I Have Drawers and Cabinets Overflowing with Spice Bottles

With some purchases for the home, it is better to start out right, buy high quality, and avoid choosing the "cheap" alternative. In my case, I have owned many cheap flashlights or shovels that end up breaking or bending in the first year. It took me decades to learn the folly of my ways. Buy right at the git-go and never buy again.

In my kitchen, up until now, I have not found a satisfactory way to store spices. I tried every available alternative and none easily and conveniently store the wide range of spices that I own. I buy and discard spice storage systems in the same way that I bought and discarded flashlights and shovels.

My kitchen drawers have been overloaded with spice jars and cabinets with lazy susans crammed full too, making it impossible to see what I had on hand. Plus, leaving spices in this "lost and found" state virtually guaranteed that they would age past any potential for potency and flavor. Some developed an aroma more like black dirt than pungent spices.

The spice storage systems that I located in local stores were not large enough for my needs. Usually, they held only a paltry amount of spices and were useless for this adventurous home cook.

As I had learned with flashlights and shovels, I decided to drop a few extra bucks, get the right product, and keep it for decades. I think I have found the way out of my morass.

The Kamenstein canisters fit that bill and are solving my spice storage problems. I first saw them on the Food Network (as I was surfing for ideas for the redesign of our kitchen) and I have purchased a test set of six of the canisters.

I have not bought the strip yet, but the canisters, filled with my fundemental spices, are all in a row on the side of my microwave. Slap 'em on and they stay. I am very pleased. So far, so good.

Using this storage system, I can now buy spices in bulk at the amount that I will likely use and not be stuck with aging spices in jars with embarassing expiration dates (one friend had some in her cabinet older than her 23 year old son). Plus, I will no longer bear the costs of packaging and, through the better vendors, my spices will likely be fresher at the time of purchase.

Hopefully, my search for the proper spice storage system is over. I am pleased with the result.

If you are looking for a spice source, my recommendation is http://www.stuartsspices.com/ located in a suburb of Rochester, NY. I buy from them at the Public Market in Rochester or you may find their products at their store, on-line, or by phone.

Oh by the way. I now buy Sears top-of-the-line shovels and, for flashlights, only Mag-Lites.





Kamenstein® 5 canister magnetic strip rack w/spices from Pfaltzgraff.com