How To Organize Your Spices

How to organize your spices is a question that many cooks ask. In this post, you will learn how to get those spices arranged so you can find them easily when you need them.

Organizing your spices is an important part of your kitchen organization plan. By having your spices in one place and making them accessible while cooking will save time. This one step will be a lifesaver when preparing meals. There is nothing more frustrating than having to hunt for the one spice you need and not being able to find it.

Spice Organization Ideas

Making the most use of kitchen cabinet space has been my goal for keeping my kitchen organized. So, naturally spice organization falls right into my plan.

There are many ways to organize spices.

• Store them in a kitchen cabinet on a riser.
• Use a door organizer to keep spices inside a cabinet door.
• If you have a small amount of spices, a lazy Susan works perfectly.
• A spice storage rack on a counter top can be both functional and stylish.
• Mount a spice rack on a wall.
• Place spice jars inside a kitchen drawer.

Where To Store Spices In Your Kitchen

Where should I put my spices? Should they be on a counter, in a cabinet or placed in a drawer?

I hear your frustration. Deciding where my spices should be stored was hard for me. I needed them for easy access but I didn’t want to keep them on my kitchen counter. For one thing, they were ugly to look at. For another, I didn’t want to invest in spice jars.

I have struggled with organizing my spices. They have been put in my pantry. I have placed them on a lazy Susan in a cabinet. They’ve been stored in a drawer. Just about everywhere in my kitchen. Each place didn’t check all the boxes for me.

Was I sacrificing function over style by not storing my spices on the counter? Absolutely not.

• You need to evaluate how you use your spices.
• What is aesthetically pleasing to you. Do you like to see them displayed?

Store spices where they are handy. A place that when you are cooking all you need to do is reach for the spice without leaving your workspace. In an ideal kitchen layout, you should minimize the number of steps you take to get your meal prepared.

The best place to store your spices is near your stove.

If you have lots of spices, then a cabinet is probably the best solution since a cabinet holds more than a drawer. However, if you use less spices, a drawer next to the stove is a great solution.

How To Organize Spices In A Drawer

Buy a drawer insert for your spices so that they are elevated for visibility. Be sure to measure your drawer for the correct insert. Measure the width, length and height of the drawer. The height is very important. If the insert is too high, your drawer won’t close with the spice jars inside.

The Best Way To Store Spices In A Cabinet

I decided that I liked storing my spice jars in a cabinet next to the stove. You can store more spices in a cabinet than in a drawer.

I bought a wooden riser from Walmart that expands to fit the cabinet space. The only drawback is the tiers are not tall enough for each label to be seen. Since, I have the spices in alphabetical order, I pretty much can find any spice easily.

With using a riser, make sure to leave enough space on the top tier. This will enable you to remove the spice jar. I adjusted my cabinet shelving for this.

The Best Thing To Buy For Storing Spices

This is the number one thing I did that changed how I organize my spices.

I bought new spice jars. These jars are so pretty. I love the labels and the silver tops. I purchased mine through Amazon.

This was a huge game changer for me. Looking at all the odd sizes of spice jars I owned made it difficult to actually find what I needed. Some were small. Lots of my jars were big. It wasn’t pretty at all.

My new spice jars are clear and uniform in size. Labels were included which made me very happy. I love the minimal look of these labels. Clean and simple. Less clutter on a label makes it easier to see.

The easiest way to fill empty spice jars is with a small funnel. I purchased this one from Walmart for under a dollar. Some spice jars sets come with a funnel.

After applying the labels, filling the jars was quite satisfying.

How To Organize Your Spices

1. Gather all your spices onto your kitchen counter.
   • If you have spices stored in many places in your kitchen, it is time to get them in one space.
2. Look at each spice jar and check for the expiration date.
   • Toss if it’s expired. Old spices will not flavor your foods properly. Get rid of them.
   • Keep a list for the spices you tossed and any you’d like to add to your collection.
3. Line up your spices in alphabetical order.
   • This makes finding the right spice much faster than hunting for it.
4. Fill your clean spice bottles.
   • Use clear and uniform spice bottles. Be sure to wash them before using and let dry overnight.
   • Uniform jars make your spices more enjoyable to look at. Plus your spices will be easier to find because the bottles are all the same size with the same label.
5. Label your spice jars as you fill them.
   • There are many cute labels on Etsy or try making you own. Uniformity is key to making your spices easy to find.
6. Using clear tape, place a piece on the back of each spice jar.
   • Write the expiration date on this so you will remember when it needs to be replaced. This is especially helpful for those spices you don’t use that often.
7. Arrange the spice jars in your chosen space.
   • Whether you use a cabinet or drawer, categorize your spices by either type of food you use them for or in alphabetical order.
   • Place in alphabetical order is the best way for me. Some would rather arrange their spices by type of food. You put them how you will use them. Efficiency will make your time spent in the kitchen more joyful.
8. Step back.
   • Admire your beautiful spice collection. It is a sight to behold!