apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time


Show and Tell: Do You Have a Secret Collection?

2008_08_26-SecretCollections.jpgDo you have a habit of collecting bottles of olive oil? A weakness for exotic salts? Trouble resisting yet another kind of chocolate for your baking?

We'll share our secret stash if you share yours...

 
 

For us, it's tea. We knew we had a problem when all the boxes and bags and tins no longer fit on our "tea shelf" and opening the cupboard inevitably caused an avalanche. We don't even remember buying all these teas! Somehow they just...collected.

A healthy array of options is one thing. This motley assortment of tablespoon portions and individual bags - many of which are quite likely past their prime - is something else entirely.

In an effort to get ourselves under control, we think its time we made a mid-year resolution. Henceforth we will abstain from anymore tea purchases until this collection has been pared down to a more manageable size!

What collections do you have hidden away in your kitchen cupboards?

Related: Organization: Getting Rid of Old Cooking Magazines

(Image: Emma Christensen for the Kitchn)

Tags

Cleaning, Inspiration, Surveys, organizing

Related Links

Share

Comments (29)

tea, most definitely

posted by designerny on August 26th 2008 at 11:38am
view designerny's profile

...oh and espresso cups even though I don't have an espresso machine. I just love them and have a cupboard full

posted by designerny on August 26th 2008 at 11:39am
view designerny's profile

Tea, all kinds of tea. I love all of them! Also, flours such as ww pastry, bread flour, all purpose, etc... I use them all fairly regularly, but the immense variety in my cupboards is a little out of control.

posted by sar3j on August 26th 2008 at 11:42am
view sar3j's profile

Crap. I collect all of those things...40 salts, 30 teas, 7 chocolates, 11 sets of espresso cups, 20 oils.... and a few more...
15 Mustards
20 vintage serving trays
6 sets of canisters
and endless jars of jams, jellies, pickles, and preserves.

I'm in therapy.

posted by mangabanga on August 26th 2008 at 11:46am
view mangabanga's profile

I collect tea, tea kettles, and wine bottles, which I need more room for.

posted by greenT on August 26th 2008 at 11:47am
view greenT's profile

*ahem* wine *ahem*

posted by Kathryn Hill on August 26th 2008 at 11:56am
view Kathryn Hill's profile

Olives. Stuffed with any number of wonderful things. Makes for interesting Martinis.

posted by Deb B on August 26th 2008 at 12:04pm
view Deb B's profile

Green coffee beans, sitting quietly in little 1 and 2 lb bags in a neat little green coffee library in my cupboard, awaiting the day when they'll be roasted into fabulous coffee glory.

posted by berkeleydaisy on August 26th 2008 at 12:39pm
view berkeleydaisy's profile

cheese! obviously it can't get too out of hand because cheese gets moldy. I just moved into a new place and in my fridge, I have just milk, some produce, peanut butter, and mustard, but already 5 kinds of cheese.

posted by gogoalix on August 26th 2008 at 12:50pm
view gogoalix's profile

well... homemade Rhum flavored with different kind of organic dryed fruits: current, pear, papaya, banana, fig, mango, pineapple, apple, and more...

posted by nanou on August 26th 2008 at 12:57pm
view nanou's profile

I'm a little embarrassed to admit this but I collect Tabasco sauce bottles. We go through a lot Tabasco in our house and I can't bring myself to throw the bottles away. I have over 40.

also, dinner plates and coffee cups.

posted by L1bby on August 26th 2008 at 1:05pm
view L1bby's profile

Spices and spice blends. I have a drawer full that's sort of expanded into the cupboard above. My excuse is that I work next door to a Penzey's.

posted by RoseCampion on August 26th 2008 at 1:35pm
view RoseCampion's profile

I think it's less about "collecting" and more about hoarding food. Take me to a farmer's market and I'll try to buy everything (especially if there's seasonal produce), even if it's more than I could realistically eat.

posted by spaceagemouse on August 26th 2008 at 2:01pm
view spaceagemouse's profile

Cereal. I always have at least 5 different varieties hanging around. You never know when you're going to want Kashi Go Lean...or Fruity Pebbles.

posted by popcorn.for.dinner on August 26th 2008 at 2:28pm
view popcorn.for.dinner's profile

Definitely tea, and also random blue bowls. Wine doesn't stick around in my kitchen long enough to be considered a collection :/

posted by Rivercat0338 on August 26th 2008 at 3:03pm
view Rivercat0338's profile

First- Trader Joe's Jasmine Green is amazing.

Second... I'm all about tea, too, but even more specific: Different kinds of Earl Grey .

posted by Emily Sneds on August 26th 2008 at 3:14pm
view Emily Sneds's profile

Herbal Tea - the day I found out that celestial seasonings has a best before date stamped on the bottom was eye opening.

And I bet a lot of us have secret collections of condiment packets - soy sauce, ketchup, etc.

posted by peacelily on August 26th 2008 at 3:34pm
view peacelily's profile

vinegar! all the usuals and many fruits.. 8 different balsamic... white wine, red wine, rice wine, apple cider, raspberry, pomegranate, orange, orange lemon, etc.

... somehow I have ended up with 30 different vinegars and don't get me started on my oil collection. I don't know how it happened.

posted by arienette on August 26th 2008 at 3:59pm
view arienette's profile

Spices. I think it would be fun to alphabetize them, from Anise to... ummm... Turmeric? Which of course would just inspire me to go out and pick up some Wormwood, and hmmm, are there any spices that start with Z?

I have a bit of a cheese habit, too. And wine, though it rarely hangs around like enough to be a problem.

And let's not talk about the alcohol -- I have two kinds of vermouth, two kinds of bitters, port, goldschlager (?!)...

posted by the opoponax on August 26th 2008 at 4:02pm
view the opoponax's profile

Well, these aren't hidden away, but rather on the walls: my aprons! Probably about 15 of them, mostly vintage. I loooove them.

posted by aliciak on August 26th 2008 at 4:15pm
view aliciak's profile

I can't seem to go to the grocery store without buying a box of pasta, and although I am half italian, I can't eat a pound of pasta a day, so I have tons of pasta in my kitchen. it is all de cecco, but all different shapes.

add to my already large pasta collection the fact that every store near me stopped carrying my favorite shape (the baby shells) and so now I have to get them in bulk from amazon.

posted by lcg on August 26th 2008 at 4:21pm
view lcg's profile

Tea, for sure. I seriously have got to have like 30 or more.

Spices.

Seaweed (yes, I know).

Wine.

Sweeteners (agave, 5 honeys, 4 sugars, splenda, xylitol).

Sauces, mostly asian.

Flours (rice, potato, coconut, baking, AP, whole wheat, soy, bread...).

Mugs.

posted by Tara blogs about everything on August 26th 2008 at 9:40pm
view Tara blogs about everything's profile

for me? Antique barware although neither my husband nor I are much of a drinker. I just find them to be lovely.

I also collect fruit crate labels for decorating the kitchen. I love the punches of color

Foodwise, would have to be rice for me but it is not much of a collection. I guess I tend to have about 8-12 types at any given time.

posted by superchou on August 27th 2008 at 3:36am
view superchou's profile

i am a tea and cereal collector. i realized last night that we have about 7 different kinds of green tea. who knows how many kinds of black tea?! it's an illness, i know, but the stupid grocery store i go to has a whole wall of tea next to the checkout line. it is perilous.

posted by lizziepeony on August 27th 2008 at 4:29am
view lizziepeony's profile

Recently stocked up on dried mushrooms of all varieties. I can't wait till the weather turns gray and I can pull them out for stews , risotto, and pasta! Oh yeah, have different vinegars, spices galore, different flours when I'm on my no white flour kick, always have a dark chocolate bar FOR EATING, and have been better about not buying tea when I still have a cabinet full. My limit is the space I have for this stuff. Whole bean coffee in freezer that will last me a yr. because I’m trying out different kinds of Sumatra. The exception to the space rule is jars and jars of sour cherries and different kinds of jams. I think it's time to make some crepes and invite friends!

posted by edava72 on August 27th 2008 at 5:45am
view edava72's profile

Tea (and I see you're a tealuxe fan! I worked there for a summer after high school). Also teapots and tea sets. If I ever throw a brunch for exclusively tea drinkers, I will be all set. Otherwise, it's a little bit of overkill.

I also collect vinegars, which I didn't quite realize until I opened my cupboard last week and it was packed with them: balsamic, sherry, zinfandel, raspberry, white wine, rice wine, cider, and so forth.

Finally, my freezer is packed with chicken bones, carcasses, and stock. Homemade stock is just so useful.

posted by vera in dc on August 27th 2008 at 7:06am
view vera in dc's profile

It's not really a food, but food related - I am absolutely addicted to William Sonoma's novelty cake pans. I love how they look, I love how they bake. Trains, cars, bugs, hearts, anything! Any time I see a new design, I can't resist getting it.

Really, who can resist having an octopus pan?

posted by Kaete on August 28th 2008 at 9:56am
view Kaete's profile

Thanks for your useful info, I think it’s a good topic. So would you like the info about the Air jordan shoes
Tiffany Jewelry
ugg Gypsy
wholesale electronics
Cardy ugg boots
Michael jordan shoes
Classic tall ugg boots
UGG Slippers
Classic short ugg boots

posted by xinxi on May 31st 2009 at 1:19am
view xinxi's profile

Tiffany & co. operates jewelry and specialty retail stores and manufactures products through its subsidiary corporations. Its principal subsidiary is Tiffany and Company. The Company operates Tiffany and co. retail stores and boutiques in the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe and engages in direct selling through Internet, catalog and business gift operations. Other operations include consolidated results from ventures operated under trademarks or trade names other than Tiffany jewellery. Additional information can be found on Tiffany's web site,http://www.tiffanyshow.co.uk/.

---------------------------------
Tiffany rings
Tiffany Pendants
Tiffany Necklaces

posted by Ugg boots on June 8th 2009 at 1:56am
view Ugg boots's profile