Spice Racks Blog

So, we’ve been talking a lot about various spices and spice racks. But there are two seasonings that are universally loved in every kitchen - salt and pepper. 

For the longest time, I would never salt my food. I don’t really know why - maybe it’s because my mom’s cooking was so good, I never felt the need to salt it at the table. Then one day in the college cafeteria, I had a bite of my friend’s scrambled eggs - and they were really good! Amazed, I asked her “whoa! What did you do your eggs?”. She looked at me, in the that ‘are you mental?’ way, and said “Well, I put salt on them”. My life was changed.

Salt and pepper. The wonder twins of the kitchen. Since you use them everyday, it’s best to invest in a nice set of salt and pepper shakers. This here is the Pinata Salt & Pepper Set. This colorful wooden set  has adjustable zinc gears. That lets you control how fine or coarse you want your salt and pepper. Plus - they are very festive! They make me think of laying on the beach in the Riveria Nayarit.

If you’re looking for something a little more high-tech, there’s this Stainless Steel Electric Salt & Pepper Grinder.  This one has push button action - just hit the button and your pepper is freshly ground and sprinkled on your food. Also, this grinder has a light - perfect for romantic evenings with candlelight dinners! 

Have you seen any good salt and pepper sets out there? Let me know!

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.

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!

This is a Spice Rack that definitely falls into the ‘why didn’t I think of that!?’ category (also in that category, Clocky - that alarm clock with wheels that rolls around the room out of your reach when the alarm goes off. It’s cute and diabolical, all at once). Anyway, even though I wasn’t blessed with the ingenious idea for this spice rack, that’s no reason that I can’t take advantage of its greatness!

This is an Expandable Spice Rack. And it has all the benefits of custom designed storage, without the expensive price tag. This expanding spice rack is crafted from solid hardwood, it has a natural finish, and best of all - it adjusts from 12 3/4″ to 23″ in width!  It’s a spice rack that can truly adjust with your needs! And whether you’re fully stocked up on spice jars and tins, or if you’re running low on your collection - this Expandable Spice Rack will always look neatly organized. 

This Expandable Spice Rack is perfect for either your countertop or your cabinet. Oh, I checked, and it even locks in place when you adjust it, so no stability issues to worry about.

Here’s an optimal spice rack for when you have a lot of counter space - but not a lot of cabinet or drawer space. This Carousel Spice Rack can easily be spun around, allowing you to get a good look at the 16 bottles it holds! Each bottle can hold up to 3 ounces of dried spices. What I really like about this spice rack is that the bottles have flip lids - with both a ’shaker’ side and an open side for pouring the spices. Options - a good spice rack is all about options!

This revolving spice rack even comes filled with all the spices a beginning chef would need! It’s a terrific gift idea for a housewarming or graduation present. Now there’s no excuse for using those (pretty awful) seasoning packets - you’ll be able to custom blend your favorite spice mixes as soon as you get this rack. Here’s a blend to start you off - it’s a Taco Seasoning Mix:

• 1 tablespoon of minced dried onions 
• 2 teaspoons of chili powder.
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt.
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin.
• 1 teaspoon of oregano
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or hot paprika (depends on how much heat you like).

Usually, after I mix this together, I put it in a ziploc bag (or an empty spice bottle) for future use. You’ve got to try it - it’s so much better than a packet mix, and it takes almost no time to throw together. So really, if you pick up a pre-filled spice rack like this one - it practically will make you dinner as a way to say thanks.

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!

“People love cinnamon. It should be on tables in restaurants along with salt and pepper. Anytime anyone says, “Oh! This is so good. What’s in it?” The answer invariably comes back, Cinnamon. Cinnamon. Again and again.” - Jerry Seinfeld

Cinnamon. It truly is one of my favorite spices. Whether it’s a cinnamon babka, or just cinnamon toast, sometimes I feel like I’m addicted to it! Cinnamon is actually the bark of a laurel tree native to Sri Lanka. Did you know that Aristotle wrote about Cinolmolgus, the Cinnamon Bird? He believed this bird lived in Arabia, and used cinnamon to build its nests. People would collect the cinnamon by toppling the nests. Later on, Pliny the Elder ruined the fun by saying there was no Cinnamon Bird, and such stories were just made up to drive up the price of cinnamon. What a spoilsport! Pliny the Buzzkill, more like it!

Besides being delicious, cinnamon is starting to gain some notice for having some mega health benefits. Studies have shown that half a teaspoon daily can help reduce LDL (the “bad”) cholesterol. It also has a regulatory effect on blood sugar.

How do you like to use cinnamon? I love it with oatmeal, or on peanut butter sandwiches. I’ve also realized that cinnamon pairs well with beef. I like putting a small amount (we’re talking half a teaspoon) in bolognese sauce for pasta, as well as using it in a rub for short ribs. But, go lightly! Add too much, and it gets a little weird.  

And, of course. The king. The champion of breakfasts, and late afternoon snacks. Cinnamon Toast. I have such a love of cinnamon toast, that I’ve made a dedicated shaker for the cinnamon sugar. I took one of my empty spice jars (like one of these Glass Spice Bottles from Stacks And Stacks), and filled it with cinnamon, sugar, and half of a vanilla bean. Shake over toasted, buttered bread (I like sourdough), and enjoy!

So, how are you using cinnamon? Whether you’ve got a new recipe, or are just using it to build a nest (I still believe in you, Cinolmolgus!), let me know!

A little geek, and plenty chic! I love the look of this Test Tube Spice Rack. It’s perfect for those mad scientist moods we all get in (right? It’s not just me, is it?). You can use the pre-printed labels, which are pretty extensive. There are also blank labels for your more esoteric spices. Okay - and since the holidays are coming up, this is actually a great gift - with a little personalization! 

• If you have a Harry Potter fan in your life, you can fill them with various spices and tinted waters for a Potions Class themed gift! Who couldn’t use some Veritaserum in their lives?
• If you make a signature dish that your friends love, fill the tubes with the spices you use, and give them this rack along with the recipe.
• Finding a gift for a baker? Fill the tubes with sanding sugars, sprinkles, and other edible decorations!

What else? I feel as if there’s a lot of gifting potential with these babies! Any ideas?

Have you ever picked up a new cookbook, started looking through the recipes and then realized “Wait. Where am I supposed to get Fennel Pollen?”. Even though most supermarkets are getting better at providing well-stocked spice sections, it’s a cold, hard culinary fact that you can’t always find everything you need locally.

So, let’s give thanks to the Interwebs – because you can find excellent spice purveyors online! One of my favorites is Whole Spice.  Not only do they have an awesome range of global spices, but they grind the spices before shipping your order – so you get amazingly fresh, fragrant spices and herbs (They also ship tea and coffee!).  So whether you need Amjur Powder, or a teaspoon of Zhug – check out Whole Spice! And where are you gonna put your new spices? How about these Stackable Spice Tins?

image from Whole Spice (of course!)