Magnetic Spice Rack

I love to cook and, as such, I have a huge collection of spices.  About a year ago I got tired of having to dig through my pile of spice jars to find the one I was looking for, so I decided to change it up.  Pulling some inspiration from Alton Brown and some commercial products that I'd seen I settled on a magnetic spice rack.  In looking around it would seem that I'm not the only one that came to this solution.  In fact, there's even another Instructable on the same topic.

Step 1: Equipment and Supplies

To do this project you're going to need some supplies and equipment.

4 oz Round Clear Top Tins [Pic 1]
1/4" x 1/16" Neodymium Magnets (3 per tin) [Pic 2]
Paper Work Surface
JB Weld (or Other Epoxy)
Toothpicks
Paper for Mixing Epoxy
100 Grit Sandpaper (or Similar)
Damp Paper Towel
Label Maker
Pocket Knife Tweezers [Pic 4]

Comments

[guaps]

I built this and have been using these for about a year now. I love them, and have had a lot of compliments about them. I have a couple comments from what I learned, and a question about a problem I'm having.

I used super glue and decided to use two magnets. Sometimes I just have to learn the hard way. For the really heavy spices (think salt), two magnets was not enough. They would slide down the fridge. Also, after a few months, the superglue started to fail and the magnets started to come off the tins. I used JB Weld now and they are rock solid.

The really fine, ground spices (cinnamon for example) are giving me major problems. The fine dust gets between the lid and the rim of the tin and this makes it almost impossible to get the lid off. I definitely can't pull the lid off, and usually I can't twist it off either. I now have a pair of channel locks (pliers) in my kitchen that I use to get the lids off the ground spices. Anyone else having this problem? How do you keep the lids from binding?

[ShadowedOne]

I had the same problem with cinnamon specifically. I never did find a good solution to that problem.

Anyone else have a tip?

[jdagnys]

How about tapping off the lid except the contact point and spraying/painting that with a thin layer of plasi dip or rubber spray paint? I haven't done this so I don't know if it would work but I just thought if it works for Ball jars it might work for this.

[guaps]

Sorry, I don't follow you. So the plasti-dip on the outside of the lid so it is easier to grip?

I'm still trying to find a solution to this problem, so I'd like to understand your idea better.

[jdagnys]

on the inside of the lid between the lid and the jar edge; however, more i think about it the more it seems that it won't work. the idea was to create a gasket-like effect so that the cinnamon will not slip between the lid and the edge of the jar, like on canning jars (http://www.canningbasics.com/images/canninglids2.jpg) but with out a two piece screw top it doesn't really work.

[guaps]

Oh, I see. That's a good idea, and one I haven't tried yet. I've got nothing to lose so I'll try it.

[jdagnys]

on the inside of the lid between the lid and the jar edge; however, more i think about it the more it seems that it won't work. the idea was to create a gasket-like effect so that the cinnamon will not slip between the lid and the edge of the jar, like on canning jars (http://www.canningbasics.com/images/canninglids2.jpg) but with out a two piece screw top it doesn't really work.

[jdagnys]

How about tapping off the lid except the contact point and spraying/painting that with a thin layer of plasi dip or rubber spray paint? I haven't done this so I don't know if it would work but I just thought if it works for Ball jars it might work for this.

[Beechcreek]

You could save time and maybe even money and buy magnetic spice tins.

[firefly68]

This is a great idea that I wish I'd seen before investing in a regular spice rack!

[metalgrannie]

Wow.  That's a lot of spices.  Looks great.  "Cept my fridge is stainless steel and it won't hold magnets!  Where do you get the tins????  Thanks.

[firefly68]

metalgrannie, your fridge may be like mine--it looks like stainless but is really aluminum on front and steel on the sides. Magnets stick to steel. I don't know why it's aluminum, it's just as !@#& hard to keep clean as stainless!!

[katiebegood]

Have you tried the side of your refrigerator? The front on my refrigerator is stainless steel but the side isn't. That's where I put my spices - in closed containers with twist off tops (to solve the clogging problem) and using magnetic tape instead of glue-on magnets.

[ShadowedOne]

Thanks!  That's interesting about your fridge.  Stainless should hold magnets quite well.  Tins came from Specialty Bottle -> http://www.specialtybottle.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=39

[VadimS]

Steel is a mixture of several different metals chiefly iron.
Stainless steel is steel with 10.5% chromium added.
Some steel has carbon added to make it stiffer and others have nickel added.
Nickel makes to steel non-magnetic but isn't added to all stainless.

Great ible. I plan to duplicate it.

[steved5600]

My only comment is that having a clear tin for spice will cause most if not all to spoil quicker. Sunlight and air are the enemy of spices. I was always told the following.
Airtight dark container and keep the whole spice if possible as the ground will age quicker.
The rest of the idea is great. I came to this solution myself. JB weld works best but like all epoxies it's messy good idea on the paper work surface. I use a small paper Dixie Cup to mix in when use epoxy.

[katiebegood]

I did this, and from experience, here are some of my thoughts.

1) if you have trouble opening things (like pill bottles and jar tops), make sure you get screw top canisters. You can find them here:

http://www.specialtybottle.com/screwtoptincontainersmi.aspx

2) Unless you want to replace your spices every six months, don't get the clear top canisters. Get a solid top. They aren't as pretty (unless you make a pretty label for the top) but your spices will keep fresh much longer not being exposed to light.

3) Instead of the small round magnets, go to a local craft store and get some magnetic tape (do a Google search for "magnetic tape" and you'll find lots of suppliers on-line). You just cut off a square, peel off the backing and stick the gummy side to the back to the canister. No muss, no fuss.

[katiebegood]

A couple of things. The first is that I used magnetic strips with peel off backing that stuck to the tin. I found it much easier than gluing magnets to the back of the tins. Here's a link to a supplier of this tape:

http://www.magnetsupplier.com/Magnetic_Tape.htm?gclid=CIzs3Yex5bACFYNuQgodXXLMqg

Second - if the freshness of your spices is important to you, you might want to consider using tins that are not clear topped. The problem with the clear top is that it lets light in and light degrades spices very quickly. Your spices will remain strong and fresh much longer if you store them in tins with closed lids.

Also, if you are like me and suffer from some arthritis in the hands, you might want to invest in twist off caps rather than the slide off tops. I was having a very tough time getting the tops off the slide off kind of tin and once or twice the spices went flying when the top finally came off. Using a twist off top helps with this immensely.

[cjv998]

In case anyone was wondering, I just got a variety of the containers from Specialty Bottle for this project. The 4oz "deep" containers with the clear lids (the ones recommended in the article) have nice snug-fitting lids.

However, I got some of the 8oz and 16oz containers for larger amounts of dried herbs and spices (both the "deep" variety with clear slip-on lids), and the lids on those are pretty loose-fitting; I wouldn't trust hanging them up with spices in them. The lids seem like they'd even come loose on their own over time if you hung them up. I think I'll use a punch to make a few indentations on the sides of the lids so they fit more snugly. Hopefully that works out.

So, to anyone wanting containers larger than the smallish 4oz size: either get ones with the screw-on lids, or come up with a way to modify the lids and make them fit more snugly.

[helllordkb]

Yes 2 part epoxy dries quickly. It can take 1 to several days to cure however depending on the 2-part epoxy your using. For best results i would say do all the tins at once for each step, with the exception of applying the epoxy/magnet. For best results you should apply the epoxy and magnet to each tin, one time at a time. Don't apply the epoxy to all of them and then add the magnet, it won't work as well.

I would also use twist locking tins if you can get them. I love the instructable but the first time i did something like this, the problems came from the tops of the tins being loosely attached and not screw tops.

[shootfilm]

So there's no need to scuff the magnets with the sandpaper, like I did the tins?

[helllordkb]

By scuffing the tin your removing, often non-magnetic surface point/finish added to the tin. You are making small microscopic cuts into the tin which increases the surface area . The more surface area for the adhesive material, the better it sticks. That being said this JB Weld Steel and hardener is a 2 part epoxy adhesive. There are many different kinds of 2 part epoxy you can buy but when it comes down to it, 2 part epoxy makes an incredibly strong bond no matter what.

[ShadowedOne]

Scuffing the magnets definitely won't hurt. I've had to reattach a couple of mine. So, if you have the time and patience I'd say scuff away.

-R

[MeredithP]

I just loved this idea and completed a large batch of tins a few months ago. I hadn't had the opportunity to go back and check the tins (just filled them and put them on the fridge). Now I realize that the magnets are sticking to the fridge, and not to the tin. I think two things are in play here: 1) I didn't use enough JB Weld. I really took that sesame seed size to heart and 2) I should have come back and moved the tins more in the last few months before the magnets "adhered" to the fridge stronger than the tins. Working up the energy to re-epoxy almost every one again. Still love the idea and the way they look, though. Your thoughts? Next time: use more epoxy, leave them off the fridge for months? Or move them regularly?

Thanks for the wonderful idea!

[ShadowedOne]

One option might be to rough up the magnets a bit before applying the JB Weld. I started to notice this issue with my tins as well, but retired them when I moved to a new house shortly after.

[garnishrecipes]

This is great.! The website has a couple sizes, and they're much less expensive than varieties I've found in stores. I'm really excited to get all my spices out of plastic baggies.

For housekeeping's sake, the link leads you to the wrong section on Specialty Bottle.

[Punkguyta]

 I swear to god I've seen my teacher buy those exact metal tins with clear plastic lids in the center, but they CAME with magnets already attached. Interesting..

[primrozie]

Ikea sells 3 for $5.00. Then you buy the metal bar for about $8.00. I bought a few to see if it was worth using them for beads. Storage and finding what I'm looking for quickly is a problem.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80102919/

I love the spice idea!

[wyrdmaege]

what about covering the cinnamon tin with a bit of cling wrap before putting on the lid? I suppose depending on how much you use cinnamon, you could tape it down nicely below the lid lip, punch some holes, and use it like a sifter.

[kyle.marsh]

My fiancee and I just built this, too! We tried using cyanoacrylate at first, but it was too brittle and the magnets would stick to the fridge better than the tins, so we switched to a putty epoxy I had on hand that's working fine. Thanks for the great 'ible!

[ca180]

Too bad in my house here in Germany our refrigerator is enclosed in a cabinet.

Great DIY! Thanks!

[scullum]

Has anyone had a problem with the lids on the tins? I can't tell if these ones from specialty bottle are slip cover or screw tops and I'm just imagining the lid accidentally coming off as someone tries to put the tin off the rack... anyone?

I'm adopting this idea for my business by the way; I sell fine loose leaf tea and this is the concept I'm using for my display of samples.

[ShadowedOne]

The tins I used have slip on covers, but the fit is quite tight. Even when I had them fall off the fridge (with the low strength mag tape) they wouldn't pop open.

-R

[scullum]

Cool thanks, just ordered them :)

[sbot1]

Do the 3 magnets hold up well?
Would a fourth in the center help with heavier items?

[ShadowedOne]

3 magnets held up awesome! I didn't have any problems even with heavy items like a full tin of rock salt.

-R

[ransufodo]

Question - did you really say the containers themselves attract the magnets? If so, what are your thoughts on skipping the magnets, and instead mounting a sheet of magnetized vinyl (like they use for car signage) to the inside of my cabinet door?

[BlackFang171]

I'm fairly certain magnetized vinyl would be too weak. Assuming they hold at all, if your cabinet door closes with too much force (wouldn't take much) the tins are going to fall off into the cabinet.

[ShadowedOne]

That really is a great idea.  Given the full surface area of the back of the tin you could probably get enough pull strength to keep them up.  The only sticking point I see (pun intended) is that the bottoms of the tins I have aren't perfectly flat.  There is a slight concave on some of them.  This is part of the problem I ran in to with the magnet tape that I tried first.

Certainly worth experimenting with.  Thanks for the idea!

[ransufodo]

I found this site that sells differing thicknesses of flexible sheet magnet.  It also lists the pull in lbs/sq feet.  For the thinnest it's 40 lbs/sq foot.  Although I don't think I need 20 sq feet (the smallest quantity I could find on their site), it's heartening that it was so easy.

I also recall that Tap Plastics used to carry the sheet magnets.