Usable spice Racks

Just a few months back I bought a spice rack for myself. There are dozens of models out there and it was tough to decide the right one. Working in the field of usability or traces of OCD? I am not sure of the culprit, but I make a big fuss before buying things… they have to be ‘user friendly’. When I started using my spice rack and was gleaming, I could not help wonder if users ever have this level of satisfaction when browsing through websites. If I am expecting so much for the 1 hour of cooking everyday, how about people who use their intranets 8 hours a day? Here are a few common usability issues in some models of the spice racks. Hope my 2 cents helps someone in choosing a good model.

1. Very small jars require refilling all the time. This maybe very inconvenient for people who cook regularly.


2. Solid containers are rapidly getting replaced by transparent ones which I think is good. But quite a few models hide major portion of the jar, the transparent jar losing its purpose. Transparent bottles are like a homepage… a well designed one is a window to what’s in there.


3. Unlike my mom, I am not very good at identifying all the spices by just looking or smelling. For the spices that I don’t use regularly I definitely need a label. Jars without labels are awful. Equally bad are the models in which the label peels off easily.


4. Some container materials are not so great. Spices stick to the outside very easily.


5. Some models with the Lazy Susan base don’t seem very convenient. The entire base shakes every time you pull out a jar in or out of the rack.


6. I personally don’t prefer models which come with a twist top. This is like getting to information that is a few clicks away. It is a hindrance when you want to work fast. Instead I prefer the ones that come with a flip lid especially with dual option which permits easy pouring or shaking of spices.


7. Wall mounted models are great space savers but they are not convenient unless you fix them at the right height and distance from your stove. On the other hand the counter tops save relatively lesser space but can usually be kept at easy reach. Anyway this probably is a personal preference and lot depends on the way your kitchen is laid out. Yes! It is important to know the ergonomics and the environment of the users.


8. Be it the rotating or the flip models, quite a few spice racks come with lids that become loose or ill fitting with just few days of use. Looks like load testing was not performed.


9. Since the spice racks come with standard set of spices and I don’t use all of them. I have replaced some with my own spices and I am now stuck with wrong labels! None of the models I know come with pre-printed labels for spices other than what is given as part of the package. At least a few blank labels you could fill in yourself would be very useful. Bare minimum room for customization and personalization could add a lot of value to any product.


10. Magnetic spice racks seem to have some problems too. I have come across people complaining that the magnets below the container fall off right into whatever is below! A Magnetic spice rack is a great idea; it seems like a trend, just like CSS layouts or AJAX. If made well they work well!