I did not have high hopes.I was wary when I purchased these because the price was so low I thought they would be cheap looking and break. I like to buy spices in bulk, it is so much cheaper. I needed something that made the spices easier to find, hold my homemade spice mixes, and look nice enough to leave on the counter. I was afraid the metal rack would be too flimsy, or the bottles would be of poor quality and too small. My fears were unfounded, this is a good buy and I'm going to tell you all about it!My problem:My bulk spices come in plastic tubs and various sized plastic bottles: mini, regular, giant Costco shakers...Let's not forget the homemade stuff I put in Tupperware and recycled glass jars, (lone onion soup envelopes). This chaotic amalgamation of flavors was taking up two entire cabinets, all shelves. It was a project trying to find anything in there, stacking is not organized. I looked at raised shelves that go in the cabinet, and dividers that go in drawers, but with no standard container size for my stuff, it seemed like a possible waste of space and money (because there is no way I would actually get though a return by mail, being honest). I also needed something that held a decent amount of spice. I do not have time to constantly fill containers, one of the options on Amazon had a set that held like an ounce! Depending on the dish, that is a one time use for something like taco seasoning. I did read reviews, and it seemed that some people had issues with this set, but I was looking at having to buy jars and some sort of organizer separately, so I thought I would give this a shot. (I did consider magnetic jars on the side of the fridge, but considering how many I have to buy, the result would look more like an affliction than a functioning art piece). Bottom line-I'm an adult woman with ADHD who now has a set up worthy of a Food Network show. Do you know why Rachel Ray can make dinner in 30 minutes? Because she doesn't have to use a step stool and empty an entire cabinet every time she needs garlic salt. If I can get organized, anyone can. That's totally worth twenty bucks. It is an investment in my sanity.The Metal Rack:The stand is shiny metal, has a nice amount of weight to it. It does not take up a lot of counter space, mine sits very compactly against the wall. It stays put when I take spices in and out of it. Each stand comes with 4 little clear plastic feet so that the metal stand is not directly touching the counter top. This is important, if liquid were to get under there and touch the metal, you would have rust stains on your counter top. They are small and clear in a little plastic bag that could be mistaken for packing material and thrown away (because I had to dig mine out of the trash). The box this is sold in is a very heavy duty cardboard (like the kind you buy), and each jar came nested in its place in a perfectly sized bubble wrap sleeve. The packing materials in the original box were so good, I saved the boxes and bubble wrap pouches to use again when we move. I could not do such a thorough, compact packing job myself if I had to, and the spices will already be loaded. Bonus win.The Jars:The clear glass jars are a generous weight and thickness, (I would not do this on purpose, but I have dropped a jar onto the floor a couple of times and it did not crack or break). They hold about 3-4 ounces of spice each. This varies depending on the spice, something fluffy like sage can be packed down. Obviously something bulky is going to take up more space. Don't cheap out and skip the funnel (should be in suggested items, not from this kit). I had a larger plastic one and regretted not paying the extra 5 bucks for the small metal one for spices. A chop stick did a nice job pushing spices that got clogged in the funnel neck.The lid is shiny silver metal that matches the stand and screws on to a plastic fitting. It is very durable and I have not experienced any problems. If they would have made that fitting on the top of the jar metal, the spices would draw moisture, make the closure stick, and start to rust the lid. Quit complaining about the little plastic part on top, you want that and it does not touch your food. Metal on metal in kitchen-bad. If you don't believe me, try those magnetic IKEA metal spice cans (with spice in it). If you don't break your nails getting it open, you will definitely be wearing what ever is in the can from the force (and the rust from humidity). Good idea, poor execution, hello Goodwill.Each jar comes with a removable white plastic cap with holes to make it a shaker. You can see it in the picture. I removed these from most of my spice jars because I am usually using a measuring spoon. The width of the mouth of the jar will accommodate up to my 1/2 teaspoon round measure, and all of the way up to a tablespoon with my rectangular measuring spoons. With that being said, I did leave the shaker on for things I only use a pinch of, such as cayenne pepper. I use it as a shaker and it stays firmly on the jar, no plastic lid in my food with spice disaster. They stay put, but they are very easy to remove. The plastic is somewhat pliable.Label it:There are labels that come with this set, but they are not the right shape. Give them away or use them to label bulk items. I store my bulk items in banker boxes I keep in pantry storage. Better yet, give them to a child to play with, they could be play stamps or something. I got round chalk stick-on labels and a chalk pen. They sell them on here in a sheet. Try Chalkie Talkie brand. It's an American company and the owner is very nice. (No, she doesn't know me and I don't get discounts for mentioning them). Make sure you note how many are on a sheet and order enough for the total number of jars. I was concerned labels would peel up off of the lids, but I have not had a problem. Chalk pen stays on well. I only experience smudging once when my hands were really wet. I just washed it totally off and wrote it again. Chalk, but not high maintenance like I expected. I tried dry erase labels once, nightmare.Room for improvement:The only thing I would suggest for improvement would be how the jars sit in the rack, tilt it up a little. They are designed to slide straight in, to lay horizontally with respect to the counter top. If people are having jars slide out like a haunted spice rack, either your counter or floor is uneven, or you got a bum unit, exchange it. If you are 'return by mail challenged' like me, glue another think piece of clear plastic to the bottom of the front feet only. It will not show. Both of my racks function great, but because they are on my counter top with overhead cabinets, it would be easier to read if they were slightly tilted up. If I am right up to the counter, I have to bend a little to read the labels, not a big deal. Having said that, they look beautiful on the counter and I can easily find what I need quickly for the first time in my life. No jar has come out of his slot uninvited.How I'm using it:I have two, l am going to order a third. I have one on each side of my stove. One unit is for the basics, salts on the top row, peppers/heat on the middle row, and garlic, onion, parsley, and bouillons on the bottom. The other unit holds my most commonly used spices placed in alphabetical order (mostly). This is working great for me, but there are still some things I ran out of room for that do not get used often, so I'm getting another to put in the cabinet. The black labels on the silver look great next to my black stove and other appliances.Other uses:This is a winner, and if you look at the price of buying storage jars and organizers separately, you can't beat the price. I think if you had a hobby that required small parts, this would be a nice way to organize those (models, electronic components, buttons, crafts...) Office supplies/stamps would look sharp too. If you do not use enough spices to fill all 18 of the jars, that's OK. Little things like toothpicks and single serving packets of sauces or spices from takeout would be happy to live there, and your junk drawer would get an instant tidy. It's the fanciest home your soy sauce packets could hope for. Mine are slumming in a Ziplock somewhere in a drawer. It's dark and scary in the drawer.-Ms. Book Worm