FAQ

The Flex-Bands are what make the Vertical Spice Drawer Units unique (and patented) and provide the great and easy access to spices.

The bands are 2 mm in diameter with black polyester over a rubber core, crimped into a loop.  Very similar to mini bungie cords or elastic hair bands (pony tail bands).  We found our prototype material at a Craft Store (readily available) and now buy the material in bulk and make our own loops.  We stock bands as "Accessories" for future replacements.

We have bands on the prototype units in our kitchen that are 7 years old and still performing.  Yes, they will wear out, but they are an inexpensive replacement that makes our product design like no other.  

All of our units are based on drawers pulling out to give you complete access to your cabinet of containers.  You cannot block a drawer or it will not pull out.  Think of measuring as finding the largest box that will freely slide in and out of your cabinet.

You will need to measure your cabinet for:

Depth  --  From the back of the cabinet to inside the closed cabinet door

Height  --  Space between shelves

Width  --  Narrowest space between frame and hinges

Please visit the "How-to" pages for detailed instructions.

We send you an email when your order is processed and ready to be shipped.

You will also receive tracking information from our shipper when your order is in their hands for transport and delivery.

If you have questions, contact us via email or call us at 1-612-254.2590 Monday through Friday 8am – 5pm.

We use steel ball-bearing 100Lb. rated slides for our pull out spice drawers.

x11 drawers use 10" full-extension slides with 10.5" of travel.  You can access all containers on the drawer.

x14 drawers use 14" full-extension slides with 14" of travel.

x22 drawers use 22" full-extension slides with 22" of travel.

All sliding spice rack drawers are easily removed with a quick lever push on the slide (pull the drawer out all the way to expose the locking tab).

Before mounting Spice Racks you can turn the units over to easily access drawer release tab.

After units are mounted, just pull the drawer out to full extension and the release tab will be visible (from below on x11s and x14s) and accessible for drawer removal.

The slide tabs limit the slide extension after the drawer is slid back into place.

x11 - x14 Units - Slide Locking Tab on Bottom of Drawer.

 x22 Units - Slide Locking Tabs on Side.

The slides then push back on and click into place to prevent pulling off.

Our container drawers come in widths of 2.10"-3.25"-4.40"-5.55"-6.7".  If what you plan to store is larger than the drawer width, the flexible sides and drawer spacing could still work for you.

Space between drawers is 0.2" on units with multiple drawers, or when the units are installed tight together.

Standard Spacing - Units Tight

During installation you can space the different units to give you extra container drawer width space.  Install your first unit, then use a pencil, stir stick, popsicle stick(s) or what ever to temporarily space your next unit for installation.  When your larger containers are on a drawer, they can over hang the side and the elastic side bands will keep them in place and your spacing will give them the room to move.

Custom Spaced - Units Apart for Larger Containers

Our products are quality made and heavy.  The packaging is robust to protect them during their travel.  We work together with UPS to ensure your delivery is timely and safe.  We do not make money on the shipping and handling as the price reflects the actual costs and includes volume cost reductions to you that we have earned at UPS.

• Where Do You Ship?

  USA - We ship to all points, East, West, North and South.  We use UPS Ground.  You can get a shipping/delivery quote as you proceed through checkout. 

  Canada - We have shipped from BC to Newfoundland and up to the Northwest Territories.  We use UPS Ground.  You can get a shipping/delivery quote as you proceed through checkout.  Provincial tax, VAT and Customs entry fees for Canadian orders are included in the quote.  Delivery times to Canada are 3-10 business days depending upon location.  

  Outside the US and Canada - Outside the US and Canada - We have shipped to Asia, Europe, Africa, South America and Australia/New Zealand.  Please contact us by email, chat, phone or text and we will create a quote for the product and shipping.  Our website will create an automated, rough quote.  The actual shipping cost is usually lower.  Prices for International shipping will run about 35-70% of the product costs.  To save on shipping costs we will offer partially assembled units needing simple finishing to complete.

  APO/FPO/DPO Address - We will use the USPS and this requires special arrangements, please contact us.

  UPS Ground Us Delivery Map:

  

   

MOUNTING SCREWS

Mounting screws are included with your unit.  The screws are self tapping and will screw into almost all materials, except for stone, tile or granite (you may have to pre-drill for a metal shelf).

The screws extend through the base .375" (3/8").  Most cabinets and shelves are at least 1/2" and usually 3/4" thick.  The mounting screw should not protrude through the shelf.

If you decide to remove and move your units, the remaining holes are small and not very noticeable.  A little rub of the old hole will smooth it out.

STANDARD CABINETS and SHELVES

Anybody can do it!!

Each unit base MUST be attached to the cabinet/pantry bottom or a permanently fixed shelf with the included screws.

• The mounting screws will fasten into almost any material, except metal or stone.
• Failure to attach will result in the Drawer and its contents tipping and falling out when extended.
• The Drawers are intended for mounting to a fixed base.
• If mounted to a movable/adjustable shelf, you MUST first secure that shelf to the cabinet side to make it permanent.  A simple "L" bracket attached to the back of the cabinet with the leg on the shelf will work. Home improvement stores carry shelf clips that lock a shelf in place or D.I.Y. with blocks of wood or brackets (not-included).

• The contents you store on a shelf and the weight of the Drawer(s) can cause a shelf to bow and the whole shelf could tip when a drawer is extended and the shelf not secured permanently.

WIRE SHELVES

Vertical Spice units can be mounted to wire shelving. Your shelves must be secure and not "tippable". Pull down on the front of your shelf, if it is secure and does not move, our Spice Rack Drawers are compatible.

We carry a Mounting Kit for wire shelves.

Mounting Hardware we recommend (per each mounting hole):

• #8-32 x 1 1/4" Round Head Bolts
• #8-32 Nylon Lock Nuts
• 1 1/4" Outside Diameter Fender Washers

View from the top with drawers extended to show bolts in mounting holes. 

View from the bottom to show Fender Washers and Nuts.

6.9" wide bases have 4 mounting holes per base.

All other bases (2.3", 3.45", 4.6" and 5.75") have 2 mounting holes per base.

The bases can be easily drilled if you require alternate hole locations.

Spend time creating, not searching...

Return Process - If, for any reason, you are not 100% satisfied with your selection, please return it within 30 days.

• The returns must be unaltered and undamaged by use and contain all original packaging.
• Returns must be in the original retail box, placed into a shipping box.
• There is a $20 re-stocking fee per unit if returned damaged or incomplete.
• We will refund the purchase price or exchange it, whichever you prefer.
• You are responsible for 50% of the returned item shipping cost.
• Original shipping fees are non-refundable. However, if the return is the result of our error, we'll pay the original and return shipping.
• In the event that your item arrives damaged or defective to you, we will happily send you an exact replacement at no additional cost.
• To return an item, please contact customer service at 1-612-254-2590.  You must make arrangements with customer service for the return.

Our most popular Spice Rack, the 222x2x11 will hold 30 spices in a 6.9" wide x 12" high x 10.6" deep space.  3 individual drawers to easily see and access and organize your spice jar collection. 

In our standard-sized Spice Rack world, the largest model, the 222 x 2 x 14 kitchen storage spice rack (3 drawers by 2 tiers) will hold up to 36 standard sized spice containers and 72 half sized containers. The smallest model, the  2 x 1 x 11 will hold 5 standard spice jars.  We have many designs in between.  Consult the PRODUCTS page to compare units, sizes and capacities of our spice rack storage solutions.  

Reference Each Specific Product page for detailed size and weight for each unit.  Visit the Product Chart to see a table comparing all available products sizes and capacities.  Use the Cabinet Designer to design your custom organization solution.

• 10.6" depth - x11 units, designed to fit in most of today's cabinets.
• 13.8" depth - x14 units, for deeper cabinet spaces, fits IKEA 14" cabinets.
• 18.0" depth - x18 units, for still deeper cabinet spaces, pantries and bathrooms.
• 22.1" depth - x22 units, fully access your deep cabinets. 

There are many styles of units in a variety of widths to meet your custom needs.

• Our unit bases are available in widths of 2.30", 3.45", 4.6", 5.75" and 6.9".
• Fit the width of your cabinet based on the BASE WIDTH of the units.  
• The drawers on each unit are in from the side edge of the base .1" for clearance, so, when you place two units side-by-side you have a .20" space between drawers.  
• We have a variety of drawer combinations on the bases. 

They come in three heights (base to top of clear plastic front and backs):

• The 2-Tier racks (222 x 2 x 11 or 23 x 2 x 11) Spice Racks are 10.75" tall (to the top of the clear front and back panels). You will need about 12" from the cabinet base to the bottom of your first shelf to fit standard spice containers.
• The 1 1/2-Tier racks (222 x 1.5 x 11) Spice Racks are 9.25" tall to the top of the plastic front and back panels. A ½ size spice container on the top shelf requires about 9.5" of clearance from the cabinet base to the bottom of the next shelf.
• The 1-Tier Units (222 x 1 x 14 or 33 x 1 x 11) products are 5" tall (again to the top of the clear front and back panels). The measurement from the cabinet base to the top of the drawer is 1.5", so the height of your containers determines your fit.
• x22 units come in a variety of heights, see the specific product pages and charts for all dimensions.

Front Frame Fit:

The front bottom of every unit has a .25" by .80" area of clearance to fit over the cabinet frame.  This allows the unit fit from the back of the cabinet to the inside of the door.

We want to talk to you and will not hide.

1-612-254-2590 - Please don't hesitate to call us with any questions or to place an order.

Text your questions to 612-723-4319.

Chat with us directly from our website.

Email us at: customerservice@VerticalSpice.com

You may leave a message at any time and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Our main office hours are Monday through Friday 8am - 5pm Central Time. 

A majority of our Vertical Spice products are sold online.  However, we have many interior designers, cabinet shops and organization expert friends around the country who carry our products and can give you an in-person introduction to our units.  

  -  Our Website Store - Place an order and we ship directly to you.

  -  Our World Headquarters Showroom in Maple Grove, MN - We have a casual display of products and an inventory ready to go.

• Hours: Monday - Friday from 8:30am - 4:30pm for drop-in visitors.
• 8978 Zachary Lane North, Maple Grove, MN 55369

  - Friends of Vertical Spice:  List in the works...

Vertical Spice organization drawers are great for the kitchen, but can be used anywhere.  Your imagination will find many applications for our drawers. Here are some of the many Vertical Spice rack drawer applications we have heard of or actually use them for:

• Cosmetics
• Lotions
• Nail Polish
• Keurig K-cups
• Medicines and Prescriptions
• Organization Under Bathroom Sink
• Vitamins and Diet Supplements
• Shot Glasses
• Cleaning Supplies

Each single slide drawer (2.10" and 3.25" wide shelves) can handle up to a maximum of 9 pounds, about the weight of three full 750mL wine bottles. The heavy duty shelves (4.40", 5.55" and 6.7" wide shelves) can hold up to 18 pounds.

Our design created a unique kitchen spice rack, new to stores and the internet. The 222 x 2 x 11 Spice Rack we developed met our needs for compact, sturdy, easy access and good looking. After seeing how well the original design functioned and hearing input from our customers, we have been expanding our family of products ever since. We now have narrower, shallower and shorter designs.

We build our standard models with a cutout for clearance over kitchen cabinet face frames. During our prototype builds and market study, we found that a majority of the kitchen cabinets have a face frame. The cutout is for clearance only, the mounting screws are what hold the unit in place.

Strong, renewable, beautiful and machinable was the search criteria. We offer both a solid Maple in a clear coat Varnish and an HDPE lumber in Cream color.  Both materials will perform the same and provide similar durablity and easy clean-up properties.  The ultimate choice is cosmetic and personal preference.  Select the Cream HDPE material if the units will be placed in a wet environment, like under your sink.  The materials we chose are meant to last the life of your cabinets.  Below are the details on our spice rack storage material options:

Maple

Taking advantage of Vertical Spice's Minnesota location, home to hardwood forests, we headed north to the lake country and found a wonderful selection of maple products at Aitkin Hardwoods. Besides the wood being beautiful and strong, maple trees are also definitely renewable. Design and production details were worked out and we now receive our boards directly from the mill, supplied with solid pieces for the drawers and edge glued maple pieces to prevent warping for the bases. We are excited about the great look and function of the finished maple drawers. Maple is definitely a beautiful premium product.

Cream (Starboard HDPE)

We are really, really, really excited about this material.  Very tough and versatile.  This is marine grade used on ocean vessels and the same material used in those new Adirondack chairs and other outdoor furniture that will last forever.  You will be showing off your new spice organization and this product will be the centerpiece of your versatile kitchen spice assistant.

Side-By-Side

Our units are designed to fit side-by-side or spaced apart to meet your needs.  Each unit mounts through the base and is independent of other units.

The base is wider than the drawers giving you a space between drawers of 0.2" on units with multiple drawers, or when the units are installed tight together.

Standard Spacing - Units Tight

Spaced Apart

Spaced apart to fit containers wider than drawers.  During installation you can space the different units to give you extra drawer width space.  Install your first unit, then use a pencil, stir stick, popsicle stick(s) or what ever to temporarily space your next unit for installation.  When your larger containers are on a drawer, they can over hang the side and the elastic side bands will keep them in place and your spacing will give them the room to move.

Custom Spaced - Units Apart for Larger Containers

If you have movable shelves, you have the flexibility to adjust the support pegs/clips to give your cabinet shelves better spacing.

Sometimes the pre-drilled holes are not in the perfect place.  Below are some easy steps for you to drill 4 evenly space holes where you want them...

Vertical Spice units can be mounted to wire shelving. Your shelves must be secure and not "tippable". Pull down on the front of your shelf, if it is secure and does not move, our Spice Rack Drawers are compatible.

We carry a Wire Shelf Mounting Kit.

Mounting Hardware we recommend (per each mounting hole):

• #8-32 x 1 1/4" Round Head Bolts
• #8-32 Nylon Lock Nuts
• 1 1/4" Outside Diameter Fender Washers

View from the top with drawers extended to show bolts in mounting holes. 

View from the bottom to show Fender Washers and Nuts.

6.9" wide bases have 4 mounting holes per base.

All other bases (2.3", 3.45", 4.6" and 5.75") have 2 mounting holes per base.

The bases can be easily drilled if you require alternate hole locations.

Names Explained

We have many products of different sizes and designs.  We came up with our "Vertical Spice" languge to try and describe each in a title (Drawer Name).  It appears very confusing at first, but with a few minutes of time you will be speaking the crazy language too.

If you are handy with equipment the units can be easily reworked.  The base and drawer materials are all readily machinable and with a little care can be cut to fit your special needs. We coat all exposed surfaces of the Maple with a clear varnish.  The "Cream" units are HDPE and very machinable and solid color throughout.