Learn how to organize spices with simple, realistic systems that work in real kitchens. From spice drawers to pantry shelves, these ideas will help keep your spice collection tidy and easy to use.
Spices are one of those things that seem to multiply when you’re not looking. One minute you have paprika, cinnamon, and garlic powder, and the next thing you know there are three jars of cumin, a mystery ground spice with no label, and dried herbs you vaguely remember buying for a recipe three years ago.
When I moved last fall, I actually used the opportunity to start fresh with my spice collection. Instead of packing every half-empty spice jar, I brought only the essentials and planned to rebuild slowly. It felt surprisingly refreshing to be minimal for a while. The downside? The first time I needed that one specific type of spice I didn’t have, I had to go buy the whole darn expensive bottle.
I’ve always wished every grocery store had a better way to buy just what you needed. One of my favorite things about meal kits like Blue Apron was getting the exact amount of spices needed for a recipe. No leftover jars sitting around for years past the expiration date.
Keeping a wide variety of spices in the kitchen can be incredibly useful for cooking real food, but organizing them can be tricky. Between spice cabinets, drawers, and pantry shelves, it’s easy for things to get cluttered quickly.
Once upon a time, I had a matching set of jars (above). The problem with these was that they didn’t have a sprinkle lid option. So over time I slowly stopped refilling them, and I didn’t bring any with me when I moved. My goal was to have matching bottles again, and I looked at a few different options:
The before:
The filling:
I went with the bamboo set for the brighter look. It came with a few different label options, 24 jars to customize, and a mini funnel.
I filled up all the spices I have (which is a smaller-than-usual assortment from moving in the fall).
I also made a few extra jars of spices/herbs I know I’ll get sometime in the near future, and put the rest of the empties along with the stickers on the top shelf of my cabinet.
I even used a few labels on other larger containers that I have.
The end result is VERY pleasing! I wish I could get all of my vinegars and oils to match, too 🙂
I am wondering if when I have more options I should switch to a tiered rack so I can fit more than are able to fit on the lazy susan.
With a beautiful spice cabinet, drawer, or shelf in mind, I’m sharing a practical guide on how to organize spices in a way that keeps them visible, easy to grab, and simple to maintain.
How To Organize Spices
Before diving into specific storage idea, start by simplifying your spice collection. Like all clutter areas, the less you have, the easier it is to organize. Check the expiration date on each jar, toss anything that has lost its aroma, and group similar items together.
Below are some of the most common ways people store spices in real kitchens:
How to organize spices in a cabinet
Use a tiered spice rack
A tiered spice rack lets you see every spice jar at once instead of stacking them behind each other. This works especially well inside a deep spice cabinet.
Look for expandable racks that adjust to the width of your shelf. I like grouping spices by type of spice—baking spices together, savory spices together, and dried herbs together. That way when you’re cooking dinner you aren’t digging around behind cinnamon to find oregano.
Install a small wall mounted rack
If your cabinet walls have space, you can install a wall mounted spice rack inside the cabinet door or side wall. This works great for frequently used spices like salt blends, chili powder, garlic powder, and paprika.
Consider small bins for the less used spices
The spices that hide in the deep, dark corners sometimes benefit from an acrylic bin that you can pull out to see inside. For example, put all of your baking spices together and pull the whole bin out when you bake.
Organize by frequency of use
Put everyday spices front and center and the more specialized ones toward the back.
For example:
Front row: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder
Middle row: cumin, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning
Back row: baking spices and seasonal blends
This keeps the spices you reach for daily easy to grab while still keeping the whole spice collection accessible. You can even use the side of your fridge for your most-used spices with these magnetic racks.
My matching set in a previous kitchen:
How to organize spices in a drawer
A spice drawer is one of my favorite solutions because everything is visible at a glance. The one thing that kills me is if just 1-2 spice jars don’t fit in the drawer, so this is a time when I feel especially passionate about having the same brand or customizable jars.
Use angled drawer inserts
And you don’t want the jars rolling around either, so consider a drawer insert. Angled inserts allow spice jars to lie flat with the labels facing up. This turns your kitchen drawer into a super functional spice drawer. I love this setup because you can see the entire collection at once. No digging around a crowded spice cabinet while something is burning on the stove. If you cook often, this may be the most efficient system, but it may be the hardest to implement if you don’t have a large kitchen.
How to organize spices in a skinny cabinet
Small kitchens need smart systems. Sometimes the dedicated spice cabinet is very skinny and narrow. One solution is a pull-out rack. Pull-out racks maximize vertical space and slide out like a drawer so you can access every spice jar without moving things around.
Use Lazy Susans
When you barely have room to reach around, lazy susans are a genius invention. Place baking spices on one side and savory spices on the other. This works well because you can simply spin the organizer until you find the spice you need. Lazy susans are also great for larger containers if you buy spices in bulk.
You might also like: How To Declutter Your Kitchen Cabinets
How to organize spices in a pantry
If you have a pantry, you have even more flexibility. Top shelf’s the limit!
Create a dedicated spice shelf
Setting aside one small shelf for spices keeps them from getting scattered around the pantry. I also like a container or low-sided bin to corral the spices so they aren’t just loose on the shelf.
For more ideas on organizing pantry spaces, see these walk in pantry organization ideas.
Use bins for overflow spices
Sometimes we buy a large bulk supply or have spices that we don’t use often (like holiday baking). Keeping extras in a small labeled bin prevents clutter while still keeping everything together. Another helpful habit is writing the buy date on the bottom of spice jars so you know when it’s time to refresh them.
Maintaining your spice system
Once you set up a system, it’s pretty easy to maintain with a few small habits:
- Check the expiration date once or twice a year
- Refill spice jars from bulk containers
- Keep similar dried herbs together
- Wipe down shelves when restocking
- Avoid buying duplicates at the grocery store
Personally, I love having a solid lineup of basics like cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, chili flakes, chili powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and Italian seasoning and then getting the lesser used spices in small amounts in bulk when I need them.
When spices are easy to find, you’re more likely to experiment with flavors and add variety to meals. A sprinkle of smoked paprika, cumin, or chili flakes can completely transform a simple vegetable dish.
If you’re looking for inspiration on using spices to elevate vegetables, check out this guide on how to make vegetables taste good: How To Spice Up Your Veggies.
