kitter Seriously? None of these spice racks is big enough. What are you supposed to do after filling the 6-12 bottles in the nice rack? Pile the remaining remaining 20 or 40 misc. spice containers in a drawer. Not my idea of good kitchen design.

olldbobbi I don't understand why spice bottles need to be so expensive. Maybe $2.00 doesn't seem like much, but when you multiply it by 50 or 60, it adds up ! Especially when you remember, they're small and don't hold much. If I had my druthers I'd choose the Ecology 6 piece herb rack and buy bunches of them. Turn the bottles around and put my own labels on :))

Lanie Brown Surely nobody needs these pricey little spice jars, but they're very cute gift ideas!

grandma42 Obviously the designers have not opened a cook book to realize how many herbs and spices are considered necessary in a kitchen. Perhaps a designer might consider designs for ethnic collections. Just think of the on going designs possible. Or collections relating to the holidays. How about a collections to meet health care requirements?
The smart thing to do would be to design a cabinet with sliders so that those of us that use so many spices and herbs would not be climbing on stools and ladders to get to the back of the cabinet for "that" spice we know is there.

Fine Art & Portraits by Laurel IKEA has several sizes to choose from in clear glass. I like looking at the spice colors, not labels. I buy by the ounce from spice dealers and use fairly large jars for the (curry component) spices I use a lot of. People should throw out anything over a year old. Don't keep stuff around you don't use. Use SEEDS as much as possible, rather than pre-ground; it only takes a second to grind them in a mortar and pestle. That was the one necessity that was missing in your list (mortar and pestle; I like cast iron, let the weight do the work). I keep 1" chunks of ginger in tiny plastic containers in the freezer, so I'll always have some 'fresh' and don't have to run out for it.

Pink Fortitude, LLC ABC order on a Lazy Susan!

tsudhonimh Those bottles don't hold enough spice for my cooking style. I can use 1/2 bottle of cardamom in one curry, and buy some spices by the pound.

I use "upcycled" jam and jelly jars, or ones that held fruit or salsa (1-3 cups of spice). They may look tacky, but it's economical and convenient.

Inis Lovely I don't understand why people feel the need to post such rude comments on a decorating and design site. I've noticed it on many posts here and on other sites. C'mon, guys. This is supposed to be the fun part of the internet!

Back to spice storage; we have a super tiny kitchen and use the magnetic type spice tins. They cover one entire side of our fridge. We got ours at World Market ($1.99 each) and add to the collection as we acquire new spices.

Streamlife Ltd. Some beautiful options. Please remember spices do well in cool, dark places though, so unless it's something you're using often, better not to keep it on display. This pic I'm attaching shows inexpensive clear glass jars laying on their side inside a drawer. I can fit about 30 bottles in one drawer. Using a non-stick liner helps keep them in place.

redglass I agree with previous posters that most of these are too small. I use clear glass jars (stored on an open shelf) which I can label if I want (but it's rarely necessary if you are familiar with the various herbs and spices). Patterned containers like the Kashmiri spice tins are attractive and fun, but you can't see what's inside them. The least useful, in my opinion, are jars already labelled 'mint, coriander, peppercorns' which dictate which herbs and spices you are supposed to use: they seem to hark back to the 'fifties when people had less choice than they do now and the manufacturer knew best.

danikenison Question for Streamlife, Ltd. Where did you get those bottles? I like the idea of having spices stored (alphabetically, perhaps) in a drawer out of the way. And then for bottles and/or spices I use more regularly having them out on a turntable on the counter next to the cooktop. Thoughts on where I might find a good looking turntable anyone?

kateskouros i LOVE LOVE LOVE all of these cute, little ideas. unfortunately anyone who prepares meals on a regular basis could never use them. kashmiri spice tins? seriously?

etsc alovelything - a critique doesn't mean somebody is being rude.

Innovative Product Sales International The S-Box concealed pop-up is my favorite design. https://www.nodrillingrequired.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=Sbox

BY DESIGN Builders We have the same as Streamlife LTD except we left all the spices in their original bottles. The non-stick liner works very well to keep them in place in the drawer.
If we had a deeper drawer, we would opt for the Blum spice organizer...will be in our next kitchen...

jinglebelle I keep all my herbs and spices in their original containers, because I can't see spending money on dozens of uniform bottles just so they will all be alike. The plain bottles Streamlife showed look like the ones the Penzeys catalog sells. Obviously, I have a myriad of different sizes and shapes of bottles, and even some tins. I've never found a great solution for storing them. Right now they are sitting in an old crisper drawer from an ancient refrigerator (4 fridges ago), and that's not even big enough. The crisper drawer doesn't really have a home and gets moved around when I need the space. I used a labelmaker to make labels for the bottle lids so I don't have to lift each one up to see what it is, and the ones in that crisper bin are alphabetized. The rest of them are scattered around the kitchen in all kinds of odd places. I would love to bring them all together somehow, but have never seen a rack or system that would accomodate them all. I'd like to hang them on the insides of cabinet doors, but one cabinet is out because it's right over the stove - heat is bad for spices. I like that iron rack in the article, but it's not big enough. So, the quest goes on.

sclawson I'm with jinglebelle; use the original containers and don't put them on display. Light degrades herbs and spices, and being near the heat of your range will do the same. Love the look of all those cute spice racks, but don't have the counter space to spare, especially if my husband and I plan to cook and bake in there too! I have a stepped organizer that puts the store bottles in three tiers. I try to arrange them in alphabetical order so I can find them more easily and go through a couple times a year to get them back in order. I also buy some larger containers at a warehouse club, and these I store in an adjacent cupboard, on a turntable, for optimum space usage and easy access. I think more attention is being paid by designers to function and storage in kitchens these days. But for those of us not starting our kitchens over from scratch, we have to make do with the retrofits we can find in the housewares department.

tollyon Agree with sclawson -- these are very decorative, but impractical. Most people use more herbs/spices than can be accommodated on a pretty rack, and spices should be kept away from heat and light. I don't have the time to reload them into another container unless I've bought a large amount and need to transfer some to a workable-size jar. And I'm often in a hurry when I want something for a dish I'm cooking, so I keep them in alphabetical order. Kitchen remodel included a drawer specifically for the purpose and it works really well for me.

fbiles While these ideas are definitely cute, I agree with some of the other comments that for most people, the small capacity of these racks are not very practical. Incorporating spice storage can be tricky, but it can also present a fun design element! For example, my husband and I moved into a 1940's house a couple years ago and were delighted by the spice rack built into the wall (see pic). It is so convenient. If you want to hide the containers, or not expose them to direct light, you could hang a door or curtain in front of the space. I was picturing a wood door frame with screen inserts for this particular space.
The second picture shows a previous kitchen we lived in (pre-remodel) where, after getting tired of digging around the cabinet and lazy susan for spices, we purchased two, long (24" each?) wire spice racks from Sundance Catalog (around $18 - $25 each) and mounted them on the wall.
I also hear from a lot of people who have remodeled their kitchens and chose to store their spices in drawers and have been really happy with that method (like Tollyon's pic).

judypace Can all these people get a life ..... enjoy your day instead of complaining about a spice jar. How many people actually use 60 spices every week. Smile everyone!!!!

patscats2 I'm very boring when it comes to spices. Mine are bought in bulk then stored in baby food jars and their contents written on the lids. I know, I should take more interest, but they are hidden in the cabinet and I don't see the need to fancy up the spices. LOL However, I do enjoy seeing others who are super organized and make everything pretty.

bubblyjock I shall share my secret re-purposed kitchen gadget, but don't read this if you're squeamish...

Go to the pharmacy, and buy a callus-remover grater.

Best.grater.ever for nutmeg. Just make sure it stays in the kitchen. ;~)

bubblyjock -> fbiles - I LOVE that built-in spice-rack in your first photo: genius! Thanks so much, will def incorporate it into our kitchen design.

And the second one is downright smart, too.

Dura Supreme Cabinetry Cute Ideas, I do think you need more space for your spices. A spice rack that contains only 3-6 spices is not very useful unless it's your secondary spice rack with only your most used spices so they are easier to grab. Any of this story's examples would work better for you primary spices, not your entire collection. Here are a few spicy tips for organizing designing a kitchen around your spice collection…

Add two vertical pullouts, one on each side of your sink or stove for easy accessibility like this example:
Cottage Kitchen - Personal Touches

Have a custom drawer spice rack that fits your collection, go with a wider drawer for a wider collection:
Cottage Kitchen – Personal Touches 1
Transitional and Timeless
A common solution is adding a traditional Door Spice Rack to any cabinet door.
Mountain Resort

For those spices you use while standing over the stove, add a beautiful mantle hood that has functionality. Put hidden shelves or a pull-out behind the decorative to hide those commonly used spices. This way they will always be within reach and never an eyesore.
West Indies Beauty
Is There Any Other Place You'd Rather Be?
Craftsman Kitchen - Crafty Storage

The end of an island or a row of cabinets is a great place to tuck a spice rack in a shallow cabinet.
West Indies Beauty - Beautiful Storage

Put your most used spices in a utensil drawer with a spice rack:
Cottage Kitchen – Personal Touches 2

Fine Art & Portraits by Laurel tsudhomnh: I agree with you, I reuse all glass jars after removing the labels. I like the different shapes and sizes, it's more interesting.

Innovative Product Sales International The S-Box concealed pop-up is a unique, counterbalance pop-up system

susanpet It's a design sight folks, where imagination takes flight!
The small tins with pastels would be great for sewing bits & bobs!
So many uses for these "spice" jars,
And just look at what some have posted it has sparked readers to show pictures.
From small beginnings.......