Libbey 4-1/2-Ounce Spice Jar with Lid, Set of 12

Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful.
Very good, but one big flaw
By Perfectionist
Cooking is one of the few hobbies that I still enjoy regularly. (If we didn't have to eat every day, I probably wouldn't find time for that, either.) Correspondingly, I maintain a large spice collection, and frequently hunt for new additions when I travel. Over time, my spice cabinet has become virtually unusable, owing both to the number of spices, and the various sizes/shapes/languages/etc. of the bottles, boxes, bags, and other containers.

For several years, I have been seeking a solution for organizing my spices that:

o Is uniform (for functional and aesthetic reasons)
o Fits in a drawer, rather than a cabinet or rack
o Travels well (I often cook with my own spices when visiting family)
o Is inert (e.g. glass, stainless; no plastic)
o Looks nice

I am happy to say that the Libbey Vibe spice jars meet all of the criteria above, and have been an excellent addition to my kitchen over the past few weeks.

Some additional features that I particularly like about these jars:

+ I can see through the glass lids when looking down on the spice drawer
+ The lids fit very tightly, for freshness and while traveling
+ The wide mouths accommodate standard measuring spoons
+ The wide base is very stable; I haven't tipped one yet
+ There are matching, larger jars (12, 27, 42, and 64 oz) for other dry goods storage

Also, either the jars are very strong, Amazon does a great packing job, or both. When one of my orders arrived, the outer box was so visibly crushed that the UPS driver actually asked if I wanted to open the box before he left. I said yes, assuming that I would find a box full of glass dust. Surprisingly, every jar and lid was intact. Kudos to Libbey and Amazon.

These jars are not perfect, however. They have one major flaw, and a few minor ones. Most importantly:

- The jars are too small to hold a full, "standard" bottle of spices

By "standard" I mean the types of bottles that you find in a typical U.S. grocery store, such as for McCormick or Morton and Basset spices. For powders, I can whack the bottom of the Libbey jar about 20 times to compress the contents, then typically force the rest of a store-bought jar into it by carefully pouring and squashing with the lid. This is a REAL pain, and makes a real mess.

I have added a bunch of 12 oz Libbey Vibe jars to my collection (which also fit into a drawer) to handle bulk spices. Still, I should be able to buy a popular spice in the grocery store and just dump the contents into the Libbey jar without so much fuss. If the Libbey spice jars weer 33% larger, I'd give them 5 stars instead of 4.

Two more minor complaints:

- As indicated by others, the plastic seals are a cheap addition to an otherwise quality product. I would pay extra for real silicone seals

- The sticker on the bottom of each jar is paper, and the glue is very sticky; consequently, every single one that I tried to remove tore - and I had 52 chances to perfect my technique. This is a one-time hassle, but still, it took me about 2 hours to peel, soak, and clean the jars when they first arrived.

Overall, after much searching, I can say that these are probably the best spice jars to be had, at least for my needs. With a few improvements, they'd be outstanding, but I can grudgingly live with their shortcomings. I would recommend these jars to others seeking a functional and stylish solution for organizing their spices (and the larger jars for other dry goods).

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful.
close to perfect
By j.w.w.
These little jars were chosen for the qualities below:

- unobstructed visibility of contents from top and sides

- glass construction (minimal/no scratches and odor transfer)

- tight enough seal (lifting by lid only does not spill contents)

- functionality (can store spices/sugar and oil/honey)

- shape and size

- moderate price when bought as a set

However, the modifications below would make them perfect:

- stackability, or rubber-like "feet" for improved stability

- true silicon seal rather than a plastic seal

- availability in a darker colored glass for items sensitive to light

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful.
looked a long time
By B. Brunner
I looked for a long time for the right spice jars, I wanted something with a wide mouth, big enough for measuring spoons and I did not want a spice rack with it. These are perfect little jars, holds whole bay leaves, I plan on purchasing more sets for christmas presents.