How to Build a Spice Cabinet on a Budget

A supermarket spice aisle is a trap. A 1.5-ounce jar of cumin
for $7 is $75 per pound. That same cumin at an Indian or Middle
Eastern grocery is $6 per pound. Same spice, same quality, often
fresher — because the ethnic grocery turns inventory in weeks,
not years.

You can build a spice cabinet that handles 90 percent of home
cooking for around $40 if you know where to shop. Here is how.

## The 12 spices that earn their space

If you are starting from zero, buy these 12 first. They cover
Italian, Mexican, Indian, Middle Eastern, Thai, and American
cooking with high overlap.

1. **Kosher salt** (Diamond Crystal)
2. **Black peppercorns** (whole, with a grinder)
3. **Red pepper flakes** (crushed)
4. **Cumin** (whole seeds, grind as needed)
5. **Coriander** (whole seeds)
6. **Smoked paprika** (sweet, not hot)
7. **Dried oregano** (Mexican if possible — brighter)
8. **Cinnamon** (Saigon or Ceylon sticks)
9. **Bay leaves**
10. **Turmeric**
11. **Mustard seeds** (yellow or brown)
12. **Cayenne** or **chile powder**

That is it. Twelve items. Every one is a workhorse that shows up
in at least five cuisines.

## What to skip (for now)

- **Pre-mixed blends** (Italian seasoning, pumpkin pie spice, taco
seasoning). They are expensive per ounce and always include
fillers like salt or dried garlic that you can add separately.
- **Garlic powder and onion powder.** Useful occasionally but
always worse than the fresh versions. Buy later.
- **Saffron, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice.** Add as you hit recipes
that need them. Saffron especially — a $15 gram is fine, but do
not buy it until a recipe actively asks for it.
- **Dried basil, thyme, parsley.** Dried green herbs lose potency
fast. Fresh is cheap at most grocery stores and has no real
substitute. Exception: oregano and bay, which dry well.

## Where to actually buy

In rough order of value:

### 1. Indian / Pakistani / Middle Eastern groceries

- Cumin: $5 to $8 per pound
- Coriander: $6 per pound
- Turmeric: $7 per pound
- Cardamom: $12 per half pound
- Bay leaves: $3 for a huge bag
- Cinnamon sticks: $4 for 8 ounces

The rule: if the spice is central to that cuisine, the ethnic
grocery sells it for a quarter of supermarket price. Freshness is
usually better because turnover is high.

### 2. Mexican/Latin groceries

- Mexican oregano, dried chiles (ancho, guajillo, chipotle),
achiote, Mexican cinnamon (canela). All a fraction of mainstream
store price.

### 3. Asian groceries

- Sichuan peppercorns, five-spice, star anise, white pepper,
sesame seeds. Same discount pattern.

### 4. Penzeys, The Spice House, Burlap and Barrel

These are premium mail-order spice companies. Prices are 2-3x
ethnic grocery but half of supermarket, and freshness is guaranteed.
Good for a gift or for spices you use rarely.

### 5. Costco (some items)

Whole peppercorns, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves. Good value on
bulk basics.

### 6. Supermarket spice aisle

Only for emergencies. Pay 3x the price of every other option.

## Storage

Spices do not go "bad," they fade. Whole spices last 2 to 4
years. Ground spices last about 1 year at full potency. Fading
spices make food taste flat without any obvious off flavor, which
is why recipes from old cabinets often feel like they are "missing
something."

Rules:

- **Buy whole, grind as needed.** A small coffee grinder dedicated
to spices ($20) extends shelf life and improves flavor
dramatically.
- **Label with purchase date.** Use painter's tape.
- **Away from heat.** Do not store the spice rack next to the
stove. Heat accelerates oxidation.
- **Opaque containers** (or a cabinet). Light fades turmeric and
paprika especially.
- **Don't buy big.** A pound of smoked paprika is cheap per ounce
but you will not finish it before it fades. Buy 4 ounces, use
it, buy more.

## A $40 starter budget

From an Indian grocery plus one Costco run:

| Item | Quantity | Cost |
|------|----------|------|
| Kosher salt (3 lb Diamond Crystal) | 3 lb | $5 |
| Whole black peppercorns | 4 oz | $4 |
| Red pepper flakes | 4 oz | $3 |
| Cumin seeds | 8 oz | $4 |
| Coriander seeds | 8 oz | $3 |
| Smoked paprika | 4 oz | $4 |
| Dried oregano | 4 oz | $3 |
| Cinnamon sticks | 4 oz | $4 |
| Bay leaves | 2 oz | $2 |
| Turmeric powder | 4 oz | $3 |
| Mustard seeds | 4 oz | $2 |
| Cayenne | 2 oz | $3 |
| **Total** | | **$40** |

At supermarket prices the same 12 items are $120+. You are paying
a 200 percent convenience premium for walking down the spice
aisle.

## The grinder question

A mortar and pestle feels traditional but for weeknight cooking a
$20 blade coffee grinder dedicated to spices is faster and finer.
Keep it separate from coffee; coffee oils contaminate spices
permanently.

Grind 2 weeks' worth of cumin and coriander at a time, not a
year. Ground spice at 1 week is still fresh. Ground spice at 6
months is tired.

## What changes after the first 12

Once you cook regularly, expand based on what your
[recipe library](/import) actually calls for. Track repeat
recipes; if three recipes in your rotation call for fennel seed,
buy fennel seed. Do not pre-emptively buy 25 spices because a
list said to.

The best spice cabinet is not the biggest. It is the one where
everything gets used before it fades.