Spice Racks Blog

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!

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!

I have a serious addiction to cookbooks. Not only do I use them as reference materials in the kitchen, but I tend to plunk down on the sofa and read them cover to cover - like a novel. Cookbooks are a window to endless possibilities.

I just found a new one at the thrift store, the Herbs & Spices - The Cook’s Reference Book. This book is put out by DK Publishing. I love DK books, they have the best pictures and clear, concise writing (as a side note, their travel books are great,too!).

If you’re wanting to learn more about herbs and spices - this book is amazing! It has photos of the herb or spice, the history of it, uses for it, recipes, food and wine pairings. Even gardening tips! Flipping through it, I’m getting some ideas for some new spice combinations.

When you collect cookbooks, there’s a vital kitchen gadget that you need. You’ll need a cookbook holder. I’ve got this one, I picked it up at StacksAndStacks. It has an acrylic flap that presses down on your cookbook pages, which holds the book open and protects it from splashes and stains.

Of course, you may need something else! After you start getting into new herbs and spices, you’ll definitely need a new spice rack!

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?

You know what drives me crazy? Measuring spices into a spoon by shaking the spice can over the spoon. Not only can it be seemingly time consuming (shake shake shake..look at spoon…shakeshakeshake..look at spoon), but more often then not my impatience wins out and I end up opening the wide end of the bottle, shaking it - and dumping nutmeg all over the counter. Blerg!

That’s why I love these measuring spoons. These measuring spoons are dual sided - with the traditional round side for liquid measurements, and a more rectangular side for dry ingredients. This rectangular side is a blessed feature - because it’s more streamlined, it fits inside most spice jars! Plus, these spoons have flat bottoms, so they can rest on your countertop.

Okay - and here’s the cool thing about them. If you’re one of those super cool people who have a magnetic knife rack (I’m just too clumsy and flailing for such things) these measuring spoons are magnetic - so you can just stick them up there. Way cool. It’s like something Alton Brown would have in his kitchen.

Even if you don’t have a magnetic knife rack, these spoons would still stick to a metal spice rack. It can be your centralized spice system!

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.