You know what’s a huge pain point in the kitchen? Poorly organized spices! I can’t tell you how many times the spice cabinet has been opened only to release a flood of spice containers from the cupboard and cries of frustration from myself. Or when you’re desperately looking for that small little bottle of cloves, and have to dig through the entire cupboard just to find it in the very, very back. Oh spices, how I hate you! And love you. I mean, can we really call ourselves cooks if we don’t use spices?

Organizing your spices can make all the difference in your cooking experience. And there are so many ways to do it! Let’s talk about some different options for keeping your spices looking nice, and more importantly, keeping them organized in a way that lets you more easily find what you’re looking for!

• Move them into the same type of jar. There’s something so satisfying about jars lined up together when they’re all the same size. Spice bottles come in all sorts of colors and shapes and sizes, so moving them to different containers that are all the same size can make organizing so much more effective! Just make sure things are clearly labeled so you don’t mistake cumin for turmeric or cinnamon for chili powder!
• Make sure the labels can be seen! When you buy spices from the store, the label is on the side. Depending on how you organize, you may want to write the name on top of the lid, or even higher up on the side of the container, simply so the name of the spice can easily be seen at a glance. We’re going for efficiency here!
• Store spices in more than one place. Maybe you need to get creative with your storage space- so think about where you’re likely to use certain spices! Flavors like cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice can be kept in the pantry next to your baking goods, whereas things like salt, pepper, and chili powder will be better kept next to the stove, where you’ll likely add them to chicken, soups, pastas, etc. Maybe you keep some spices in the cupboard (the ones you rarely use), and the ones you use daily can be kept in special containers on the counter or hanging from the cupboards!
• Invest in storage helpers. I know these things can be pricey, but they can absolutely be worth it! Save a little extra for a couple months until you have enough money to get something that will help you really utilize the space! Look at several different varieties to see what’s going to fit best with your kitchen space and cooking style. There are so many options! Turntables are great for in the pantry, on the counter, or even in a large cupboard. Hanging racks could be helpful if you have a large pantry, or you could put one on the back of the pantry door. If it’s your style, you can display your spices in a hanging rack as well- IKEA has cheap ones, or you could make a unique one out of a pallet board! There are magnetic containers to keep spices on the side of your fridge, drawer organizers to help your spices line up nicely in a large drawer, and even rolling cabinets to help in this endeavor. So many clever tools to help with this unique problem!
• Take the time to really think it through. If you’re like me, you threw your kitchen together when you first moved in and haven’t touched it since. I sometimes forget that it’s ok to totally reorganize things! As I’ve been addressing this spice problem, I’ve realized that there are several drawers and cupboards I might switch around to help the flow of my kitchen. It’s ok to re-think your kitchen- and honestly, it’s not a bad idea to make sure you do it from time to time. Not that you have to switch things around, but thinking things through to make sure you’re truly happy with the flow of your kitchen space is a great thing to do!

How do you keep your spices organized? I’d love to hear your ideas and hacks! Share with us in the comments below!