What Are the Spice Jar Sizes? (with Drawings)

Transferring spices from their tubes or boxes to jars is a great way to save space. Not only that but using uniform jars makes your kitchen look a lot more pleasant. But before you purchase a pack of a dozen spice jars for your home, you should know what sizes they come in.

The typical spice jar holds 4 ounces and measures 2 inches in diameter and 5 inches tall. Spice jars are available in larger and smaller sizes, too.

In this guide, I’ll explain what sizes spice jars come in, how many spice jars you can fit on a spice rack, and how many spice jars you’ll need for your kitchen.

Spice Jar Sizes

First and foremost, you should know that there is no universal standard when it comes to jar sizes, nor are there standard shapes. You can find large rectangular spice jars and small round spice jars, and nearly any shape and size in between.

With that said, let’s take a look at some of the most highly-rated spice jars with their specific you can get today.

As you can see from the table above, spice jars range in size from 3 to 20 ounces. However, you can find larger containers of over 24 ounces, though they would technically belong to the storage container category rather than the spice jar category.

What Are Spice Jars Used for?

As their name suggests, spice jars are used for storing spices. They come with airtight lids or seals that prevent air from entering the container, which can contaminate your spices or possibly cause them to lose their potency. They’re also great for keeping moisture out, ensuring that your powdered spices don’t clump up during storage.

Apart from storing spices, spice jars are mainly used to improve organization. It’s a lot easier to find certain spices when they’re in space-saving spice jars than it is to move box after box to locate a spice that you haven’t used in years. So, if you want to improve your kitchen organization while also reducing how long it takes to find the right spice for a recipe, you should consider picking up a bulk pack of spice jars.

How Many Spice Jars Fit on a Spice Rack?

How many spice jars you can fit on a spice rack depends on the size of the spice rack. Generally, spice racks should be at least 0.25 inches wider than the container and should hold at least six spice jars at a time.

You can make your own spice rack using whatever spare pieces of lumber you have in your garage workshop, or you can pick a premade spice rack. The important thing is to find a spice rack that fits all of your spices so you don’t have to dig through your wall cabinets to find the right spice for the job.

How Many Spice Jars Do You Need?

It ultimately depends on how many varieties of spices you keep on hand. For instance, if you’re not a huge kitchen experimenter and don’t try out new and exotic recipes that often, you might only need half a dozen spice jars for the most basic spices. On the other hand, if you try out new dishes every day, you should get at least one spice jar per spice.

When working with spices, it’s generally a good idea to keep the spices in separate jars. The only exception is when making spice blends—in that case, you should probably consider choosing larger spice jars.

Alternatively, you can settle on how many spice jars you need for your kitchen depending on how much storage space you have. If a spice rack only has enough space for a dozen jars, then you should think about filling up the entire rack with as many jars as it can hold.

Spice Jars vs. Spice Tins

Spice tins are arguably the more eye-pleasing type of spice container out there. They are usually made of aluminum or stainless steel and come with a transparent lid, allowing you to see what spice is held inside each container. Spice jars, on the other hand, are usually completely transparent and come with enough space for labels.

Spice tins are usually smaller than jars, and they are costlier per unit, but they are definitely worth the investment if you want to give your kitchen a more futuristic appeal.

How Long Do Spices Last in Spice Jars?

In general, ground spices, such as cinnamon and pepper, have a shelf life of between 1 and 3 years in spice jars. You can reach the maximum 3-year mark by storing the spice jars in a dark, dry place, such as the wall cabinet or base cabinet in your kitchen. Dried herbs, like oregano and thyme, usually last at least six months in spice jars in the same conditions.

Moisture is a huge spice killer, so make sure you keep your spice racks in a dry place whenever they’re not in use. Ideally, they will not be in the wall cabinet above a dishwasher or a sink, nor will they be in the adjacent cabinets beside these kitchen appliances and fixtures.

You can usually tell when your spices are past their prime by their lack of odors or flavors. This usually happens after the 12th month, so if your spices have been sitting on a rack for a year or so, it might be time to replace them completely.