Spice racks are a dying trend, and you may be wondering whether or not they’re worth having in your kitchen space.
Here is the reason why spice racks are worth it.
Spice racks help declutter a kitchen space by organizing spice bottles into a single unit. Spice racks are very affordable, and with one, you can easily collect your favorite bottles in one place and not have to worry about making short trips in the kitchen to retrieve spice bottles.
If you ask me, it’s definitely worth having a spice rack.
Below, you’ll learn everything you ever wanted to know about spice racks, and have your question of whether or not they are worth it answered. Before that, let’s start with some definition.
What Is A Kitchen Spice Rack?
A kitchen spice rack is an organizational tool for spices.
Like the name suggests, its primary function is to provide a space for collecting and storing spice bottles in a way that makes retrieving them easy and efficient.
Because of that, a spice rack would help declutter kitchen countertops and create more spaces that can be put to meaningful use in the kitchen.
Do You Really Need A Spice Rack?
If you only use a handful of spices like sea salt, cloves and the like, then there might not be the need for a spice rack, but when you’re the type that experiments with a lot of recipes and therefore use a lot of spices, a spice rack would definitely be a useful addition to your kitchen.
Are Spice Racks Practical?
Spice racks are a smart invention and definitely practical, especially the small ones you place on kitchen countertops, fix permanently into your kitchen walls, hang on wall areas close to your cooking space or place in cabinet drawers so a single pull will reveal the wealthy collection of spices you have: i’m a huge fan of them!
What’s not practical i think, is going overboard with the idea of spice racks. For instance, dedicating a huge portion of your kitchen pantry cupboard or cabinet for spices.
In all honesty, there are better ways to put these spaces to use than collecting a lot of spices in them.
Besides, spices, even dried ones, are best purposed fresh, and would generally not do well when collected in huge amounts and stored for a very long time.
A simple drawer type rack would suffice for spice storage. In order to maximize the practicability of your “drawer type racks”, ensure to dedicate the upper drawers of your base cabinets positioned by the right or left of the cooktop.
When you have a drawer rack all set, it’s time to focus on the spice bottles. Print huge and clear labels on them and ensure the bottles are arranged horizontally and chronologically. I prefer printing labels than writing them myself because it’s much easier to read.
When you have this arrangement, a single pull will reveal the rich collection of spices you have, without requiring you to bend over! And it’s much easier to look down and read labels than try to read them on bottles located overhead or by the side.
The Pros And Cons Of Having A Spice Rack
The advantages of having a spice rack is that:
- Your kitchen will no longer look messy
- The right type of rack can contribute to the overall aesthetics of your kitchen.
- You have a permanent go-to area for your spices.
- Because spice racks are durable, they would last you a very long time.
- You can actually repurpose old spice racks for something else (check below to see how to do so).
The disadvantages of having a spice rack is that:
- Pretty large racks like the cabinet racks are a waste of money as they will most times not be practical, and you’d find yourself arranging only essential bottles of spices on the counter.
Purchasing vs. Building A Spice Rack: Which Is Better?
It’s much easier and hassle free to purchase a spice rack than to build one. And perhaps, it may be cheaper depending on whether or not you have the construction materials at home.
Spice racks come in all shapes and forms and are mostly affordable. You can get a decent countertop spice rack for as low as $10 on amazon and other online stores.
And if you want to go the route of a more decorative and expensive rack, then you may end up spending between $50 to 200 depending on the brand and functionality packed within the rack.
Building a rack may be cheaper when you have the resources at hand, but when you don’t, it’s likely going to cost you more than purchasing one.
Here’s an elaborate video on how construct your own wall mounted spice rack at home:
What Is The Best Spice Rack To Buy?
Spice racks that are slightly tilted towards the user are the bomb. When you have a spice rack that tilts towards you with the caps bearing labels in bold and very readable font, it’s much easier to locate any spice you’re looking for.
Nowadays, it possible to get a wall mounted and countertop racks having exactly this type of build.
You can also purchase racks with rotary joints so you have more space to accommodate spices.
Other types of spice racks can work too, for instance, a narrow pull-out spice rack installed in a kitchen cabinet close to the cooktop. Just make sure not to fix a pull out rack at the bottom cabinet as that would require some bending over which can be frustrating.
Can You Purpose An Old Spice Rack For Something Else?
You might be thinking ahead, and planning on how to you can repurpose your spice racks when they get old. The good news is that you can actually use old spice racks for a wide things around the house.
Here are some of the things you can use an old spice rack for:
- Use an old spice rack to hold your favorite collection of acrylic paints.
- Use it in the bathroom to organize your cleansers, shampoos, face masks and other skin care bottles.
- Use it to organize your coffee k-cups.
- Organize your collection of sewing threads on your old spice racks.
Take note though, these uses will depend on the type of rack you have in the first place. Some applications may be practical with a certain type of rack while at the same time impractical with another.
Final Thoughts
If you’re wondering whether or not getting a spice rack is worth it, the answer is a resounding yes. A spice rack will declutter the area on your countertop where spice bottles are typically scattered, and also provide a one stop solution for retrieving spices.
Just make sure to not over do it and attempt to gather a huge collection of spices.