7 Best Spice Sets Of 2023
Spice sets can save you a lot of time and money so long as you pick one that fits your needs and preferences.
But what is the best spice set? Spices in sets may be everyday staples or unique blends that people would love to add to their spice collection. You should choose a spice set depending on your preferences. Such factors, as the jar design, size, as well as whether you can get refills or not should also be considered to find the best spice set for you.
Choosing a spice set may be overwhelming. In this article, you will not only get to know seven of the best spice sets you can buy but also how to decide which spice set is a good fit for you.
How to Choose a Spice Set and Do You Need One?
A good spice set can solve multiple problems at a time. If you have never considered buying a spice set, you certainly should as it has a few major benefits.
1. Spice sets are easy
If you are a beginner in cooking or have just moved into a new house, buying spices can be overwhelming. You will need to make a list of all the spices you may need.
Then, you will need to do some serious spice shopping and will need to decide which brand sells the best spices.
And what if you find out that one brand is good at cumin while the other brand sells the best paprika? In a word, you will need to go through a lot of hustle.
The good thing about spice sets is that you can buy them with just a click. These sets may not only be collections of everyday staples but also extensive sets of every spice and seasoning blend that comes to mind.
2. Spice sets save you money
Buying multiple spices in a set is generally a better deal than buying each spice individually.
If you are overly passionate about a certain spice or herb, you can of course buy it separately. But why miss the chance of saving money on spices by buying them in a set?
Additionally, some brands offer free refills.
3. Spice sets will up your cooking game
How many times have you skipped a recipe because you were missing a few of the spices that it called for? And how many times have your dish turned out bland because you underestimated the importance of a certain spice in it?
The truth is, even the plainest and most boring dish can be saved with the combination of perfectly chosen spices added in the right amount.
In addition to this, you will bring diversity to your table if you start cooking with spices. And diversity is the spice of life, as they say.
4. Spice sets look neat.
What can be worse than a spice drawer piled with spices in jars, tin, and plastic packages? If you dig into this drawer, you may even find multiple packages of the same random seasoning, and none of the ones that you need most often.
The best part about spice sets is that they immediately solve this problem. You have all spices you need, in labeled and identical jars. And whether you decide to keep the spices in a drawer or on display, in both cases your kitchen will look neat.
So, spice sets are great. But how to find the perfect spice set for you?
To decide what is the best spice set that fits your needs and preferences, answer for yourself the following questions.
Why Do You Need a Spice Set?
If you already have the basics, you may need a spice set to fill in the gaps. If you are not much of a cook, you may not know what are the most common spices.
In this respect, spice sets are very good guides. They generally come with the most used spices and not the exotic ones that you will need only once in a while.
Spice sets are also a great way to start learning about your preferences and how long it takes you to finish a jar of paprika, cumin, coriander, etc.
If you are starting from scratch, an affordable spice set is a great way to test the waters and see what you like.
How Often Do You Use Spices?
If you are a salt and pepper kind of person and never use other spices, buying a spice set with dozens of jars is certainly not a wise thing to do. But if you want to branch out, it certainly is.
For those who never cook with less than three spices, a spice set is surely worth a purchase. Considering that there are sets that come with refills, you can find some good deals.
If you don’t use spices that often, buy a set with smaller jars. While the shelf life of spices is quite long and you have a lot of time to use them up, keep in mind that the longer they sit on the shelves the more their flavor qualities and aroma deteriorate.
What Spices Do You Use the Most?
There are spice sets that include the essentials, and there are sets that come with spices that are not used as often. What are your most-used spices?
Whether your most-used spices include everyday staples or spices that are not as common, such as cloves or anise, make sure to buy a set that includes them.
While you may go through these spices quicker, buying them separately and keeping them in a container that doesn’t match the rest will break the image of the perfect spice drawer or rack.
Additionally, there are such ‘specialized’ sets as grilling and BBQ spice sets. Consider these options if you need spices for specific cooking tasks.
Where Do You Plan to Store the Spices?
Knowing where you will be storing your spices is more than important. Will you be keeping them in a drawer or kitchen cabinet or will you be displaying them on the kitchen counter?
Some spice sets come in beautiful, display-worthy containers, while others are more suitable for closed storage cabinets.
If you need a good spice rack with presentable jars that you can keep on the kitchen counter, opt for spice organizers with pre-filled spice jars.
Spice sets that come with nice jars are a win-win – you get both the spices and the jars you can later re-fill with whatever spices you choose to buy.
If a spice rack and jars are what you need, purchase a set that you like design-wise and that comes with pre-filled jars. You can later customize them and fill up the jars with your most-used spices.
Are You Interested in Spice Blends?
Some spice sets include unique blends of spices and herbs. If you already have the staples and don’t want to make any changes to your collection, you can buy spice sets containing unique seasoning blends.
These blends will add a lot of color to your dishes.
The 7 Best Spice Sets
Whether you are looking for a spice set with the essentials or unique blends that will bring diversity to your dishes, there are multiple options to choose from.
Here are 7 spice sets worth giving a try. Some of these sets will also work well as gifts for people who enjoy cooking with flavor.
| Rank | Recommended Spice Set | Why It's Great |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | FreshJax Hot & Spicy Seasonings Gift Set | 5 multipurpose seasoning blends |
| 2. | Kamenstein Criss-Cross Bamboo Spice Rack | Free refills for 5 years |
| 3. | Smokehouse Ultimate Grilling Spice Set | 20 unique BBQ rubs and spices |
| 4. | McCormick Everyday Essentials Variety Pack | 8 sweet and spicy essential spices |
| 5. | Spicewalla Grilling Spices Set | 6 gourmet spice blends |
| 6. | McCormick Gourmet Organic Spice Set | 8 organic must-have spices |
| 7. | Kamenstein Ellington Revolving Spice Rack | Free refills for 5 years |
1. FreshJax Hot & Spicy Seasonings Gift Set
If you already have the essentials and are in need of a set to spice things up, then the FreshJax Hot & Spicy set is something to look into.
From all-purpose spicy seasoning to Ghost Pepper that will add lots of heat to your dishes, you will get a variety of seasoning options to give more character to your dishes.
The spice bottles also tell you what ingredients each blend goes best with, leaving you very little room for error.
The FreshJax seasoning blends are gluten-free. They don’t contain GMOs and any artificial flavors.
The bottles are quite big (8 ounces each) and have a thoughtful lid design to keep the seasonings fresh.
Spices Included: Habanero Lime Sea Salt, Spicy All-Purpose Seasoning, Sriracha Hot Sea Salt, Peppered Habanero Hot Grill Spice, Ghost Pepper Sea Salt
2. Kamenstein Criss-Cross Bamboo Spice Rack
If you are in need of both spices and a good-looking spice organizer, we recommend considering the Kamenstein criss-cross spice rack that comes with 18 glass jars.
The jars come pre-filled with spices. And what’s better, you can get free refills for 5 years by just paying for the shipping and handling for orders.
The rack itself is made of bamboo. It looks beautiful both on the kitchen counter and hanged on the wall. If you don’t want to have the rack on display, you can put it in a kitchen cabinet or a drawer. It will keep your spices organized no matter where you put it.
Spices Included: The assortment varies. The spice set typically includes such essential spices and herbs as basil, thyme, oregano, garlic salt, sea salt, etc.
3. Smokehouse Ultimate Grilling Spice Set
Did you know that spice sets can be a good gift? If you have someone in your life that is very much into grilling and barbeque, the Smokehouse spice set would be an unforgettable gift for them. If you are a BBQ-lover yourself, buy one for yourself too!
This spice set includes both staples and unique flavors. Although it includes 20 spices, the bottles are not too big. This will allow you to go through the spices quicker and get the most flavor out of them.
This spice set is also a good pick if you want to experiment with flavors and get to know spices from all over the world.
Spices Included: 13 spice rubs, including Mexican spice rub, Montreal spice rub, Caribbean spice rub, cayenne spice rub, jalapeno spice rub, etc., as well as Italian seasoning, garlic, thyme, chili, and rosemary salts, chili parsley and chili garlic blends
4. McCormick Everyday Essentials Variety Pack
If you don’t need anything fancy but a simple set of the sweet and spicy essential, this McCormick set is your best bet.
The spices included in this 8-jar set will come in handy in everyday cooking, adding lots of depth and warmth to your dishes.
This essentials variety pack by McCormick is not only a great starter pack but also a nice way to stock up on all the staple spices at a very good price.
Spices Included: Ground ginger, curry powder, paprika, ground cinnamon, ground cumin, chili powder, ground turmeric, ground cayenne red pepper
5. Spicewalla Grilling Spices Set
Here is another not-so-ordinary spice set for those who love grilling and want to go out of their comfort zone.
From chicken and pork to vegetables, these gourmet spice blends will take your food to the next level.
The Spicewalla 6-pack seasoning set features chef-driven unique spice blends. These blends come in colorful tin packages and small batches so that they don’t sit for too long in your spice drawer.
As the Spicewalla blends come in a fun box, this spice set also makes a great present.
Spices Included: Cowboy Steak Rub, Carolina Pork Rub, Cracked Coriander & Pepper, Mustard and Tarragon Rub, Modena Balsamic Rub, Honey & Herb Rub
6. McCormick Gourmet Organic Spice Set
Another set from McCormick containing some seasoning staples that you can hardly do without even a day.
These organic and GMO-free spice sets are the ‘bare necessities’ for every home cook that likes a more or less seasoned food.
If you are building your spice drawer from scratch, salt and pepper, along with this 8-jar set form McCormick will make it almost complete. Once you have a good base, you can add other spices and herbs you find useful in everyday cooking.
Spices Included: Thyme, Crushed Rosemary, Ground Siagon Cinnamon, Garlic Powder, Smoked Paprika, Oregano, Cayenne Pepper, Ground Cumin
7. Kamenstein Ellington Revolving Spice Rack
Are you looking for a nice spice rack to organize all your spices and have them beautifully displayed in your kitchen? Do you also need a spice set with the most commonly-used spices?
Then this Kamenstein revolving spice rack organizer is something to consider.
It comes with 16 transparent pre-filled jars. Thus, you get both spices and a spice organizer all at once.
The clear jars make it easy to quickly find the spice you are looking for. As the revolving rack is 2-tiered, you can put your most-used spices on the top level for easy reach and keep the least-used ones at the bottom of the rack.
Spices Included: The assortment varies. The spice set typically includes such essential spices and herbs as basil, thyme, oregano, garlic salt, sea salt, etc.
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