Written by Sara Ibrahim. Sara researches home and kitchen products for Cupindy. Last reviewed: [DATE].
Our pick for most kitchens
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Zri Bamboo 3-Tier Expandable Spice Rack
Why: it sits inside a cabinet and steps your jars up so every label shows. It's bamboo, and Zri says it keeps plastic out of its products.
Know this first: the shelves are shallow, a little over 2 inches deep, and it's hand wash only.
Check the Zri bamboo rack on Amazon
Keep spices in a drawer? The SpaceAid bamboo drawer insert holds up to 48 jars.
Need jars too? The SpaceAid rack with 28 glass jars comes ready to fill.
For most kitchens, a tiered shelf inside a cabinet is the easy fix, and the Zri bamboo rack is our pick for it. If your spices live in a drawer, on a wall or on the fridge, there's a pick for each below.
We read the Amazon listings for the most popular spice racks and kept six, one for each spot in the kitchen. For each one we wrote down what the rack is made of, what the jars and lids are made of, and what the maker leaves unsaid.
What a spice rack is made of, and what actually touches your spices
A rack holds jars. It never touches the spices. The parts that do are the jar, the lid and the little sifter insert under the lid, and those are the parts listings describe least.
| Part | Touches spices? | The question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Rack frame (bamboo, steel, iron) | No | Is it solid bamboo or a veneer over board? What coating is on the metal, and will it rust in a steamy kitchen? |
| Jar | Yes | Glass or plastic? |
| Lid and sifter insert | Yes | Metal, plastic or silicone? Listings often don't say. |
| Labels | No | Do they come off cleanly when you swap a spice? |
Plastic jars are not proven unsafe for dried spices. The FDA's current view is that BPA is safe at the levels now found in food, and NC State Extension lists hard plastic alongside glass as a good container for dried herbs. We left plastic racks and plastic jars out anyway. Glass doesn't take on smells, and America's Test Kitchen gives that reason for preferring glass jars too. If that matters less to you than price or weight, plastic is a fair choice.
With bamboo, the open question is the glue. EPA's formaldehyde rule covers bamboo veneer glued onto particleboard, MDF or a veneer core. It doesn't say whether solid bamboo is covered, and neither bamboo listing below mentions the rule. SpaceAid calls its insert solid bamboo, and Zri's natural-finish listing does the same for its rack. We've gone by the listings.
Most metal racks on this list are coated iron or steel, not stainless. A coating is fine for a rack, since the spices sit inside a jar. None of the listings say how the coating stands up to steam and grease.
Spice racks compared
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Specs come from each maker's Amazon listing, read October 28, 2026.
| Spice rack | What to know | |
|---|---|---|
|
Zri Bamboo 3-Tier Best for: a cabinet shelf |
Made of: bamboo. Jars: not included. Fits: shelves 12.7 to 22.2 in wide. The catch: shallow tiers, hand wash only. |
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SpaceAid Bamboo Drawer Insert Best for: a drawer, in wood |
Made of: solid bamboo, per SpaceAid. Holds: up to 48 jars. Fits: drawers 12 to 23 in wide. The catch: the drawer must be at least 3 in deep. |
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SpaceAid Rack with 28 Glass Jars Best for: starting from scratch |
Made of: powder-coated steel, lead-free glass jars, metal caps. Goes: cabinet, counter, wall or door. The catch: sifter material isn't stated. |
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Bunoxea Wall Racks, 4 Pack Best for: a wall or the inside of a door |
Made of: powder-coated metal. Holds: about 24 jars across 4 racks. The catch: jars up to 2 in wide only. |
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HuggieGems Magnetic Racks, 4 Pack Best for: the side of the fridge |
Made of: black iron, coating not named. Mounts: magnets, no drilling. The catch: needs a surface a magnet sticks to. |
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|
Kamenstein 20-Jar Revolving Rack Best for: a rack that comes with spices |
Made of: stainless steel frame and glass jars. The catch: Kamenstein lists plastic among the materials but doesn't say which parts. |
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Pick by where it goes
- A drawer away from the stove and oven: a drawer insert. Jars lie at an angle and you read the lids from above.
- A cabinet shelf: a tiered rack that steps the back rows up.
- A bare wall or the back of a pantry door: slim wall racks or a rack that screws to the door.
- No cabinets to spare: magnetic racks on the side of the fridge, as long as a magnet sticks to it.
- Only counter space: a freestanding rack, out of the sun and away from the cooktop.
- An empty spice collection: a rack that comes with glass jars and labels.
Best for a cabinet: Zri Bamboo 3-Tier Expandable Spice Rack
In a cabinet, the back row of jars hides behind the front row. A tiered rack steps each row up, so you can read every label without moving anything. Our cabinet organizing guide covers where spices fit in the rest of the cabinet.
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Zri Bamboo 3-Tier Expandable Spice Rack
Best for: a cabinet shelf.
Why it's here: a top seller in its category, made of bamboo, in natural, black or brown. Zri says it keeps plastic out of its products. It expands from 12.7 to 22.2 inches, so you can size it to the shelf you have.
What to know: wipe it with a damp cloth and let it air dry. Zri says it shouldn't go in the dishwasher or be soaked.
The drawback: the tiers are only 2.3 to 2.6 inches deep, so wide or square jars may hang over the edge.
Check the Zri rack on AmazonIf your cabinet is deep and narrow, a pull-out rack that slides forward on runners is the other option. The Lynk pull-out we checked sits on a plastic tray, so it isn't on our list.
Best for a drawer: SpaceAid Bamboo Drawer Insert
A drawer insert holds jars on their sides at a slant, so you see every lid at a glance when you open the drawer. It's the tidiest setup if you have a drawer to give up, and it keeps spices out of the light.
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SpaceAid Bamboo Spice Drawer Insert
Best for: a drawer at least 3 inches deep.
Why it's here: a top seller in its category. SpaceAid lists it as solid bamboo. It holds up to 48 jars in four slanted rows and expands from 12 to 23 inches wide to fit the drawer.
What to know: jars aren't included, so plan on a matching set of glass jars.
The drawback: SpaceAid says the drawer needs to be at least 3 inches deep once jars are on it, so measure yours before you order.
Check the SpaceAid insert on Amazon
Best set with glass jars: SpaceAid Rack with 28 Jars
If your spices are still in a mix of bags, tins and plastic shakers, buying a rack and jars together saves a step. You fill matching jars once and the labels come in the box.
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SpaceAid 4-Tier Spice Rack with 28 Glass Jars
Best for: a full start, rack and jars in one box.
Why it's here: a powder-coated steel rack with 28 square jars that SpaceAid describes as lead-free glass, metal airtight caps, a silicone funnel and 386 labels, 46 of them blank. It works in a cabinet, on the counter, or screwed to a wall or the inside of a door.
What to know: the set weighs 9.7 pounds by the listing, so on a wall it needs proper anchors.
The drawback: the listing doesn't say what the sift-and-pour inserts under the caps are made of. If you want only glass and metal touching your spices, leave the inserts out and use a spoon.
Check the SpaceAid set on AmazonAs an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
If you'd rather buy the spices with the rack, the Kamenstein 20-jar revolving rack comes filled, and Kamenstein offers five years of refills once you register it. Its frame is stainless steel and the jars are glass. Kamenstein's own materials list also names plastic without saying which parts, and the black caps and sifters are the likely ones. It works on a counter or in a cabinet. On the counter, keep it out of the sun.
Best for a wall: Bunoxea Wall-Mounted Spice Racks, 4 Pack
Wall racks free up the most space, since they use a strip of wall or the inside of a cabinet or pantry door.
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Bunoxea Wall-Mounted Spice Rack, 4 Pack
Best for: a pantry door, the inside of a cabinet door, or a wall away from the stove.
Why it's here: four powder-coated metal racks with guard rails that keep jars from tipping out when a door swings. Each one screws on or sticks on with the included adhesive pads, and Bunoxea rates each rack at up to 20 pounds.
What to know: Bunoxea says not to screw into thin or hollow surfaces and not to use the adhesive on uneven ones. On a hollow door, the adhesive pads on a smooth face are the safer choice.
The drawback: the racks only fit jars up to about 2 inches wide. Some glass jars are wider, so check yours before you order.
Check the Bunoxea racks on AmazonBunoxea's listing suggests a wall by the stove. Skip that spot.
Magnetic racks for the side of the fridge
If you have no cabinet or wall to spare, the side of the refrigerator is often the one empty surface in a small kitchen. Magnetic racks stick on without drilling and move when you want them somewhere else.
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HuggieGems Magnetic Spice Rack, 4 Pack
Best for: renters, and kitchens with no spare cabinet.
Why it's here: a top seller in its category. Four black metal shelves with magnets, sold for the side of a fridge, oven, washer or dryer.
What to know: the listing says iron and also says rustproof, but it doesn't name the coating that would make iron rustproof. Wipe up any spills so they don't sit on the finish.
The drawback: it only works on a surface a magnet sticks to. Stainless fridges vary, since grade 430 steel is magnetic and grade 304 generally isn't, so try a fridge magnet on the side first.
Check the HuggieGems racks on Amazon
More no-drill ideas are in our small kitchen storage ideas.
Where to keep spices: heat, light and the stove
Spices don't spoil like fresh food, but they fade. Penn State Extension says to keep them airtight, dry, and away from sunlight and heat. It also says to check ground spices and herbs after about six months by smell, and that whole spices keep their flavor longer.
Penn State also says a spice rack above the stove quickly lowers quality, and NC State Extension adds that heat dries out the oils that carry the flavor. Some racks are still sold for that spot. The better place is a cabinet or drawer that isn't right beside the stove or oven. ATK gives the same advice and suggests skipping countertop racks unless there's nowhere else.
Buy small jars of the spices you use least, and buy whole spices where you can. Our mortar and pestle picks are an easy way to grind a few seeds at a time.
Jars and lids: what to look for
Square glass jars pack tighter on a shelf than round ones. ATK tested racks with standard 4-fluid-ounce jars, which is a good size to plan around.
Check the lid too. Sifter inserts are handy for shaking, but listings rarely say what they're made of.
For labels, ATK's advice depends on the rack. In a drawer you only see the lids, so label the lids. On a tiered shelf, put the label near the top of the jar so it shows over the jar in front.
If you're sorting out the rest of your food storage too, our glass vs plastic storage guide and guide to plastic numbers go into the plastic question in more depth.
What we left out and why
We read each maker's Amazon listing on October 28, 2026, plus America's Test Kitchen's spice storage review and extension advice on storing spices. Our rule was no plastic racks and no plastic jars.
- A popular two-piece SONGMICS cabinet shelf set. Its listing calls the shelves engineered wood in the specs and bamboo in the title text, and says to avoid long-term use in humid rooms. We couldn't tell what the boards are made of.
- Pull-out cabinet racks. The Lynk pull-out we checked has a plastic tray.
- Plastic stepped and tiered shelves. ATK's top cabinet and tiered picks are both plastic, and they're fine if plastic doesn't bother you.
- The Lynk steel drawer insert, America's Test Kitchen's favorite for drawers. It was unavailable on Amazon when we checked on October 29, 2026.
- Racks sold to hang over the stove. Extension advice says not to keep spices there.
- Over-the-door racks. ATK's pick is metal and holds 216 jars, but we didn't check a listing for one.
- Lazy Susans. They can work for spices in a corner cabinet, but jars in the middle are hard to see. We'll cover them on their own.
Questions people ask
Where is the best place to put a spice rack?
Inside a cabinet or drawer that isn't right next to the stove or oven. Penn State Extension says heat and light lower spice quality, and a rack above the stove does it quickly. If it has to go on a wall, pick one out of direct sun and away from the cooktop.
How long do ground spices last?
They don't go bad in the usual sense, but they lose flavor. Penn State Extension suggests checking ground spices and dried herbs after about six months. If the smell is faint, replace them. Whole spices keep their flavor longer than ground ones.
Are plastic spice jars safe?
For dried spices, plastic jars aren't shown to be unsafe. The FDA's view is that BPA is safe at the levels now found in food, and NC State Extension lists hard plastic as a good container for dried herbs. We chose glass because it doesn't hold smells, not because plastic is dangerous.
Are bamboo spice racks safe?
The spices sit in jars, so the rack doesn't touch them. The one question is the glue in some bamboo boards. EPA's formaldehyde rule covers bamboo veneer glued onto particleboard, MDF or a veneer core, but its guidance doesn't say whether solid bamboo is covered. Both bamboo picks are listed as solid bamboo in their natural finish, and neither listing mentions the rule.
Will a magnetic spice rack stick to my fridge?
Only if a magnet sticks to the surface. Ferritic stainless steels such as grade 430 are magnetic, while grade 304 generally isn't. Fridge panels vary, so test the side with an ordinary fridge magnet before you buy. Our guide to stainless steel grades explains the difference.
How many spice jars do I need room for?
Count what you have and add a few. ATK preferred racks that hold around 50 standard jars, which leaves room to grow. On this list, the SpaceAid bamboo insert holds up to 48 jars, the Bunoxea wall racks about 24, and the SpaceAid rack comes with 28.
How should I label spice jars?
Label where you'll see it. In a drawer, label the lids. On a tiered shelf, put the label near the top of the jar so it shows above the row in front. The SpaceAid set comes with 386 labels, including blank ones you can write on.
What's a good cheap spice rack?
The Bunoxea wall racks and the HuggieGems magnetic racks cost the least of our picks when we checked. Prices change, so check the current one on Amazon. With wall racks, make sure your jars are no wider than about 2 inches.
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Sources: Amazon listings from Zri Bamboo, SpaceAid, Bunoxea, HuggieGems and Kamenstein, read October 28, 2026; America's Test Kitchen: The Best Spice Storage Solutions (updated June 2025); Penn State Extension: Storing Staple Ingredients in the Kitchen; NC State Extension: Spices That Flavor the Season; NC State Extension: Harvesting and Preserving Herbs; U.S. FDA: Bisphenol A (BPA) Use in Food Contact Application; U.S. EPA: Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products, FAQs; British Stainless Steel Association: Magnetic Properties of Stainless Steels.
