by Charlise Powvalla

Created on: October 04, 2008   Last Updated: January 08, 2009

A chef's spice rack is like a carpenter's tool belt, or an artist's palette. A good spice rack is not only utilitarian, but well-suited to an individual's style of cooking as well as the style of your kitchen. With such a wide variety of spice racks available, it may be difficult to know what's right for you. In any kitchen store or website and you'll find wooden spice racks, stainless-steel, magnetic varieties, and more. Jars may be included with the spice rack, and may come pre-labeled or unlabeled, pre-filled or empty. A spice rack may ideally be chosen based on three factors: availability of space, your specific cooking needs, and personal taste.

Counter-top Spice Racks: These are the usual suspects found in the majority of kitchens across the country. Counter-top spice racks are generally made of either wood or stainless steel, and come in spinning and stationary models. Most racks of this variety will hold either 16 or 20 spice jars, and will cost around $30-$40. While counter-top spice racks are an excellent purchase for beginners and experts alike, they can clutter precious counter space, and many of them come with pre-filled and pre-labeled jars that may limit your culinary creativity.

Wall Spice Racks: Wall spice racks are made of wood, plastic, or stainless steel, and provide the benefit of shelves for jars of different shapes and sizes. Prices tend to vary more widely-typically between $50-$100-as do styles, and the amount of jars these racks can hold. Some racks hold as few as 5 jars, which is perfect for those who find themselves using only a few select spices. For chefs who have made it a hobby to collect fun and exotic spices, wall racks can be found that hold 40-50 spices or more. One of the major benefits of wall racks are that they free up counter top space, and come in so many unique varieties that you're sure to find one to match your personality or your kitchen's decor. If you prefer not to have your spices visible, many wall racks can be adapted to fit onto the door of a cupboard or pantry.

Magnetic Spice Racks: Strips of metal are attached to your wall, and accommodate magnetic jars or canisters. These are modern, attractive, and can easily adapt to the amount of jars you need, however, they may end up taking a lot of wall space if you require a lot of different spices in larger quantities. Magnetic racks are available for $20-$50.

Pre-Labeled Vs. Unlabeled Jars: For the average chef, pre-labeled and pre-filled spice jars will probably offer all the variety you'll need for your cooking pleasure. For more adventuresome chefs focusing on different cuisines such as Asian, Indian, or Spanish, however, many of the pre-filled jars may prove unnecessary, and some of your more commonly used spices won't even be provided.

Choosing the right spice rack may not seem like a big decision, but your choice can either help or hinder your progress in the kitchen. A little time spent assessing space, personal taste, and seasoning needs will ensure you have an efficient kitchen, a happy chef, and an even happier family around the dining table.

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