There are a lot of different appliances and accessories that you can buy for your kitchen. One accessory that is great for both organization as well as easy accessibility while you are cooking a meal is a spice rack. Spice racks come in all different shapes, sizes, colors and are made from all kinds of different materials. Each type of spice rack, while all serving the same purpose, will use up space in your kitchen a certain way, as well as provide you with a certain look and design that will hopefully compliment your kitchen well. A spice rack or a spice shelf is actually only really popular in North America according to this Wikipedia article about spices. It definitely is a great organization tool and it keeps you from having to dig around for that perfect spice when you are cooking.
Types of Spice Racks
There are a lot of different types of spice racks. Which one is right for you really depends on what how your kitchen is laid out and how much space you have available and where that available space is. Check out some of these different kinds of spice racks below:
Carousel Spice Racks
Carousel spice racks, otherwise known as revolving spice racks are by far the most popular type of spice rack that is sold. When people think of spice racks, a carousel spice rack is is usually what comes to mind. They are great because they do not take up a lot of space and they look fantastic. The reason that a carousel spice rack does not take up a lot of space is because they use up the vertical space above your counter that isn’t being used. This is the same type of concept of building a skyscraper in an area that does not have space for a large wide building, so you need to build up in order to maximize the amount of space. The second reason that carousel spice racks are able to minimize the amount of space that they take up is because they spin around (which is why they have carousel in their name). This allows you to store spices on all side, and access each side extremely easily. They come in many different types of wood, stainless steel, and even some nice looking (and cheaper) plastic ones.
Hanging Spice Racks
Another popular type of spice rack is the hanging spice rack. This is a perfect option for those of you who do not have a lot of space on your counters or in your cabinets for a spice rack. It is also great for those who are looking to add some decoration to their kitchen. The best type of decoration is one that also serves a function, and a hanging spice rack does exactly that. They do not hold as many spices as other types of spice racks do, but if you only have a few different types of spices then this would be perfect for you. They usually come in wooden or a cheaper metal, but some hand crafted spice racks can be made of wrought iron.
Magnetic Spice Racks
Magnetic spice racks are gaining popularity because they look awesome. The name is a little bit misleading because the actual spice containers are magnetic, not the spice rack. That means, they can be placed on any metal surface in your kitchen, and the fridge and stove are very popular choices. These “spice racks” usually come with their own sheet of metal that can be propped up on the counter and used as the rack. We use ours on the fridge to hang up our daughter’s art.
A type of magnetic spice rack, zero gravity spice racks, give an awesome illusion that your spice containers are defying gravity thanks to the use of magnets. They come with their own rack that can be mounted on the wall or left free standing on the counter. Both the top and bottom (or the sides if on the counter) are magnetized, so that the containers can be places on either side and they create an awesome effect. If you want a unique look for your spice rack, then I definitely recommend this variation.
Wooden Spice Racks
While not necessarily a style of spice rack, since many different styles can come in wood, wooden spice racks are popular because people want that timeless look in their kitchen and wood is able to provide that look. There are a lot of different types of wood that are used. Pine, maple, and cherry woods are popular, but oak is sometimes used as well allowing you to get the right style and color to match your kitchen’s decor. Carousel spice racks are often made of wood, as well as hanging spice racks.
Cabinet Spice Racks
Some people just do not have space on their counters or on their walls, but they do have a lot of space in the cabinets or cupboards. A cabinet spice rack would be perfect for that situation. You may think, “Well, why can’t I just put my spices in the cabinet myself?” That’s a fair question. The problem with that is organization and use of space. You’ll still have to go digging for some spices, which means moving others out of the way so that you can see more. Another issue is that you don’t use up all of the vertical space in your cabinet. A cabinet spice rack takes care of both of these issues by utilizing pull out drawers for organization and to use up all of the space on your cabinet shelf.
Door Mounted Spice Racks
If you have a pantry or cupboard door that you wouldn’t mind hanging a spice rack on, a door mounted spice rack can be a great option. It won’t use up any cabinet, counter, or shelf space, because it creates it’s own shelves just on the inside of the door. They are adjustable so that you can fit them perfectly on the back of the pantry door. These cabinet door spice racks don’t look as fancy and stylish as other types of spice racks, but they are also hidden most of the time anyway and not on display so their main purpose is functionality.
Spice Rack Companies
There are large companies as well as small companies that make spice racks. It can be difficult to find a few of them online, but I have done some digging to help you to find a great manufacturer. Kamenstein makes some of the most popular carousel spice racks. J.K. Adams is known for their fine wooden kitchen supplies and they make a few different types of spice racks including shelves and carousel spice racks. Olde Thompson sells spices as well as the racks that those spices fit on nicely.