The simplest of questions erupted into a loooong thread. Here's my answer.
There's no one right answer, it has to do with how we think.
I keep cooking spices in one area, organized by color, since color and flavor are related. The green herbs (e.g. marjoram, thyme, oregano) are in one neighborhood; yellows (garlic, onion powder) live in another; reds (chiles and chilis, for instance); browns have their neighborhoods. I'm not a strict segregationist, however, and there is some court-ordered busing. Blends are classified by what seems right -- usually it's clear.
Baking spices are another shelf -- nutmeg, cinnamons, vanilla, etc.
And size matters. Some bottles are too tall for their neighborhoods and have been tall-shamed into the corners, outside the lazy susan.
The system isn't strict and apparent the way alphabetization is. Though, even alpha has its issues. Is Minced Garlic an M or a G? Is it Ancho Chile or Chile, Ancho? And I have a lot of trouble with alpha because if I have a flavor in mind, I might want to find neighbors — e.g., I think chile first, then narrow down to Chipotle vs Ancho vs Cayenne vs Aleppo vs a peppery blend.
Non-herb, non-spice items are interlopers. For instance, xanthan gum and baking powder are in a completely different area but Cream of Tartar is right there, hanging with the spices. I think he's just a bad boy and everyone is afraid to challenge him.
The disadvantage to my color and functional categories is that, while it makes sense to my brain, others using my kitchen might be confused. But my foodie / chefy friends get it immediately, so I guess I have a cook's brain.
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