One of the many projects on Quantum Leap this year was replacing the galley backsplash. The almost 40 year old existing backsplash was some kind of coated aluminum and over time it had become pitted and ugly. I went with a 24 gauge #4 (brushed finish) 430 appliance grade stainless to replace it from restaurant supply shop Standard & Chan. I ordered 430 Stainless Steel Sheet Wall Covering #4 Brushed 26 Gauge 0.018″, Size 36″X120″.

While this is a much lower grade stainless than one would typically use on the exterior of a boat, it is just fine for the well protected galley. And unlike the aluminum, also provided a surprising benefit – it’s magnetic! OK technically it’s not magnetic, but what I mean is magnets will stick to it!

That turned out to provide a great solution for spice storage. We found this great company in Bethel, Maine named Gneiss Spice (pronounced Nice Spice) that sells two sizes of hexagonal spice jars with magnetic lids. Not only do the lids stick strongly to the 430 grade stainless, they become living works of art! Between the color variations in the spices and the honeycomb shaped jars that can be arranged in endless ways, the result is practical, space saving and downright artistic!

There are many examples of elegant simplicity in nature and a few produced by humankind – say for example suspension bridges, which are both beautiful and functional. The Gneiss Spice jars mimic the genius of the honeycomb and are  elegant in their simplicity.

Yes you can buy lower priced knockoffs on Amazon, but I doubt they are anywhere near the same quality. The Gneiss Spice jars have the magnet sealed into their lids and they are airtight, not to mention the company is US based, responsive and totally customer oriented. We thought they were well worth the cost.

The Gneiss Spice jars have worked out even better than we imagined! In fact, we like this solution so much, we will be installing a stainless panel in the motorhome galley so we can use them there as well! Gneiss Spice also has a full line of spices to help you fill your jars.