Libbey Vibe Mini Glass Jars with Lids, 4.5-ounce, Set of 12

In my opinion, these are the perfect spice jars. The top seals well to keep out air. And the glass is a good thickness too. The picture is misleading to me because it looks pretty thin. It's probably not going to survive a drop to the floor, but it's not ultra fragile either. When I pour the spices in, I give it a good solid set of taps on my hard counters to pack it down. The mouth is nice & wide too for spoons. Before I got these, I had spice *tins*. I glued rare earth magnets in them. And they attached to the inside of my cabinet door on metal bars. This looked really nice and has worked well for the past 7 years. But some of the magnets are starting to lose some strength. And the other issue is that some of spices have started reacting with the tins. The tins also don't hold the air out quite as well. Powders in particular will often form a lump. I think these glass jars will be the better way to go, although I did get good use out of the tins and they would probably last a few years more. Each jar has a label on the bottom. But soaking the jar for a few minutes in soapy water allowed it to come right off. They needed to be washed anyway.

For several years I have been buying spices in bulk and reusing the jars the spices came in originally, which meant I had an assortment of brands, sizes, and shapes. After moving to a new place with a smaller kitchen, we decided it was time to organize the spices to take up less space. I didn't want jars that came with a spice rack, I just wanted nice looking jars. After reading reviews about many different products I found the Libby jars which had outstanding reviews overall and we decided to start with one set of 12. After buying the second set of 12 I am now ready to review them. Things I like: They arrive well packaged -- almost wastefully packaged -- so there is no chance of breakage during shipping. The jars are a nice weight and the lids seal tightly. The size is great and holds a nice amount of spice (or whatever you're storing), and with the wide mouth I can measure straight from the jar with measuring spoons. With a labeler (I bought Epson LabelWorks LW-400 Label Maker (C51CB70010) ) they just plain look great -- I can label both the spice and the tare weight so I can easily refill it with bulk spices. The wide base means I won't accidentally knock over the jar (though it might mean it won't fit on your spice rack). Things other reviews have mentioned as cons that I disagree with: - The lid seal being too tight. -- It's great to grab a jar by the lid and know it's not going to come off and the jar fall and break. Also, it's great knowing that my spices are sealed away from other scents. If you're having trouble opening a jar, try pulling the lid at an angle. - They don't hold a "full-size" spice bottle. -- Another review mentioned this, but it depends on what you think is a "full-size" spice bottle. During my conversion I easily dumped many "full-size" McCormick spice bottles into the jars with no problem. Another consideration: spices lose their flavor quickly so try buying in bulk so you can pay less and have smaller quantities on hand. - The labels on the bottom don't come off. -- As other reviewers have mentioned this can easily be solved with rubbing alcohol or, my fave, baking soda. For the baking soda method, soak all the jars in water mixed with baking soda. After a few minutes the labels will just slide off. Overall, these are 5 star jars. I will be buying a third set of 12 to round out the spice collection, and maybe even some of the larger ones because I like their look.

I love the whole collection of the Libbey Vibe jars. I purchased 6 sets of this 4-1/2 oz size to store all of my spices and have some extra for adding to my collection and/or in case of breakage. I also purchased these jars in the other sizes offered. I am happy to say they were packed well and not one jar arrived broken. I am using this 4-1/2 oz size for regular size jars of spices (such as McCormick), and they fit the whole amount just fine if you shake it down just a bit. I also purchased chalkboard labels (by Ziggyboard) that fit on the caps of these jars since I am storing them in a drawer. There are other sizes and shapes of labels that will work just fine for these if you are planning to store them in a cabinet. I love the design and functionality of these jars, and how much more organized and accessible my spice collection is now! A note on the labels that are stuck to each jar: I've seen a couple of reviews stating it was difficult to scrape the labels off the bottom. Instead of trying to peel or scrape, I simply soaked the jars in hot soapy water for a few minutes, and the labels came right off by just wiping across the bottom with my sponge. No scrubbing or scraping, it could not have been easier! The jars needed to be washed anyway since they're holding food. I found the 42 oz size Vibe jars are great for holding the large 1-lb size containers of spices (the ones you might purchase from Costco for example), 12-1/2 oz size are good for those spice jars that are larger than a regular size jar but smaller than the 1-lb sizes, and I use the 62-oz size for cinnamon sticks and kosher salt. These jars have made my spice drawer and cabinet so much more attractive and efficient. I highly recommend them to anyone who wants an organized kitchen.