I Tested 11 Spice Racks to Find the Best Ones for Spaces Big and Small (Be It a Pantry or Cabinet)

Spices are akin to food storage containers; they tend towards entropy. It’s easy to toss a bunch of jars and tins and packets into a cabinet, but you’ll rue the day when your stew is boiling and you needed to add that pinch of dried thyme five minutes ago (cue the frantic scrabbling amongst a jumble of spice bottles). A messy spice cabinet also makes it easier to keep spices that are past their prime. Luckily, there's a gadget that'll help you get your spices in order: the mighty spice rack. 

Spice racks are designed to optimize space and efficiency, and make it easy to identify and grab a jar without creating a cascade of tumbling bottles. I put 11 spice racks—ranging from $13 to $35—through a series of tests to help promote stress-free, organized cooking (and to make it easy to get rid of those old jars camping out in the back of your pantry). I evaluated countertop offerings as well as shelf and drawer inserts to find options for kitchens of every shape and size.

The Tests

• Installation Test: I assembled and installed each spice rack, evaluating the material, instructions, and how easy it was to set up. 
• Spice Filling Test: Once assembled, I filled each spice rack with bottled spices to verify the capacity.
• Use and Durability Test: To check functionality, I opened and closed drawers or cabinets, placed and removed spices, and tested out any special features, checking to ensure that spices were easy to access and identify. This also tested the racks' durability.

What We Learned

Visibility Was Key

Imagine lining your spices up like bowling pins. In this arrangement, it would be easy to identify the front jar, but the pins in the front row would block the spices in the back. The best spice racks arrange spices so that all of the labels are visible. 

There are several different ways to achieve this. If you have the space, I found that in-drawer storage options offered the best visibility. Spice racks like the Lynk Professional Expandable Organizer and Marie Kondo Narrow In-Drawer Spice Organizer store jars on their side in a single row, making it easy to see each label.

I also liked the mDesign Plastic Shelf Expandable Spice Rack, which used tiered shelving—the same basic principle behind stadium seating. Spices on the back shelf are elevated, and the labels show over the front bottles.

Other models, like the Copco Non-Skid Turntable and YouCopia SpiceStack Adjustable Spice Rack Organizer, were less successful. The Copco uses a lazy Susan design to increase visibility, but this only allows access to jars on the outer edge—spices in the center were hidden from view. The YouCopia kept jars out of sight entirely on three drawer-like plastic shelves, making it difficult to pinpoint that jar of cumin you’re looking for.

Look for a Solid Base

Standard spice jars aren’t wide enough to remain stable on slatted shelves like those found on the Honey-Can-Do Cabinet Door Spice Rack, Home Complete Over the Door Organizer, The Container Store Pull-Down Spice Rack, and Simple Houseware 2-Tier Spice Rack Kitchen Organizer. During testing, bottles jostled around and tipped over when placed inside or removed from them. I found that spice racks with solid bases and shelves, like our winners, offered better stability, keeping spices upright. 

Simple Spice Racks Stored Better

When trying to maximize space, it’s tempting to get creative, but not all innovations are successful. For example, the Honey-Can-Do is designed to hang over a cabinet door and create additional shelves. When installed on an upper cabinet, this placed spices just out of reach for our 5’6” tester. But when installed in lower cabinets, it felt awkwardly low and bumped into the existing shelves. The Container Store Pull-Down Spice Rack also tried to spice things up (heh); it promised to swing forward and down, lowering spices from cabinet height to eye level, but the resulting motion, combined with wire construction, sent bottles tumbling.

The Spicy Shelf Deluxe, another in-cabinet solution, attempted to create an additional shelf around the perimeter, but assembling and fitting the rack into a space was overly complicated, and one of the brittle plastic legs snapped during installation. Our winning models were easy to install and use and favored simple, solid construction. 

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Spice Rack

First, consider your available space: do you have more room in drawers, on counters, or in cabinets? This can help narrow down your choice. Also before purchasing, evaluate your spice collection and your personal commitment to organization. Racks that rely on manually marking spices are best suited for those with a preexisting affinity for label makers (or painter's tape and a Sharpie). I also liked racks that weren’t overly complicated to install or use; simple is better. Finally, prioritize finding a spice rack with a solid base—a firm platform reduces the risk that bottles will tip over. 

Our Top Spice Racks

The Best Drawer Spice Rack

Lynk Professional Expandable Spice Drawer Organizer

$35 at Amazon $35 at Home Depot $35 at Lowe's

What we liked: The Lynk spice storage system is constructed from durable, high-quality alloy steel and can store upwards of 60 spices when fully expanded (it also comes in other sizes, so measure your drawers before deciding). Storing spices horizontally in a drawer made it easy to quickly read labels and identify bottles. The expandable construction is seamless and should fit nicely in any drawer between 13.25 and 26.5 inches wide. 

What we didn't like: Drawer storage offers the easiest access to spices, but it’s not practical in kitchens with limited drawer space. Depending on the depth of your drawers, it may be tough to accommodate wider bottles or large tins (although narrow tins should be fine). 

Key Specs

• Dimensions: 16.5 x 13.25 x 1.5 inches
• Style: Drawer 
• Capacity: Up to 64 bottles when fully expanded
• Material: Alloy steel

The Best Countertop Spice Rack

The Container Store Acrylic 20-Bottle Spice Rack

$38 at The Container Store

What we liked: This model features a sleek, minimalist design and versatile storage options—it can be stored on the countertop or affixed to a wall or door. The rack comes with a set of labels for commonly used spices as well as blank labels. If you purchase bulk spices, the included bottles are perfect for storage. 

What we didn't like: This system requires decanting all of your spices into the included bottles—standard bottles are too large to fit in the slots. This is ideal for bulk spices but may be tedious for smaller amounts. The included bottles come with small sprinkle caps—it would be difficult to shake red pepper flakes or dried rosemary out of the small holes. 

Key Specs

• Dimensions: 4.5 x 11.125 x 10.5 inches
• Style: Countertop or wall-mounted
• Capacity: 20 large bottles (included)
• Material: Acrylic stand, glass bottles

The Best Cabinet Spice Rack

mDesign Plastic Shelf Adjustable & Expandable Spice Rack Organizer

$40 at Amazon $26 at Walmart $39 $28 at Target

What we liked: The tiered construction of this spice rack made it easy to access and identify spice bottles—you can clearly see the spices in each row. Expandable construction makes it compatible with multiple cabinets, too. The mDesign rack was solid and can be installed in under a minute.

What we didn't like: Although it feels durable, this clear plastic will show any smudges, scratches, or spice spills that accumulate over time. 

Key Specs

• Dimensions: 4.1 x 9.5 x 16.75 inches
• Rack style: Cabinet
• Capacity: 30+ depending on expansion
• Material: Plastic 

The Competition

• Honey-Can-Do Honey Can Do Cabinet Door Spice Rack: This compact spice rack had wide slats at the base—spices wobbled and tipped over whenever the cabinet door was opened or closed. Depending on the heights of your cabinets, an over-the-door model may not be practical.
• Home Complete Over-the-Door Organizer: This rack provides an abundance of storage. In addition to spices, it can hold larger bottles, like vinegar. Unfortunately, the wide slats failed to keep spices in place while opening and closing the door.
• YouCopia SpiceStack Adjustable Spice Rack Organizer: This plastic spice rack felt cheap and brittle. The drawer system protects spices from light, but unless you have a rigorous labeling practice, you’ll end up hunting for cinnamon. 
• Simple Houseware 2-Tier Spice Rack Kitchen Organizer: This is a simple, no-fuss storage rack that holds approximately 25 standard spice bottles. I liked the minimalist design, but it lost points because it only included one shelf liner—the slats on the other shelf left room for wobbling. 
• Marie Kondo Narrow In-Drawer Spice Organizer: The Mari Kondo in-drawer spice organizer provides easy access and optimal visibility. This model lost points because of its limited capacity (it holds up to 15 standard bottles) and material—any spice spillage could stain the light wood (be careful with your turmeric). 
• The Container Store Pull-Down Spice Rack: The combination of movement and slat construction in this rack was a recipe for disaster; spices slid and tumbled when this spice rack was set in motion. 
• Copco Non-Skid Turntable, 2-Tier, 12-Inch, White/Gray: The solid base of this model provides a stable resting place for spices, but it was difficult to access and identify bottles stored on the lower tier. 
• Spicy Shelf Deluxe: This model lost points because of its brittle plastic construction and complicated assembly. During testing, I snapped one of the legs by accident.

FAQs

Are spice racks worth it?

A good spice rack is a worthwhile purchase, preventing you from losing spices to the back-of-the-pantry void. Spice racks don’t have to be expensive—our favorites range from $26 to $37—and they can help you get the most out of your kitchen space (not to mention they make a frantic, mid-cook search for oregano easier).

What kind of spice rack is best? 

Like other pantry storage, the best type of spice rack depends on your space—countertop racks, drawer inserts, and cabinet shelves can all help keep things organized. Look for a solution with solid shelves or racks (instead of slatted). This will help keep your bottles upright. 

How should you organize a spice rack?

Organize your spice rack so that the labels on each bottle are visible. Depending on the type of storage you choose, it may be helpful to label the tops of the bottles as well as the sides. Other organizational systems, such as alphabetizing or arranging according to use, are purely optional. 

How long do spices stay fresh?

Spices lose their potency over time. Ground spices will remain fresh for 6 to 10 months. Whole spices have a longer shelf—these may remain useable for up to two years.

What’s the best spice rack for small kitchens? 

This depends on the type of small kitchen you have. Spices can be stored in drawers, in cabinets, on the countertop, or even mounted to the wall. If kitchen space is at a premium, a wall-mounted shelf may be a great way to create more room. 

What’s the best container for whole spices? 

For whole spices, choose a glass jar with a wide opening. Large ingredients like whole nutmeg or star anise could bottleneck at a small opening. Glass is non-porous—this material will keep oxygen out and prolong shelf life. 

What’s the best way to store spices? 

Spice storage should be concerned with both longevity and access. To prolong shelf life, keep spices in tightly sealed containers in a cool, dark space. For easy access, label containers clearly and store them in single rows.

Why We're the Experts

• Madeline Muzzi is a freelance writer, editor, and video producer.
• She has written many reviews for Serious Eats, including wine decanters, mini mortar and pestles, and countertop ice makers.
• For this review, Madeline tested 11 spice racks. She installed them, then filled them with spices and placed and removed spice bottles to test their ease of use and visibility.