These are super simple, but something that a lot of home cooks never think about.  And sometimes it’s the simplest things that make your workflow in the kitchen so much easier.

I have two types of peg racks in my kitchen:  Spices and Tools.

Spices

Having spices close at hand when cooking is vital. While my doorway pantry is good for storing larger quantities of herbs and spice, it’s 3 meters away, on the other side of the kitchen.  My small spice racks are an arm’s reach from the stove, in the corner where the cutting board and counter top meet.

There are 38 jars, holding at least enough ingredient for one or two meals.  They need to be replenished from the cupboard and pantry stores frequently, but it’s worth it for the convenience of having them at hand while cooking.

Construction is very simple–with a little secret.

Each board is just a 1×6 oak board with a routered edge[1].  1″ brass screws are set at regular points–with the exception of two on each board. Those are actually 2″ screws that go into plastic anchors in the plaster walls. They hold the racks securely to the walls, while looking just like the rest of the “pegs”.

Tools

This one is a little less elegant, but arguably more useful (and I’d do it a little different if I were to redo it).

This was one of the first things I installed in my kitchen.  Not everyone is going to have space above their stove to install a tool rack. But if you do, this is an exceptional use of the space.

For most of my life, the utensils I needed to cook with were stuffed in a drawer.  When I moved into my house and saw the empty space above the stove I knew exactly what to do with it. There are 16 pegs (square nails) on the board, and the tools that hang on them change as my cooking needs–and new utensils–evolve.

The installation is… inelegant.  It’s just screwed to the wall with 2 drywall screws that are blatantly visible.

But it’s not there to be “pretty”, it’s there to be useful.  When doing projects it’s good to put things into perspective and understand that sometimes “okay, useful, and now” is superior to “beautiful and somewhere down the road”.

Adding to the “useful, but pretty”:  below the utensil rack is a tiny shelf on which sits a cast-iron griddle. The shelf is just a 1×4 length of oak with a step on it[2]. The cast-iron griddle doesn’t get used much, but it’s a great place for holding recipes with the aid of magnetic “push pins”.

Function over Form

Despite what the people on YouTube say, not everything you build has to be gorgeous and complicated.  If some scrap wood and handful of nails does what you need done… that’s great!

If you want to make things that are a little bit more pleasing to the eye–and have the time and resources to do so–step up and make it happen.

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[1] If I was to do it over, I wouldn’t use an ogee profile.  I’d do something more in line with the craftsman aesthetic of the house.

[2] Set the table saw gate to 5/8″ from the blade, and 2.5″ height.  Run the board through in a vertical position.  Put the uncut part to the front of the shelf, and it creates a lip that doesn’t let the griddle slide forward.