Help building spice rack

[PinInCalgary]

New to the newsgroup, so hope I've done things, i.e. title/request/etc, correctly. Some groups get really cranky when you don't follow their formating.

Anyway, I'm building a spice rack out of some left over baltic birch and hardboard and was wondering what spacing is typically used between shelves? I was thinking of using dowling on the face of the shelves, to hold the spice jars on the face of the shelf, with the top dowel located at about 1/2 the height of the spice jar. Was thinking of using a spacing about 1.5x the height of the spice jar? That way the spice jar could just slip between the top of the dowel and the bottom of the next up shelf?

Comments?

Thank you in advance,

Alfred

[nailshooter41]

The group zealots here tend to focus more on political issues rather than posting format.

In this group, the just remember to snip the quoted post for brevity, and then post your comments underneath the quote. So far, so good!

When I build something that has storage for containers, I usually build off the largest container. So for me, I would design around the largest spice bottle that you intend to use.

For something small like spices, you could easily make yourself a cardboard mock up of a spice rack. Then you could see your design and check the spacing and functionality of it before cutting up your material.

Welcome to the group!

Robert

[Lee Michaels]

The group zealots here tend to focus more on political issues rather than posting format.

In this group, the just remember to snip the quoted post for brevity, and then post your comments underneath the quote. So far, so good!

When I build something that has storage for containers, I usually build off the largest container. So for me, I would design around the largest spice bottle that you intend to use.

For something small like spices, you could easily make yourself a cardboard mock up of a spice rack. Then you could see your design and check the spacing and functionality of it before cutting up your material.

==============================================

I should point out that I asked a question about spice racks on here once and was immediately shouted down by various culinary types who told me that no real cook exposes their spices to the light of day. They hide them in drawers as to preserve freshness, etc.

I passed that info onto the person who asked for my help. I was informed by this female. queen of the house, that she was the ruler of her domain. And, as such, she deemed that spice racks were an important decorator item/fashion accessory.

I decided to sit this one out.

[Robatoy]

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DRAWERS???? They better be Smooth_EZ-Glide 601 BFD all stainless guides then. Otherwise the magnetic field of regular steel, would re- align the molecular helix of the fragrant oils in those spices. You'd end up with nut-less meg.... which is okay in the mongolian yak- croquette recipes, but sure wouldn't do much in other dishes. And NEVER slam a spice drawer closed. Bad for that notorious curry- shift.

[nailshooter41]

Well, the shouters need to get with the program. I keep the long term bottles in the rotation out of the sun. This is particularly bad for dried peppers as they not only lose their color but their potency.

My kitchen isn't in the sunlight, and I use most spices fast since I cook a lot. I like well spiced and complex flavors, so the spices don't stay around long. I have not fancy bottles since they irritate me when I am cooking or making rubs, etc. I even buy some spices in the largest containers I can find so I can have them on hand for beef and pork rubs, sauce bases, etc.

Coward!! (Just kidding....)

I am hearing the "yes dear" voice of a successful relationship. "Discretion is the better part of valor" says I.

Not an argument you would win in this life or the next! :^)

[Lee Michaels]

wrote

Coward!! (Just kidding....)

I am hearing the "yes dear" voice of a successful relationship. "Discretion is the better part of valor" says I.

Not an argument you would win in this life or the next! :^) =================================

I got "volunteered" for this project by the missus. It wa for a friend of hers. But when it turned into one of those total unreasonable expectation things, I rebelled. I explained to both her and my wife that the proposed spice racks would require hundreds of dollars of new tools and specialized bits. And expensive wood and lots of time would be required as well.

Buying something from the store became an option all of a sudden. Me, I was relieved.

[PinInCalgary]

Snip.....

Thank you for the fun responses. Almost felt like I was watching the end credits from "Monty Python's Holy Grail" which were almost as funny as the movie itself.

Alfred

[nailshooter41]

Again, a little admiration coming your way from me. Knowing your opponent well is a valuable negotiating tool.

And then to give her a viable solution, brilliant.

I don't build any small stuff for others as they come to me and say "you know, I want one like those they sell at Pier One" or I saw this at "XXX, and wanted on like that in the same color".

Someway, they think it will be cheaper to build in a shop, just one at a time. Someway, they always seem to think I have premium material "laying around". Just because a project is small doesn't mean it won't eat up a pile of materials.

When those conversations get started, I used to ardently encourage folks to buy what they saw so they could get exactly what they want.

Now if it comes up, my SO puts the kibosh on the situation immediately. After all, my spare time belongs to her, anyway.

Robert

[Leon]

You should also know that if you are from Arkansas, ;~) you have no need or possibly do not know what a spice rack would be used for. right Swingman... Snicker.

[Swingman]

LOL ... IIRC, condiments, spices and educational materials are confiscated at the border.

[Swingman]

Just recently rehung a spice rack for a friend that I made using "French cleats", which makes the racks adjustable.

down to "Cabinet Door Adjustable Spice Rack")

Here it is in its new location a few years later:

...

[Ed Pawlowski]

My only comments is to make a spice drawer rather than a rack. Serious cooks keep spices in closed area, out of the light.

[Leon]

That is what they say but I wonder what the spices are exposed to in the grocery store until the "serious cook" gets his hands on them.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Beats me, I don't buy my spices in grocery stores. Thee are better sources, like Penzey's, or Pendry's.

[J. Clarke]

However at Penzeys they're on display in glass bottles or clear plastic bags. Dunno about Penderys, they're not in driving distance.

[Upscale]

Over time, I've realized there's several things to consider with spice racks. If they're open to sunlight (bad) or even a lot of kitchen light (no as bad, but could be much better) then much of your spice will lose it's colour, potency and taste over the months it sits there.

Two options you might want to consider: Put your spice bottles in a rack that resides in drawer. Although the link given is a prebuilt plastic drawer insert, it illustrates what I'm talking about and you should be able to easily model a wooden one similar to the plastic model shown.

second option for a wall mount spice rack is to use spice jars that eliminate most or all of the light such as the metal spice jars shown in the link below, you can search out some glass spice jars that have UV filtering which is the light that hurts your spice potency. I confess to not being able to find a link to the UV type, but I have heard of them if you can find them.

Good luck with your spice adventures.

[Leon]

My father almost sits at the front door waiting for the mail to arrive with his perscriptions. He does not want them to sit in the heat. I keep telling him that the medication has been in hotter conditions on the way to his house.

[Leon]

Which may be true but from the packager to your store of choice I seriously doubt that the spices are handled any better than the load of nails going to the local hardware store, except at perhaps certain staging intervals.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Short term makes little or no difference. Sitting exposed in your kitchen, especially if in direct sunlight from a window, for months does though.

[Leon]

I see, I wonder how long those spices, especially those from other countires, sit waiting to be exported. I hear what you are saying and cannot disagree with exposure problems.