5 of the Smartest Ways to Organize Your Spices

Ashley Abramson
Ashley Abramson
Ashley Abramson is a writer-mom hybrid in Minneapolis, MN. Her work, mostly focused on health, psychology, and parenting, has been featured in the Washington Post, New York Times, Allure, and more. She lives in the Minneapolis suburbs with her husband and two young sons.
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updated Jul 16, 2020
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Your spices are such an important part of the kitchen — so why is it so darn hard to find the cumin or know just the right way to store all those little bottles? While we can’t see into your pantry, we can suggest some super-smart ways to help you get organized so that you can find what you’re looking for next time.

Here are five of the smartest ways to organize your spices — cumin included.

Credit: Joe Lingeman

1. With a tension rod.

Even if you have, say, a tiered spice rack in your cabinet, you may find that you’re wasting the very top part before the next shelf. Make use of it and grab a small tension rod (like this one). Simply adjust it to fit the cabinet and put it in place. You will have just the right amount of room for your smaller spice jars!

Read more: The Simple Yet Surprising Way a Tension Rod Can Help You Organize Your Spices

Credit: Sarah Crowley

2. On a picture ledge.

Whether you want to put your spice collection on display or just need an easy way to keep them all organized, check out the minimal, modern MOSSLANDA picture ledge from IKEA. Depending on how many spices you generally keep in your kitchen, purchase and mount a few to the wall or inside your pantry. (Of course, non-IKEA picture ledges will work, too!)

Read more: The Easy, $10 IKEA Hack That’ll Get All Your Spices in Order

Credit: Julia Brenner

3. On a magnetic knife rack.

Magnetic knife racks are good for so much more beyond knives! We spotted this great idea in a reader’s kitchen years ago and we still haven’t gotten over it. Mount knife racks on the underside of your upper cabinets (or on the wall, or on the inside of a cabinet) and then pour your spices into jars with magnetic lids or bottoms (like these or these!).

Credit: Taryn Williford

4. Stacked on a lazy Susan.

Adding a Lazy Susan inside your cabinet or pantry shelf will keep your spices in order and make them really easy to peruse and grab. Plus, it’s fun to spin them round and round!

Buy: Copco Non-Skid 2-Tier Lazy Susan, $15

Credit: Cheryl Sternman Rule

5. In a drawer.

Fact: Drawers are almost always superior to cabinets. Yes, even for plates and cookware. And spices. If you can, line your spices up in a drawer and label the lids (when necessary) with a piece of tape. This way, you’ll literally have a bird’s-eye view of what’s what. If your drawer isn’t deep enough for the bottles to stand, try placing them on their sides with this smart organizer.

There are clearly many more ways — these are just five of our favorites. Leave your favorite spice-storing method in the comments below!

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