A good spice collections can breathe life into any kitchen. The right spices can make or break a meal, and the bigger the collection, the better! The only problem? Spices take up a ton of space! There they are, packed away in their individual and inconsistently-sized containers. They fall from the cupboard while you fumble with five or six of them in your arms, as the rest tumble to the floor. This is why a drawer insert is so useful. It adds a whole new level of organization to your kitchen.
Spice Racks
A spice rack is a decent way to organize your spices. It will also display them quite nicely, allowing you to show off discretely when you have guests over. “Oh yeah, I’d always add a pinch of cumin to my guacamole.” You might smirk across the table, nodding your head gleefully to the spice rack. “You’ve got to have a healthy dose of turmeric at hand when you’re making a decent curry.”
There are, however, a couple of problems with a spice rack. First off, it doesn’t give you a lot of space. If you’re truly crazy about spices, you probably have more than will fit into a spice rack. You’ll end up having to relegate some of them to the cupboard. Second, you might not have the space on your wall to keep a spice rack.
If you’ve gone out of your way to build the perfect collection, you need all the space you can get.
Kitchen Drawer Inserts
Step forward the kitchen drawer insert: the ideal tool for the space-conscious chef. They don’t need to be particularly beautiful. After all, they’re stowed away in the kitchen drawer. But, they do need to be well-designed. A poorly-designed drawer insert is a nightmare if you’ve already purchased it. No one wants to bring one home and find it doesn’t fit the drawer or doesn’t hold everything you wanted it to.
Ever thought of making your own spices?
I’ll show you how to make your own curry powder.
You could make one easily enough, using old cereal boxes or something like that. But frankly, who has the time or patience? Not many, unless you made it a rainy day task for the kids.
As you can imagine, the market is flooded with kitchen drawer inserts. However, not all are going to be suitable for spices. You might find some for cutlery, or for larger kitchen utensils, but it takes a specific design that makes a kitchen drawer insert suited to spices.
See my KnifeDock Totally Bamboo in-drawer knife block review.
The Best Models
The Dial Industries Expand A Drawer Spice Organizer can store up to a whopping 36 spices in your kitchen drawer. It holds round- or square-shaped jars at a convenient angle so the labels can be easily read. It’s made from sturdy plastic, so it’s unlikely that you’ll ever need to replace it.
See the Dial Industries Expand A Drawer Spice Organizer at Amazon
There’s also the YouCopia SpiceLiner In Drawer Spice Organizer 6-Pack, which holds a more modest 24 bottles. This one is different in that you get strips of foam that line the base of the drawer, so your spice jars will sit neatly and securely. It’s a really easy setup, with no installation necessary. Because they’re not permanent, you can move them about the room as and when you please. Apartment renters will especially appreciate this feature.
See the YouCopia SpiceLiner In Drawer Spice Organizer 10 Foot Roll at Amazon
They’re also useful in that you don’t need to worry about their size fitting the drawer. You can simply trim these liners with a pair of scissors.
Looking for the best kitchen shears? Look no further.
The Spice Must Flow!
Take the tactical approach and organize your spices in a drawer close to where they’re needed. It saves you all the turmoil of rooting around and catching falling jars every time you open the spice cupboard. Either one of these useful products is sure to suit your spice-storage needs!
Found some old chilis in your spice rack? Find out if they still have enough kick to use.
For some great ways to use your neatly-organized spices, see this awesome recipe for brisket rub. You might also like these articles on how to brine salmon for smoking, and the best seasoning for steak.
For more kitchen organizational help, learn all about kitchen drawer liners.
You might also like this article on the best dish drainer for pots and pans.
Bryce is not a real professor, but he's real nerdy in the kitchen. He's been barbecuing, chopping, and generally blazing food for many decades. He thinks there's definitely a better spatula or utensil out there that hasn't been invented yet.