I never knew exactly what to do with the wire rack behind the sink in the Casita. We were in one of those super hardware stores the other day and I saw an Oxo Good Grips utensil holder that was plastic, oval rather that round and weighted at the bottom. Wondered if it would fit behind the sink and stove - it did. So we took the wire rack off. We like it much better! Took some 'pressure' off the one drawer we have. I put the spices in those little round magnetic cans under the vent hood and I found a small basket at Rite Aide to put the soap and sponges in under the sink.

Kathie

I LOOOOVVVEEE an organized clutter free kitchen!!!

Looks good!! I really like the spice containers under the vent hood...beats having to dig thru the rubbermaid box to find them...

Will you keep all of that in place when you travel?

Good finds Kathie!

Thanks! I just lay the (full) utensil holder on the bed while we travel put it back when we stop - has worked great. The magnetic containers have stayed in place all summer (over 2,000 miles). Also, not shown, while we are in camp I use a PUR water filter pitcher which I set beside the utensil holder, that way we have filtered water for cooking and drinking while in camp.

I also made use of a utensil holder for my Casita. I got the idea from the forum there. The holder is made from a section of PVC. The bottom is a plastic plug of some sort intended for an unknown use. (I just found it there in the PVC section and it plugged the bottom of the PVC) There are 2 shown because I made one for my sister also. This holder fits behind the sink in a corner. (sorry, don't have a picture of it in the camper)

very nice ideas!! Where did you find the magnetic spice cans?

I got mine at the kitchen place at Target and have them on a cookie tin. They hold great!

Very interesting, (but couldn't find at Target.com), so here's a link from McCormick Spices on how to make your own. Of course you will only need the containers (watchmaker cases from Lee Valley Tools), ceramic magnets (very inexpensive from any hardware store), some epoxy and a marking pen:

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/diy_kits/art...3718529,00.html

Here's the source for the containers. (The 15-count 53mm seems to be the recommended size.) And Lee Valley is advertising free shipping through Sept. 21:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=...326&p=44948

Total cost, probably less than $20 for more containers than you can fit under the range hood!

I got mine at Fred Meyers (but I think its a local store in the Pacific NW). I have seen them at most kitchen shops including Bed Bath and Beyond and at the outlet stores. They were on sale at Freds - less than $2 each.

Good Luck.

Very nice mods!!!

The sets (as well as single containers) can be purchased at Walmart, but obviously you can make your own for substantially less and have lots more!!!!!!!! Thanks for the DIY info!

Julie

I've used racks and containers at home and found them inconvenient. I don't want to transfer spices from the container they come in to another. What to do with the little bit left over that won't fit in the can? And then you have to label the container. The containers may look attractive in the store, but not when you've placed stickers on them.

I also question placing the spices under the range vent. The range vent is designed to suck all the nasty stuff out, which means your containers are going to end up covered in greasy smoke, if you use the stove. And, spices are supposed to be stored in a cool, dark place, not over burners.

So, that Rubbermaid container in a cupboard may actually be the best place to keep them. I'm still working on that. I've got a storage box ( mentioned in another thread earlier ) that fits behind or beside the range top, but as I live and learn, I'm thinking that keeping the spices in a container, in a dark, cool cupboard makes more sense.

I can take the entire container outside, if I'm prepping and cooking there and I can take the container into the house after a trip, rather than have old, stale spices in the trailer.

To quote Alton Brown on the Food Channel, DON'T store spices where you can see them. DON'T store spices near heat sources.

What prompted me to reconsider the spice rack is that I counted my spice bottles and came up with 49. Some of those are commercial mixes, like "lemon pepper" or "Montreal steak". I'll likely box up a few essentials, granulated garlic, onion flakes, chipolte, pepper flakes and peppercorns and those commercial mixes for camping since I don't really want to make my own bbq rub when I'm camping.

And, another I'm working on is where to put a garbage container to have it handy but out of sight. The solution would depend on the trailer and spaces available, but I wouldn't mind reading the magic solution.

baglo

I'm thinking about this, after reading the reviews. If it doesn't work or I don't like it no great $$ loss. I'd hang it from the cabinet door under the kitchen sink. E-Z TRASH BAG HOLDER turns grocery bags into trash bags