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janis_g

Where do you keep yours?

Janis_G
14 years ago

Your spice rack.

Where is it located in your kitchen?

I have a small cabinet between the dishwasher and the refrigerator that is good for nothing that I can tell.

I'm seriously considering having a pull out spice rack there.

What do y'all think?

Good idea or not.

It is a base cabinet.

Comments (13)

  • calliope
    14 years ago

    Wasted space in a kitchen is a crime. LOLOL. Does it get hot being next to the dishwasher? If so, I'd think twice. Heat would not be a good thing as far as spice longevity. Pull-outs are so nice, even if in a base cabinet, that I don't think that the height would be an issue.

    Where is mine? Where are mine is more accurate. I keep spices in several places because I use so many of them, that there is no reason to put those I'd use maybe once or twice a year where I could put something I use frequently.

    The wooden rack of those used in cooking (herbs) is over my hospitality counter ( near where the coffee pot, condiments and dishes are, closeby to the table). It wasn't my first choice, but was what was left-over when we changed cabinet configuration.

    The spices I use on nearly a daily basis, are in a handled basket in the base cabinet under the hospitality counter.

    My esoteric baking and pickling spices and decorations are sorted into three baskets in an overhead cabinet over the fridge. A pain....a pain..because I need a step-stool to reach them, but I don't need to reach them often. Actually I crawl up on a high swivel stool and balance. Not a cool thing to do.

    And things like cinnamon, dried thymes, basils and salts are in crocks in my cabinet at eye level across from the stove. I use them often enough to buy in bulk, and need them handy always.

  • sara_the_brit_z6_ct
    14 years ago

    The Kitchen Forum here is really great for ideas like this. Lots of people have posted photos of great pull-outs (I believe Rev-a-Shelf is a good brand). The only drawback I can see is having to bend down to the bottom shelf to find the spice you want - some people just use the top shelves for spices, and use the bottom shelf for cutting boards and stuff like that.

    I have a wall cabinet in the corner by the stove, with all the spices and herbs in. Each shelf has a small lazy susan thingy, so I never have to try and fumble at the back of the shelf - a quick spin, and there it is. There's 4 shelves full.

  • mwoods
    14 years ago

    I don't have a spice rack. I read an article years ago by an herbalist who said not to do that and if you had the space,keep them in a drawer. I've been doing that for years. One drawer in my kitchen is nothing but spices and these are spices I use all the time.I picked a drawer right by the counter where I do all the food preparation. The others which I use on occasion are a cabinet and on a shelf which turns.

  • krista_marie
    14 years ago

    The majority of mine are to the upper left of the stove, the overflow on the upper right. I wish the spice cabinet was a full size instead of two halves on each side of the microwave. I used to have a lift up/down spice rack that came down from the cabinet and I loved it. It doesn't fit in the little side cabinets.

  • Janis_G
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    I finally got around to TRYING to arrange my kitchen to suit my cooking needs.
    I had no choice in this kitchen, it was designed by a man
    that most likely never cooked a meal in his life or
    a woman that chose to eat out and take out.
    The space could have been used much more efficiently.

    I threw away a lot of spices on my cleaning spree and
    re-located a bunch of things. I'm having the carpenter
    build some things for me and I thought the spices could
    have their own space.

    Marda, I would love to have the drawer space.
    I did have two large deep drawers put in the cabinet space
    under the cook top. The first thing I did was move the pots
    and pans.

    Suzy, between you and Michelle, I feel like an ameteur.
    Shoot, I am an ameteur.

    Sara, your lazy susan sounds good.
    I wish I had the extra room.

  • rob333 (zone 7b)
    14 years ago

    I'm into efficient use of space. My spice rack takes up 2 inches of "walking space" in my pantry. It takes up an entire wall (the one linked below is 21 inches, but I think I have three of them). The three racks are filled, truly, with almost all spices. There are a couple of specialty oils and vinegars on it too. Hope you get it all settled!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Wall/back of the cabinet door

  • calliope
    14 years ago

    I don't belong in the same camp as Michelle, Janis. But thanks for the compliment. I prolly cook more like someone's granny.

  • meldy_nva
    14 years ago

    For frequently used jars, I have a double wall cabinet, just to the left of the stove. The doors have racks similar to Rob's [for the larger jars]; the left cabinet has steps and the right cabinet has go-rounds. Bulk purchases are kept in the freezer. I vote against the steps, since I seem unable to get a jar from the back without tipping one or several in front, grrr. I'm seriously planning to redo the steps with verticsl pull-outs to hold jar clips -- got to be better than constantly picking up tumbled jars.

    Several years ago, I saw a rack that screwed beneath the wall cabinet and could be tipped down to get the contents. Wish, wish, wish I had gotten a couple -- they were designed for spices, or knives, or book holders, etc. I didn't buy at the time, because each only held about 24 jars... I haven't been able to find any on the 'net.

  • Janis_G
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Robin, I may get something like your back of the door
    thingy.
    I am certainly happier with this kitchen that I was.
    So far I have gained two large deep drawers for pots and pans
    under the cook top.
    Yesterday, the oven was lifted out so we could gain access
    to a drawer that couldn't be opened because it caught on the
    oven door. Carpenter took the drawer out and shaved just
    enough off the drawer front to get it open. Now I have
    another usable drawer.

    I finally got the new light fixture exchanged in the foyer.
    It looks so much better.

    The yard looks like crap but I hope that very soon I can get
    started on making it more presentable.

  • sheila
    14 years ago

    I dedicated a top, shallow, drawer to my spices. It's so simple to store them, see them and select them. Now all I need to do is look at the "use by" labels and I'd be in grear shape. It's not a draw for me...it's a drawer.

  • nan_nc
    14 years ago

    On a big lazy susan that's lived with me more than thirty years. There's a smaller, taller, rotator on top of that and the whole contraption is on top of a chest of drawers in a dark corner. The spices are roughly alphabetized, of course; and are replaced as they get old. As if that's gonna happen!

  • spiceracks
    12 years ago

    I agree with the people about not keeping it by the dishwasher. I hate wasted space too, but I suspect it will get too damp/warm in the cupboard. We keep ours in the pantry on the inside cupboard door. Lots of room for many items and was space that wasn't being used.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Spice Racks for Kitchen

  • zoiepoo
    12 years ago

    LOVE spices and am thrilled with my 'built in' (door size)spice rack on the wall near the stove (not the heat). You can make one of these anywhere you have wall space by making the cabinet in the space between 2 x 4's IN the wall. I actually love having shelves just the size of what is stored so I am not looking BEHIND items all the time. My husband has made my pantry storage for can goods, medicine cabinets and this spice rack by utilizing this space. It lends to skinny shelves but it is all most can food and all spices NEED. I had planned on a pot rack on the ceiling where my husband insisted we build in a spice cabinet. (I knew he hated them and wanted it out of sight from the dining room/living room.) When we enlarged our exsisting kitchen - we knocked out the laundry room wall and door and moved the W/D to the bathroom where there was a tub - making it a 1/2 bath. (We have 2 other bathrooms with tubs and it was the ONLY way my new 60' Bluestar Range was going to fit in the kitchen so I was motivated enough to loose a beautiful full bath.) Where we took out the second door going into a full bath is where Ken built in my spice cabinet. In the mountains - where we someday hope to build a cabin, Ken built a little shed for storage and there the shelves are left open - no cabinet doors like you see in my kitchen. I haven't learned how to post pictures yet or would add one. At the added link you can see my 'remodled kitchen 6/2005). There is a picture of both my spice cabint by the range and the pantry at the opposite end of the kitchen.

    Here is a link that might be useful: kitchen pics

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