I don't have a place for spices. I was getting the vibe that spice are so "your mother's kitchen". Today we use more fresh herbs than spices, and when we do buy spices, in a lot of case we buy fresh ones in small amounts.

That said, they do look nice

I like those wall niches! I'm a total sucker for wall niches of all kinds.

And I beg to differ that spices are somehow passe. Fresh cinnamon, fresh nutmeg, fresh curry powder, fresh cloves, fresh red chili flakes, fresh vanilla, fresh almond essence... you get my drift: many common spices are by definition NOT fresh! And although I always have a hunk of fresh ginger in the fridge and a microplane to use it with, I am also the proud owner of a jar of powdered ginger for use in pastries, because fresh would screw up the texture and the wet/dry balance.

Love the pullouts! When we designed this kitchen we ended up with a 6" space that we didn't want to waste by putting a filler in. One of those was just right and utilizes an otherwise dead space!

An excellent visual summary of options available to us for spices and other larder items. The stud-depth cupboard with sliding door is a wonderful use of space along a walkpath that can't accept a cabinet. (Johnliu, are you there?) This website is a keeper--worth the look, esp. if you're planning a kitchen.

I have a pair of Copco plastic spice racks from the 70s,, the only plastic item in the whole kitchen, apparently now a collector item since they cost at least as much on eBay as they cost originally. Two mounted together hold 39 bottles I think. I was going to spray paint the niches silver but I've been talked down from that ledge--will keep them white. Have found suitable replacement bottles at Storables store so I'm going to replace the oddball ones with regulation white lids soon (had replaced broken ones with red flotsam over the years). Sorry no photo--my camera's gone missing. This eBay one is double the original price.

Here is a link that might be useful: Copco vintage spice rack

Oh Florantha! You must post pics! Send the dog after the camera.

I used to have a couple of those Copco racks! The price they're asking is well above what I paid for mine (if I'm remembering clearly). Too bad I sent mine to GoodWill years ago!

I know it's trendy to mix them up now, but spices and herbs are two different things. Spices grow in hot climates and are only available dried--cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, etc. Herbs can grow in your garden. But even those are useful dried because they can taste different--dried rosemary tastes like, well, rosemary, while fresh rosemary tastes a little like shrubbery. And those of us who get six feet of snow a year have to depend on dried anyway.

All of those houzz examples look great, but I'm not sure about sizing shelves to fit containers. I'm picturing going through Cooks Illustrated and ripping out all the recipes that call for ingredients that don't fit my accessorizing. It's not working for me.

Anybody see this idea in the comments to that article? Not pretty, but functional and clever--a shoe rack!

Marcolo - I thought the shoe rack in the comments was more creative and useful that about 1/2 the options in the article. Only a few in the article seemed particularly "new" or "creative" uses of space to me.

And, as someone mentioned above, and they only briefly touched on in the beginning of the article, neither spices nor dried herbs should ever be exposed to light and heat - can really turn the flavor. I am trying to make the switch to whole spices that I grind as needed, since they really shouldn't be kept in the ground form for more than 3-6 mos. Herbs are typically from leaves or flowers of plants, and spices from seeds, roots or bark. Has nothing to do with dried/not dried.

I use lots of fresh herbs, but even "good" fresh herbs like oregano are vegetable-ish (I agree with Marcolo about the shrubbery taste of rosemary (good word!). I have it in my garden year round, but it's only good in it's shrubby state with lamb (or possibly game)). Fresh has different uses than dried, and delivers different flavors. I used to dry some myself, but haven't gotten back to it. In my kitchen (kitchen climate has an effect), bottled dried herbs and spices are good for at least a year. When they're getting a little less aromatic, I use them with a generous hand and they're just fine. In fact, I've learned that they can be used, with a little care (always smell first, to check intensity, or taste), so long as the color is still good.

I used to separate my spices from dried herbs from flavorings, but now that I have a very large, one sided rack, I alphabetize!

florantha ''along a walkpath that can't accept a cabinet. (Johnliu, are you there?)''

Yes, I agree.

My spices live in magnetic clear-topped tins stuck to a steel sheet set in a large, old, sort-of-gilded picture frame. It is weird but very practical. I label the tins but it isn't really necessary as you can see the spices through the lids. Organization is by type - the green herb-ish stuff (dill, oregano, chives, etc) in one place, the sweet stuff (cardomon, cinnamon, etc) in another, hot-tish stuff (wasabi, mustard, cayenne, etc) together, aromatics (onion, garlic, etc) is another group, and the weirdo/unclassified freaks (seaweed, tumeric, saffron, paprika, etc) live in a commune by themselves. It looks like a military board game - ''Risk'' and suchlike. When I have nothing better to do, I re-organize the board. I guess the last time was 2009.

John, would you post a picture of your magnetic spice portrait? Also, are magnetic tins easy to find? Sounds intriguing...

Magnetic tins are easy to find. I saw some yesterday in Canadian Tire (in Canada, as you will have guessed) for $1.49 each. They have clear lids and shaker and pourer holes on the side.

A question to all regarding spice/herb storage. I am thinking of storing them in a drawer under my induction cook top. Will that be too warm?

John, I too would love to see your framed spice organizer! That sounds awesome!

Love the shoe rack idea! I always thought on the backside of the door would be best for me. My spices currently reside in a drawer and 2 shelves of a cabinets. With all the multiple sizes, it would be difficult to use the "step" forms. I have to admit, they are alphabetized.

I've been really happy with my 3" Rev-a-shelf filler spice racks:

They hold a ton, provide easy access to my spices etc, and make otherwise wasted space behind decorative columns totally useful.

I only have a closeup

John, that is AWESOME!!!

Frighteningly, I have gold-framed my kitchen chalkboard.

Gosh, you never know what comment might start a controversy.

Let me be clearer. A lot of the spice rack type ideas have bunches of identical jars of whatever. That were then placed in a kitchen and left there until the occupant died. Okay maybe they replaced the cinnamon.

I think people are migrating away from that idea. I think many cooks today, have spices that are all different shapes sizes forms and purveyors. More vanilla beans and saffron threads, less Mrs Dash maybe.

This is what I did with mine on Monday. How timely!

{{!gwi}}

I got the little tins for a song from the link below. I had gotten some of their gallon and half gallon jars years ago so I knew they were around, fast and inexpensive.

They are not magnetic but you could easily add strips to the backs. Their little clear fronts are rather lightweight just in terms of quality but I don't plan to beat them up. No kids, just me and my DH.

I labeled them on the top and the sides since they fit in the drawer either way. That way if I get more than can lay flat I can just tip them on their sides and bingo, more space.

Here is a link that might be useful: Spice Tins

Look hard at the shoe holder--the spices are in the bottom of the slots, probably not easy to retrieve in the heat of battle. They might need a little sock in each one to raise up the spice container.

Thanks for the picture, John! Very cool. I just found magnetic spice things sort of like that for sale online, but yours looks much better with the frame.

I would like to think I might do something like that someday, but I doubt I'd keep up with dumping all my spices into matching containers. Right now they are on a two-tier turntable in the upper cabinet next to the stove (except that I have more than will fit). I'd like to move them all down to a drawer, but the thought of spice jars within reach of my younger child makes me shudder.

Mtnrdredux, Thanks for the explanation!! I didn't understand what you meant. As to that, I was just thinking, while I was cooking yesterday, that what you've described is exactly what my spice rack looks like--lots of different bottles from different purveyors. I try to buy them in good bottles, and reuse the bottles for the spices that come in the little boxes. The ones with the metal tops, that is. I hate plastic tops.

Penzey's is nice (except for the plastic tops!), but if I'm at the grocery store and need something, or I'm creating a dish in my head, I'll buy what they have if it's decent quality rather than driving to Penzey's. Oh. That is, I'll buy whatever they have a a high quality California store--people keep poking me and telling me that other people's grocery store choices aren't so good.

plllog,

please don't remind me how much better the food is out there!

Mine are on round spinners in my corner upper cupboard. About the spice niches behind the stove that Houzz shows: Is it no longer said that putting spices near the stove was not the thing to do because heat ruins them? That was kitchen wisdom for decades; I certainly saw it as advice in multiple cooking magazines.

I read the title as "Spice organization article is Houzz!!" like you're announcing a rock star o something. haha. Now that I know what Houzz is, I won't make that mistake again.

Anyway, great article.. THANKS!!

pllllog, you know why Penzey's has the plastic tops? So that if you drop the bottle, they break and not the bottle. They'll give you all the extra tops you want. (I didn't know this until I was in there one day lamenting how the top to something had broke and I had to buy an empty jar.)

Buying spices, herbs and teas in bulk has greatly reduced the money going out the door here. For the same amount of basil I pay $6 for already bottled I get for 30 cents in bulk. I am fortunate enough to live near an awesome natural foods store where I can stock up.

My mother keeps her herbs and spices in one cupboard where they are easily accessed but has far too many that she never uses. Oh, well. At least they are alphabetized, something thaT never happened when we were young.

Badgergrrl, thank you for the tip on bottle tops! I am a regular at Penzey's and next time I'm there I'll ask about a few new tops!

Those square tins are terrific--they'd make for such a neat looking drawer! Mine are the original Penzey's bottles, round and they tend to shift around and not look very neat anymore. I can still find everything pretty quickly, but it kind of bugs me, since I had those drawers built just for the spices...but, it doesn't bug me enough to buy all new tins and switch all of those spices to new containers. LOL!

Cj

I visited a friend's house a few weeks ago. Her spices were something to behold. I've never seen anything quite like it. They were on tiered shelves, but that wasn't what impressed me. It was the chart on the inside of the cupboard door. Think Bingo chart, or a spreadsheet. Each row and column was labeled on one sheet. A1 A2 A3 A4 A5
B1 B2 B3 B4 B5, etc. Then there was a master list, in alphabetical order. Need cilantro? Look down the list. Oh, Row A, Jar 12. Glance at the "bingo chart" for orientation, and then boop, there it was in that spot on the shelf. I'd never be able to keep up with it, personally, but I could goggle in wonderment!
Mine? They're in a cardboard box in the cupboard over my stove (shhh). It fits perfectly. I drag it out when I'm cooking and set it on the counter. The jar lids are labeled and placed in random order. There are less than 20 or so spices in there, so it's good enough. (Sweet spices are elsewhere.) When I'm done, the kit and caboodle goes back up and in. Someday I hope to have them in the shallow wall niche as described above, though.