Things I Like: My Spice Rack

I won't lie, I'm between paycheques right now and that sort of stalls any progress on my apartment overhaul. But in my years of tiny living, I've acquired some nifty tools that I think are also worth a mention.

I like to bake. Cooking isn't my friend, but I do like to bake, and over the years spices have crept into my cupboards to the point where I now have the same amount as my Mum, and, well, I guess that's adulthood. You don't expect it. With varying sizes of jars and bags floating around in my two rubbermaid baking bins (also a remedy that's going to take some thought), something had to be done. It's already bad enough I have to haul the two bins down every time I want so much as a mug brownie, but it seemed a bit absurd to keep the dill in the highest corner of the kitchen (this reference only really makes sense if you know that I add dill to damn near everything).

Sometimes you need to spend a bit more than you expected to get just the right thing, and that's definitely the case here. I bought this set of 12 magnetic spice jars from Gneiss Spice on Etsy over a year ago. In two sizes - 4oz and 1.5oz - these hexagonal jars (also available in round) come with magnets on the inside of the lids so they stick to any metal surface (my fridge). Gneiss also offers custom wall plates for them (with neat options like 'rustic') in case you have the space to have them on your wall. In which case, get out of my blog you yuppie.

I would suggest choosing the 4oz size, since the 1.5oz jars hold quite honestly very little; a glass McCormick spice jar is about 1.5oz, so if you buy the big Club House shakers (or bags) like I used to, then you definitely need the big ones. After buying these, you might as well do you shopping at Bulk Barn to save any waste. I confess that I did throw out quite a bit of seasoning when I first got them because I didn't see the point if I'd have to hang onto the shakers for the months (or years) it would take to use up the remainder.

You've probably seen something like this before. If you're like me, it was probably at IKEA.

Grundtal. Same concept, non?

Yes, and if money truly is your main driving factor and/or you don't use your spice collection enough to justify the cost of Etsy, then I wouldn't bother either. I did consider it though and here is why I chose the jars over the canisters:

• Appearance - the jars had much more style and the interlocking shapes seemed much more appealing (as well as spatially economic)
• Capacity - even the largest Grundtal containers don't hold as much as the 4oz jars
• Weight - the canisters don't hold as much while staying in the same place; the magnets are just weaker

The newer sets even include spice labels! I really wish these had been around when I ordered since I Sharpied spice names on the jar lids and now there are permanent black smears all over my landlord's white fridge... oops.

So that's just my little tip if you have a lot of spices (if you don't, you're probably under 25 or male), and one more handy way to store them. Though really, any spice rack is better than nothing. Just remember to use labels correctly or else you'll be looking for oregano one day and basically cross your fingers the green leafy one is right...

I mean, theoretically.

Fun fact: these things hurt like a mother when you hit your head off them coming up from the fridge.

Cost: $68 + shipping

Source: Etsy