20 Clever Spice Rack Ideas for an Organized Space

Save time and space in the kitchen by keeping your spice jars organized.

Werner Straube

Whether you're the cook who experiments with a variety of seasonings, or the type who relies on a faithful few, it's important to keep your kitchen in order. Regardless of the amount of drawers and cabinets you have (and even if your kitchen lacks sufficient storage), it's important to keep your spices organized.

Searching for the sage at the end of a long day or in multitasking meal prep mode is the last thing you want to do. Fortunately, spice racks come in all shapes and sizes, so it's easy to find a storage solution that works for you. Use these spice rack ideas as inspiration to get yours in order so you can focus on creating masterpieces instead of hunting down the pink Himalayan salt.

Edmund Barr

If you have a shallow drawer beside the stove without a purpose, this solution keeps them out of sight yet still within reach. Using an angled organizer with risers (you can also make one yourself!), lay the spice jars down with the labels facing upwards so you can see each one clearly. This works better with square jars, but round ones will stay in place if you have enough of them.

Werner Straube

Shower niches are one of our favorite ways to save precious real estate (and create extra storage) in a tight space. If your kitchen is on the small side, consider installing a wall niche to serve as your spice rack. Be sure it is the right size to accommodate your needs, especially if you think you’ll add to your spice collection in the future.

Marty Baldwin

Alternatively, if the depth is tall enough, you can stand spice jars up in a drawer. Use dividers, whether they’re the clear, plastic, or bamboo spring-loaded kind (or, again, you make your own), and line spices up in the order you’d like. Take the time to label their tops so there’s no guessing which is the garlic and which is ginger. You can also place a shelf liner down first to protect against the jars sliding around.

Paul Dyer

If you’re planning a kitchen remodel, consider adding slim pull-out shelves to the base cabinet, just next to the stove. A discreet, narrow cabinet like this can store a variety of things, including cooking oils or utensils. One smart idea is to store spice jars for easy access. Arrange them so the ones you use most often are on the top shelf.

Werner Straube

Another stealthy way to store spice jars is behind a sliding door above the countertop. These shallow, inset shelves can hold as many spices as your heart desires and make them available in the blink of an eye. The gliding panel door is in the same gorgeous marble as the backsplash, so it blends into the space when closed.

Michael Partenio

Islands are a genius way to add much-needed storage in a small kitchen. If you’re in the market for a freestanding kitchen cart, opt for a style that includes a spice rack. If you already have an island, hang a spice organizer on one side so they’re easy to find when you’re in the midst of meal prepping.

Werner Straube

Keep countertops clutter-free by using a space-saving pot rack that doubles as a spice rack. A hanging pair of shelves can fit over a dozen spice jars and make it effortless to grab one whenever your dish needs another pinch.

Robert Brinson

To avoid bending down to grab spice jars, have a thin pull-out shelf built into a countertop cabinet. This one extends out from the side of the range hood, making it a convenient spot to store spices. A pull-out spice rack like this would fall under the custom cabinetry category, but it’s worth the investment if you’re an avid chef.

Gordon Beall

For an even more inconspicuous (not to mention space-saving) spice rack, disguise shelves using artwork. An oversized canvas attached by hinges can hide rows of spice jars when you’re not seasoning dishes with them. This is a unique way to create storage, reduce visual clutter, and add decor to your kitchen walls.

Werner Straube

Spices on display deserve the royal treatment. Invest in an expensive yet cute set of matching spice jars and labels. Get extra points if they complement other aspects of the kitchen, like the aluminum caps on these spice jars placed near the stainless steel countertop and stove.

John Granen

No drawer space, no problem! Use an empty wall near the stove instead to store your spices. A few narrow floating shelves with vertical support rods (to prevent jars from falling) are all you need to keep them tidy. If choosing a sleek stainless steel version like this one, ensure it has a rust-proof coating. Regardless of the material (because, yet again, you can build your own shelves from plywood), regularly wipe both the shelves and jars down to prevent grease splatter build-up.

Edmund Barr

Perhaps you have open shelving on one side of your cabinets that you don’t quite know what to do with. Sure, you can style the shelves with pretty plates or cutting boards, but you can also turn them into functional spice storage. Add some trim to the front to steady jars, especially if they’re sitting low enough that someone can accidentally bump into them.

John Reed Forsman

The lack of a pantry may make it a bit harder to keep kitchen cabinets organized since they’re performing double duty. Whichever cabinet you use to store your dried goods, put the inside of its door to work. Instead of shuffling through the deep cabinet shelves for small jars, attach rows of slim shelves with dowel rods to safely hold a few dozen spices.

Jay Wilde

Some kitchens have awkwardly built layouts that, unless you’re in the market for a remodel, you must accept and live it. It’s best to use these less-than-ideal features to your advantage, though. So if, for example, your kitchen contains a cabinet with impossibly shallow shelves, don’t think of it as a waste of space. Instead, dedicate it as your spice rack and organize it by lining the jars neatly on the shelves alphabetically.

Michael Partenio

Are you short on drawer, cabinet, pantry, and wall space to store spices? Try a countertop spice rack near your prep space or the stove. A slim organizer like this can corral all your spices in one spot and is movable should you need more room to perfect your latest recipe.

Anthony Masterson

If organized smartly, a small pantry with pull-out drawers can be just as functional as a walk-in pantry. The shortest shelf, most likely the top, should be used for spice storage. Arrange the jars in height order or with the most frequently used spices front and center, especially if the pull-out pantry shelves are deep.

Emily Minton-Redfield

When you cook frequently throughout the day, repeatedly opening the spice cabinet door might be a pain. Consider removing the cabinet door on shallow shelves to eliminate the obstacle while you’re in the flow.

Ed Gohlich

Similarly, you should store spice jars on the shortest shelf of any pullout pantry system. The heavier and bulkier items can be stored towards the bottom, while the lightest and smallest (like spice jars) should be lined up towards the top where they won’t get lost.

Alise O'Brien

Practical pantry storage relies heavily on storing similar items together so they’re easy to spot. Since spice jars are small in relation to bags of flour or boxes of pasta, they must have their own organization system. These customizable pull-out spice racks make it incredibly simple to find the ones you’re looking for in a snap.

Ed Gohlich

Have an extensive spice collection or tend to buy in bulk? Have your contractor install a set of pull-out spice racks that flank the stove! Hide them behind columns or faux slim cabinets so they’re both pretty and practical.