Spice organizing is one of those dreaded projects like rearranging a sock drawer. For whatever reason, many of us think that organizing spices takes more time than it does, and for this reason, the task gets ignored. We may also not know how to begin the process, or things seem confusing given all the different organizational solutions.
I am embarrassed to admit that I procrastinated with organizing my spice cabinet for years. In all fairness, I did not know what to do with my spices because I wanted to relocate them from upper cabinets to anywhere else because I needed more shelving storage space.
However, I easily tackled spice organization projects for my clients; I selected spice organizers, decanted spices into pretty glass jars, and decluttered vast collections.
As my children began to cook and grocery shop in our home, I noticed the spice cabinet was busting loose. It was an explosion inside, and when I started to pay closer attention, I discovered that there were many triplicate bottles of the same spice all opened, of course!
At this point, I needed to do something. I had a drawer near the stove that had some useless paper and plastic disposable containers and cutlery from take-out restaurants that needed to go. I decided to move my spices in this drawer.
Step one was to plan out the drawer organizer. I measured the width, depth, and height of my drawer. I looked online and found an inexpensive spice tray by IKEA that fit the dimensions perfectly. It is called Variera, and each 3 7/8 inch x 19-inch section cost 4 dollars.
I decided to also transfer my spices into pretty glass jars that I found at Hobby Lobby for 50 percent off. I spent a little less than 1 dollar for each jar, a fair price to pay.
Taking all the spices out of the cabinet and placing them onto my cleared kitchen island allowed me to see everything easily and clean the cabinet. I quickly sorted the jars by type, such as basil, chili, rosemary, cilantro, etcetera.
I then checked each group’s expiration dates and decanted the spices expiring first into the new jars. I ended up with eight jars of expired spices and had seven bottles of excess or backstock. I decided to place all my backstock into a single basket I put in an unused overhead space.
I have a Cricut label maker that I use for work which comes in handy for such projects. I labeled all my jars, and now the drawer looks Instagram-ready.
It was hard for me to start this project because I faced so much indecision on relocating my spice collection. I over-estimated the time it would take to declutter and decant, which caused me to procrastinate with a start date.
What jumpstarted things was realizing that my kids were forming a mini-disaster right before my eyes in my kitchen.
One day I bought the spice jars, and another day the in-drawer tray organizer from IKEA. I made the labels when I could get around to doing so, and I used post-it notes on the jars in the meantime. The point is to start the process and don’t try to tackle everything at once. An organizing project should be made small, especially in a kitchen with many different inventories. Remember, small changes lead to big results.
I want to share with you the top spice organizers that I would recommend.
Spice Organizers To Free Kitchen Cabinets & Drawers
A mini roll-out pantry is slim enough to squeeze in between a cabinet and an appliance.
Wall-mounted spice racks that are unique and attractive are a welcoming addition to any kitchen. Those that can hold other articles like oils are even that more desirable.
Source: Pinterest
Floating shelves grouped next to the cooking or prepping stations is always a good idea, and many textures like wood or metal can add to the room’s decor. Decanting your spices in uniform labeled jars will add a wow factor.
Drawers & Cabinets Are Easy Storage Solutions For A Spice Collection
If you have plenty of drawers, using one to store spices can be extremely helpful. It clears space in upper cabinets and keeps your countertops free of clutter. Plus, storing your spices in a drawer and away from heat and light can prolong their freshness and protect flavor.
A drawer tray and matching labeled jars is an easy fix to corral spices.
Upgrade your drawers by using a heavy-duty tiered spice drawer organizer where the jars stand tilted and tiered.
An easy two-tier slide-out cabinet organizer makes searching for spices easy to see and retrieve. Commerical-grade full-extension gliding spice organizers are best.
Matching jars, labels, and an overall uniform appearance in a countertop organizer will make it welcoming and not cluttery looking
