A spice rack is not only a handy way to organize those assorted bottles of herbs and spices, it can also help you keep track of your spices and make sure you don't run out.
When you have spice jars and bottles crammed in cabinets, it's easy to lose track.
You can forget all about that onion powder that you shoved way in the back of a shelf, causing you to purchase a duplicate you don't need.
Or, even worse, just when you're ready to make a batch of your prize-winning cinnamon rolls, you dig through your spices to find that the ground cinnamon jar is empty, causing a last-minute rush to the grocery store.
Neither of these are optimal situations in terms of either organization or economics.
A traditional spice rack has a couple of shelves and is often stored above the stove.
This location would seem to make sense, since spices are used in cooking and you want them handy when you're preparing meals, but placing your spice rack above your stove is actually not such a good idea.
Think about all that heat and steam rising from your burners.
Heat, especially moist heat, and spices are not a good combination.
The same caution applies to over-the-sink placement, another population location for storing spices.
A couple of better locations for your spice collection would be in a closed drawer or cabinet near the stove, or on a hanging wall rack away from heat sources.
Whichever location you choose, there's a selection of spice racks to meet your needs.
Here are just a few of the available options: A stylish chrome drawer spice rack holds your spice bottles at an angle for easy viewing.
If you purchase a drawer rack, make sure it's designed to fit in a standard kitchen drawer.
An expandable bamboo shelf can sit on a cabinet shelf and grow with your spice collection.
If you want to keep your spices in their original containers, look for a Universal Spice Tray Drawer Organizer, or, for cabinet storage, Spice Maid's sliding spice organizer.
Once you have the right spice storage solution, you can organize your spices in whatever way works best for you, either alphabetically or by type, and you'll always have the herb or spice you need close at hand.