. But I was poking around online, and I found a maid that would fit my budget. It’s the Spice Maid.

The Spice Maid is a sliding spice bottle holder that fits inside any cabinet. It has a deep, bucket style tray that slides in and out of your pantry.  This spice holder is great for bottled spices, as well as packet spices!

This is also a great spice rack for RV cabinets. When you’re on the road, you should still have all of your favorite spices with you.

You know what would be cool - if you had a couple of these installed in your cabinet. Then you could organize your spices according to type, or global region, or however you’d like. You could put all of your Italian style seasonings in one, and Chinese style seasonings in another!

This is the Mesh Spice Rack. This metal spice rack can be wall mounted, or it can stand on a counter. And you can mount it inside a pantry door. What’s really neat about this spice rack is that because of its basic design - it’s really quite versatile. For instance, you could:

• Mount it on the wall by your stove. Now, I know that keeping spices by the stove isn’t a great idea (the heat makes the quality of the spice degrade faster), but keeping things like salt and pepper, olive oil cruets, and other cooking essentials by the stove is a real time saver. Plus, since this rack has hooks, you can hang your hot pads and oven mitts!
• Running out of bathroom storage? The Mesh Rack is here for you. It’s a great way to supplement the space in your medicine cabinet. You can store vitamins, cosmetics and more! Once again, those little hooks will come in handy for hanging face cloths and wash cloths.
• You can even bring the Mesh Spice Rack to work with you! Mount it on your office wall, and use it as a way to office supplies (notepads, sticky notes, and boxes of paper clips - get them off your desk and on this rack!). Or, another cool idea is to mount this rack in the break room, and fill it with tea (most tea boxes and cans fit on this rack perfectly), hot chocolate packets and other drink necessities. 

And, of course, you can use it for spices in the kitchen, too!

Hi everybody! I asked my pal Nicole to write about her favorite spice racks. Check out Nicole’s blogs - Garment Racks Blog and Room Dividers Blog.

Low on drawer space? This drawer style spice rack is the perfect option for someone who is low on drawer space but wants the convenience of a spice drawer.

This featured spice rack has ample spice storage and it has a convenient size, able to fit in almost any cabinet, counter or shelf. The pull out trays are great because you can see what you are looking for instead of digging around. This feature is great for putting the spice rack on a higher shelf or cabinet out of the way.

 This particular spice rack has three different shelves and can hold up to 50 spice jars depending on the sizes.

 Now if you have an extra drawer that is begging to have spices in it, there is a spice rack that will work for you, too!

This expanding spice rack has many features all in one convenient drawer tray. It is likely this rack will fit in almost any drawer you try it in because it has expandable side trays. If your drawer is large enough, you’ll be able to expand the side trays for extra spice storage or even a few utensils.

This option holds a large amount of spice jars and they are all easily accessible.

 Whether you have drawers or not, cabinets or shelves, none of the above or all of the above, there is a spice rack  for you!

Here’s a couple of fantastic spice racks I came across at StacksAndStacks.com. These aren’t your traditional carousel spice racks! Not only do they spin around for your convenience, the spice compartments are also dispensers! Here’s the first one. Behold the Spice Dispensing Carousel!

That’s right - you won’t even need your measuring spoons. One click for 1/4 tsp, two clicks for 1/2 tsp and so on. What a great way to reduce the amount of washing up while cooking (which is always a priority for me - I don’t have a dishwasher, and reducing the number of things I have to wash makes me a happy girl).

This spice rack can also be mounted underneath a cabinet. Mounting a spice rack under a cabinet is a great way to preserve both counter and cabinet space. It’s like a whole hidden world of storage opportunities.

Here’s another one I found. It’s a little modern - kinda stylin’. I think it’s because of the steel. Here’s the Stainless Steel Spice Carousel.

Same deal, one click per 1/4 tsp measurement. This would look great on a granite countertop!

So, what do you think? Are you into the self-measuring spice racks? Or are you a traditionalist - devoted to your measuring spoons? Either way, I think we can all agree that there are a lot of great spice racks out there to be found.

First of all - say the title out loud: ‘Packet Protector’. You now sound like my pal Bonnie from Chicago. Now, let’s get to the issue - what’s a packet protector?

It’s a holder for spice packets. Yes, I know - I’ve said I’m not a big fan of spice packets and mixes. But you know, sometimes you feel a little lazy. Plus, can you even make Spinach Dip without the soup mix packet? For that reason alone, I’ll give packets a pass. Because I love spinach dip more than anyone should.

The Linus Seasoning and Spice Packet Holder is a little acrylic holder for spice packets. It keeps them organized, and prevents them from getting lost in the cabinet.

But if you are totally opposed to pre-mixed seasoning packets, there’s other uses for this holder! Like:

• Organizing seed packets for your garden.
• Storing packets of bath salts in the bathroom.
• Storing bags of your own pre-mixed spices!

So, what do you think? Let me know if you’ve got any other uses for this spice packet holder. Or are you loyal to your spice rack. And is there a support group for people who love spinach dip too much?

When I was younger, I hated cumin. There was something about it that just made me, and let me quote my 10 year old self -”Oh my gawwwd - it makes me want to diiiiiiiieeee”. If I recall correctly, I assume I would have also dramatically flounced out of the kitchen at that point. And now, let’s have a moment of respect for parents - for they have to put up with their children having fits about spices.

Anyway, time has passed. I love cumin now! It’s definitely a staple in my spice rack. Cumin is a member of the parsley family. The seeds are often ground, or simply toasted and added to dishes. Cumin is a staple in many different cuisines, including Brazilian, Mexican and Cuban - as well as Moroccan, Indian, and even Thai.

Cumin also has some interesting history. In medieval times, it was thought that cumin would keep chickens and lovers from wandering. I’m not really sure how that would’ve worked - would you sprinkle it directly on your chicken or significant other, or feed it to them? In Germany and Italy, cumin seeds were baked onto loaves of bread - it was thought that the seeds would prevent wood spirits from stealing the bread.

Are you looking for a way to store cumin - the wonder spice that will save your relationship, keep your chickens near, and keep your bread away from the land of the fairies (Oh, and it’s delicious - there’s that too!)? How about these Spice Storage Cans? I found these at StacksAndStacks. These stainless steel storage cans will protect your spices, and well as providing a modern accent to your kitchen. Each Spice Storage Can measures 1 3/4″ H x 2.5″ Diameter, so they’re easy to stack in your cabinet or your spice rack.

What about you? Are there any spices that you used to hate, that you now have a taste for? Let me know!

Call me obsessed, but I couldn’t help thinking about how ingenious adjustable spice racks are. So, after my last post about expandable spice racks, I had to go search for more. And I found some!

This is the Expand-A-Shelf . This rack is available in a two or three step design. Both of them can expand from 12 inches in length to 23 inches. These shelves are perfect for smaller cabinets. They are also a great asset to us short people in the world! Everything you need can be faced out and at your fingertips, and you don’t have to climb up on your counter to reach something, or use BBQ tongs to grab something from the back of the cabinet (hey! I’m barely 5′2″ - sometimes you need to improvise or dinner won’t get finished!).

Actually, now that I look at it - this is a pretty versatile spice rack. You could also use it in your medicine cabinet to organize pill bottles and cosmetics, or as way to display little collectables or knick-knacks. Plus, since it’s made of plastic it can be cleaned pretty easily with soap and water. Hooray for expanding spice racks!