The Small Organizer That Makes Spice Drawer Storage Actually Work

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Remember those wall-hugging spice racks perched in almost every kitchen, ready for easy grabbing and sprinkling with abandon? They haven't totally disappeared, and some folks still embrace them for nostalgic and aesthetic appeal — but there's a new rack in kitchen-town, and it loves to hide from mainstream limelight. It's, in fact, not a rack at all but an aptly named spice drawer. Many chefs devote precious storage space to carefully curated spice collections, and a dedicated spice drawer cradles endless bottles of aromatic basil, rosemary, chili powders, and dozens more mixtures, from Cajun spice to taco seasonings and Indian garam masala.  

Whether your own spice drawer occupies prime real estate or the bottles share square footage with kitchen towels and ladles, there's always the matter of organization. You certainly don't want glass bottles rattling and rolling with abandon, or slipping out of reach just when needed. That's why a spice-drawer organizer is an essential product for making your kitchen more functional. Fortunately, there's an alternative to pre-formed wooden or plastic inserts that may not fit your drawer space. It's called a spice drawer liner, like this YouCopia SpiceLiner available on Amazon. 

The YouCopia spice drawer liner comes in long strips formed to hold common spice-jar sizes, and it's fully customizable with a pair of standard or all-purpose kitchen scissors. What you get is a 10‑foot roll of cushy, non‑slip foam that you trim to size, lay flat in the spice drawer, and fill with your favorite seasonings. They lie horizontally, labels facing up, for easy identification and access. 

So here's how this spice-drawer organizer comes to life. The roll arrives coiled in a small box, which also includes a measuring tape to help with just-right cutting lines for your specific drawer. The foam strip is roughly 2.4 inches wide and 0.3 inches high, which is just deep enough to hold spice jars horizontally, without taking up vertical space that's likely unavailable in a drawer. With 120 inches in the 10-foot roll, you can cut multiple strips to size and lay them side-by-side, filling the entire space you need. It's best to measure the drawer from front to back to ensure full coverage. 

The material is soft and grippy, so it conforms to varying bottle sizes and shapes, from round to square, tall, or chunky. Roughly 30 bottles, more or less depending on bottle sizes, can nestle inside their new home, staying put as you open and close the drawer. Since the liner works with spice jars you already own or frequently buy, it's a budget‑friendly upgrade from tiered or magnetic spice racks that only accept containers in predetermined sizes. To ensure the best stay-put grip, be sure to wipe the drawer clean before installing the strips. Once put in place, the foam cleans up easily with a damp cloth. 

Of course, YouCopia's version is one of many options for drawer liners for spices. MIUKAA makes a similar version, as does Gosmol, and if you're especially handy or crafty, you could doctor up one yourself. Either way, it's a great investment. After all, unless you're the world's most meticulous chef, there's no avoiding brilliantly colored, stain-inducing spills from turmeric, paprika, and curry powder.