It turns out that the ridges on the bottom of your salt shaker serve a very specific purpose.
Have you ever stopped for a moment while noshing on an order of biscuits and gravy at your favorite diner to look—and I mean really look—at the ubiquitous salt and pepper shakers on your table? It turns out those tiny glass jars hold a big secret.
The classic design of these—from its metal topper lined with tiny holes to its glass sides—isn’t all about aesthetics. If you take a closer look at the bottom of a salt shaker, you’ll notice a small, circular ridge of bumps along its bottom edge. These bumps can come in handy for a couple of reasons.
What are the bumps on the bottom of a salt shaker for?
Internet sleuths have pinpointed a couple of explanations for these bumps. Some have suggested that the bumps help prevent salt shakers from breaking so easily because the bumps strengthen their base. Another explanation is that the bumps prevent shakers from sliding along a table when glasses containing a cold beverage collect condensation in a warmer room and form those annoying table puddles.
Whatever the technical reason for the bumps may be, they are, perhaps incidentally but very importantly, there to help salt lovers break up clumps of salt that form in the shakers over time due to humidity. This hack, which has been shared on social media, consists of rubbing the bottom of a second shaker against the bottom of the first one. The resulting vibration loosens up the blockages and allows more salt to pour freely out of the shaker. So much for adding rice to salt shakers to avoid clumps!
Are these ridges on other spice jars?
Now that I’ve got you thinking so much about salt shakers, you might be wondering if this hack applies to other spice bottles. The short answer is yes! The same hack works for black pepper and other spices that come in similarly designed shakers.
A quick tour of my personal spice cabinet revealed that all of my spices that are housed in glass shaker—from companies like Simply Organic and The Spice House—sport similar bumps on their bottoms, too. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the plastic shakers from McCormick.
This investigation also revealed the sad news that my cumin is a few months expired. But on the bright side, thanks to this discovery, I shall never suffer from clumped-up spices—and I’ll never look at my spice bottles the same—ever again.
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