Best Butter Keeper Reviews 2018

Any lover of butter will tell you there’s nothing as frustrating as trying to spread hard butter. The luxury of having butter of the right consistency to spread whenever you need it is the reason why a lot of people have fallen in love with butter keepers (also called butter crocks). What began centuries ago as a French thing has now become a globally accepted method with many brands producing their own butter keepers. We’ve researched 5 top brands that make this product. These brands have a wide selection of great butter keepers but to keep it simple, we chose one top product from each of these brands for this review. We also have a review for butter dishes if you would like to have a look.

Overview

PROS

CONS

SPECS

Design

Size

Material

Capacity

Care

Our Top Choice

Le Creuset Butter Crock

Le Creuset believes there’s more to food and cooking than most people think. To this end, it provides the best cookware to help homes everywhere get more from their cooking.

Well built. Quality materials. Good design. Scratch and stain resistant. Prevents moisture absorption. Holds watertight seal. Dishwasher safe. Highly decorative.

May splash some water when opened.

Bell design

4 x 4 x 4.5 inches / 1.3 pounds

Stoneware

6 ounces (1.5 sticks)

Dishwasher safe

Best Value

Butter Bell Antique Collection Butter Crock

Butter Bell, a brand owned by the L. Tremain Company, brings to modern day America a French butter storage method from centuries past, reinvented for increased efficiency.

Well built. Quality material. Scratch resistant surface. Easy to use. Durable. Beautiful. Holds a full stick. Keeps butter fresh for up to 30 days.

Must change the water every 2 to 3 days.

Bell design

3.5 x 3.5 x 4.2 inches / 1 pound

New bone china

4 ounces (1 stick)

Dishwasher safe

Butter Bay Butter Keeper

The Butter Bay was created simply to make the filling of the keeper less messy. With every aspect of its production done in the USA, you can be sure of the quality of its products.

Well built. Top quality materials. Easy to fill. Easy to clean. Dishwasher safe. Comes with instructions and video. Made in the USA.

Requires careful handling as it may chip easily

Butter cube shape design

6.3 x 3.4 x 3.2 inches /1.3 pounds

Ceramic

4 ounces (1 stick)

Dishwasher safe

Norpro Marble Butter Keeper

Norpro is committed to the design, manufacture and distribution of quality kitchenware. It seeks to always exceed its customers' expectations with the quality of its products.

Solidly built. Durable. Stays cool. Beautiful. Holds one full stick of butter. Will keep butter fresh for up to 30 days.

Marble has different color shades.

Bell design

4 x 3.75 x 3.75 inches /2.1 pounds

Marble

4 ounces (1 stick)

Hand wash

Artland Tasty Butter Bell Keeper

Artland Inc. designs and manufactures glassware that’s fashionable and offers good value. It stays on top of emerging trends globally to ensure its products retain their edge.

Attractive design. Handmade. Heavy-duty, transparent glass. Easy to use and clean. Bacteria free. Has secure grip.

Bell top may not sit flat, causing it to wobble.

Bell design

3.5 x 3.5 x 4.5 inches /1.8 pounds

Glass

4 ounces (1 stick)

Dishwasher safe

(Updated September 14, 2017)

Skip ahead and go directly to the reviews.

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Watch Our Butter Keeper Review

How Do I Choose the Best Butter Keeper?

Tom had been at work in his garage all day. So engrossed was he in the work he was doing that he forgot to eat and also forgot he had an important appointment at 4pm. Suddenly, from somewhere in the recesses of his mind, a nagging feeling he was forgetting something very important surfaced.

OMG! My 4pm appointment! A quick look at a time piece told him it was already 3:15pm. He could make it for the appointment in 30 minutes so he had 15 minutes to clean himself up and be on his way. But wait! Hunger pangs had also chosen this moment of clarity to emerge. He couldn’t go to his appointment with a rumbling tummy!

He decided to clean up and get dressed in 10 minutes, leaving 5 to rush to the kitchen and grab some bread and butter and maybe a thermos of coffee. He could eat these while driving. At least they should sustain him till after his meeting when he could then get something more elaborate to eat.

Sadly, in his haste, he forgot to get the butter out the fridge, so when he managed to clean up and get dressed, he rushed down to the kitchen and picked up the bread and bread knife. He got out the kitchen cutting board and went ahead to get the butter. Oh my! The butter was very hard. He had to eat. What could he do?

Yes! The microwave oven! He rushed the butter into the microwave and got it started while he cut the bread. After cutting the bread, he quickly rushed to get the butter from the oven. What he met there was a gooey stream of what was formerly butter. Too hungry and angry to even eat just the bread, he picked up his briefcase and rushed out for his appointment. Don’t ask how the appointment went. Hopefully it went well despite his hunger and grouchy disposition.

A butter keeper could have saved Tom all this hassle. If it could not save Tom then, it can at least save you now. A butter keeper will keep your butter fresh and soft for days so you have ready-to-spread butter whenever you need it. In this guide, we will show you a few things that can help you choose the best butter keeper for you. Join us as we explore this centuries-old discovery.

Price

A butter keeper is not a very expensive item. With between $10 and $45, you will get a good one. There are a few factors that will determine the price you pay. Some of these include the brand, the material used, and the capacity. Certainly, the more features you want, the more you should be ready to pay.

When choosing a butter keeper, avoid cheap butter keepers because whatever savings you think you may make on the price, you are likely to lose in its quality and performance. Spend a bit more to get something that will serve you well.

Features

To choose the butter keeper that will be ideal for you, you will need to consider some factors. When you consider these factors, you will be able to determine which features are important to you and which are not. This is the first step to choosing right. Some important features to consider include:

Type
Material
Capacity
Care instructions

Let’s look at these in more detail.

Construction and Design

Most butter keepers are made of stoneware. You will, however, find some made of glass or marble. If you live in a hot area and you use a stoneware keeper, you may find your butter melting and dropping into the water often. For these areas with higher temperatures, a marble butter keeper (which is better at keeping butter cool) may be a preferred option. Before choosing a material, it’s important to know how it will be affected by your climate.

Another thing to consider when choosing a material is how fragile it is. A marble butter keeper is less likely to crack than a ceramic one. Some that are made of sturdy glass may even be more able to withstand abuse than the ceramic. Generally though, there is no reason for a butter keeper to be abused, but it will be helpful if it is at least strong enough to withstand some accidental knocks or falls.

The capacity of the butter keeper is an important factor to consider. No matter how great a butter keeper is, it will not keep the butter fresh forever. It is therefore important that you get a butter keeper that has the appropriate capacity for your use. For large families that use up butter quickly, you can get as big a one as you can. If however you do not use butter frequently, you will be okay with the smallest you can find. Even at that, you may not need to fill it with butter as you may find yourself always having your butter spoil in the butter keeper.

Performance and Ease of Use

All butter keepers or crocks operate with the same principle, but you will find some are shaped differently from the regular bell shape. Some are designed to imitate the shape of a butter stick, making it easier to fill with butter. Instead of squishing and trying to mold the butter into the bell shape and not leaving air pockets, with the rectangular shaped ones, you simply unwrap the butter and slip it in. This certainly offers some convenience

One thing to ensure you note is the care and use instruction from the manufacturer. Many people complain their butter is always falling into the water. Some complain the butter gets moldy even while in the butter keeper. Have you followed the manufacturer’s instructions to the letter? Note how often you are supposed to change the water because if you leave the water for too long, the butter will lose its freshness.

You also need to be sure to note if it is dishwasher safe or if it should be washed by hand. Following these instructions will ensure you get the best from your butter keeper and it will also serve you for a longer time.

What is the Best Butter Keeper?

Choosing the right butter keeper is very much a personal decision. You’ve read our buying guide and seen the features that have been listed so far and how they should affect your choice. It’s now up to you to decide which features you need and then watch out for them as we begin to review our selection. Let’s look through our top 5 picks.

Our Top Choice

The Le Creuset Butter Crock provides you a simple and energy saving way to store and preserve your butter. It doesn’t just preserve it, it constantly keeps it fresh and at the right texture for immediate serving. Would you prefer a different color? Try the Le Creuset Stoneware Butter Crock, 6-Ounce, Soleil.

Le Creuset Stoneware Butter Crock, 6-Ounces – Available In 5 Colors

Le Creuset Butter Keeper PG0200-0967 - Cherry Red

Features

For Le Creuset, food and cooking is much more than a necessity. It’s a creative art that can bring much joy to those involved. With this view, it strives to provide top quality cookware to help chefs and homes world over achieve this goal. Its range includes cookware made from silicone, stoneware, stainless steel and more.

The Le Creuset Butter Crock is specially designed to keep your butter fresh and soft even without refrigeration. This crock keeps your butter constantly ready to serve. You will no longer have to wait for refrigerator-hardened butter to soften before you can use it. Furthermore, this design makes it an excellent way to store your butter when you go on a camping trip and have no access to refrigeration. Aside from these, it also has other great features which include:

Dense stoneware construction – For durability
Moisture absorption prevention – To prevent rippling, crazing or cracking
Enamel exterior – Prevents staining and scratching from the use of metal utensils
Almost non-stick interior – Prevents food from sticking
A 6 ounce capacity – Can hold up to 1 and 1/2 sticks of butter
Lifetime warranty

Depending on your style and color taste, you can have this butter keeper in any of the following colors: Caribbean, cherry red, Marseille, palm and white.

Le Creuset has a wide range of butter keepers. If this isn’t the one for you, check out others.

Best Value

Designed like the original French crocks, this Butter Bell Antique Collection Crock offers the rustic beauty and efficiency the original crocks were known for. It can keep your butter soft and fresh for over 4 weeks. Would you prefer a different design? If so, try The Original Butter Bell Crock and Spreader by L. Tremain.

Butter Bell L. Tremain Antique Collection Butter Crock – Available In 10 Colors

Butter Bell Butter Keeper BB-AQAZ - Azure Blue

Features

L. Tremain Company, owner of the Butter Bell brand, has always been committed to one thing – the re-invention and re-introduction of kitchen tools that have served households through the centuries. It started by picking the French time-tested butter storage system, cleaned up the concept and made it a more beautiful and efficient tool for the modern American household. Thanks to this brand, we can enjoy history today.

The Butter Bell Antique Collection Butter Crock is designed exactly like the original French crocks. It combines the beautiful rustic looks of the traditional French kitchen with the efficiency of the original crocks. Made from top quality materials, this crock will keep your butter fresh, soft and tasty for over 4 weeks. All you need to do is ensure you replace the water every two or three days. It also has other great features, some of which are listed here:

Bone china construction – For durability
Scratch proof finish – Maintaining its aesthetic beauty
4 ounce capacity – Can store a full stick of butter
Easy to use – No complicated procedure for usage
Dishwasher safe design – For easy maintenance
Lead and cadmium free materials – Safe for food

This beautiful keeper offers a whopping 10 color options. Choose from any of antique azure, antique goldenrod, antique ivory rose, antique rouge, antique sea spray, antique sienna, antique vert, antique white linen, antique rust, and denim blue butter keepers.

Not sold on this model? Take a look at Butter Bell’s selection of butter keepers and choose one that’s right for you.

Unwrap your butter stick and place it directly into the Butter Bay butter keeper. This is the convenience that its 4 ounce, cube shaped, design offers. The butter stick fits perfectly so you don’t need to make any mess. Would you rather have a different color? Try the Butter Bay American Made Butter Keeper Butter Dish, Licorice.

Butter Bay American Made Butter Keeper – Available In 5 Colors

Butter Bay Butter Keeper 858815005013 - Pomegranate

Features

The Butter Bay was born when its inventor Jerry Scarrow thought to himself that there had to be a less messy way of filling the butter keeper with butter. Thus was born the butter keeper that’s shaped like a butter stick. This brand prides itself in making all its products in the USA, ensuring it maintains the highest standards of quality.

The Butter Bay Butter Keeper simplifies the process of storing butter. Aside from the fact it employs the French method of butter storage, its design improves on the process. Rather than having to reshape the butter to fit the container, the cube shape of the container allows the butter stick to be placed straight into it without the need to reshape and the attendant mess it creates. It has other features some of which are listed below:

Ceramic construction – For a smooth and durable finish
4 ounce capacity – Will store one full stick of butter
French butter crock technology – Can keep butter fresh for up to 4 weeks
Easy to maintain – Every 3 to 4 days, change the water
Dishwasher safe design
Lead and cadmium free material – Safe for food storage

This product is wholly made in the USA and is available in the following colors: Blueberry, licorice, oatmeal, pomegranate and sunshine.

Take a look at other Butter Bay butter keepers if this one isn’t the one for you.

The Norpro Marble Butter Keeper keeps butter cool, helping maintain its consistency even in hot weather. It is also more durable, being less likely to break or chip like other materials. Would you prefer a stoneware keeper? If so, try the Norpro Glazed Stoneware Butter Keeper.

Norpro Marble Butter Keeper – Holds 1 Stick of Butter

Norpro Butter Keeper 278A

Features

When Norpro was founded, its mission was to design, manufacture and distribute kitchenware of the highest quality and to constantly exceed the expectations of its customers. To keep this vision alive, it sources the latest innovations and technology from all over the world to ensure its customers are always at the fore of the latest innovation in the world of kitchenware.

The Norpro Marble Butter Keeper is one of the few butter keepers made with marble. Marble is known to be good at keeping things cool. This means that even in hot weather when butter in other keepers will have started to run, this will still keep your butter's consistency. As a bonus, you also do not have to worry about fragility as marble is stronger than most other materials used for making butter keepers. Some of its other features are:

4 ounce capacity – Can store 1 stick of butter
Keeping butter fresh for up to 30 days – Reduces butter wastage
Easy to use – Just put a little water in and cover it
Easy to clean – Material does not retain dirt
Beautiful design – Adds aesthetic value to your kitchen or table
Hand wash design

If you want to check out other Norpro butter keepers before making a final decision, see what else they have.

The Artland Tasty Butter Bell Keeper is a versatile keeper that will keep your butter fresh and soft anywhere. It adds style and aesthetic value on your kitchen table, dining room or before important dinner guests. Would you prefer a butter dish instead? If so, try the Tasty Butter Dish.

Artland Tasty Butter Bell Keeper – Holds One Full Stick of Butter

Artland Butter Keeper 56503A

Features

Artland Inc. is a manufacturer of fashionable, good value glassware. Its houseware designs, which range from simple house and kitchen pieces to serveware and barware, are unique and aesthetically pleasing. To keep its cutting edge designs, it stays in touch with trends globally, constantly looking for ways to improve on the quality and designs of its products.

The Artland Tasty Butter Bell Keeper is glassware that is carefully made to high quality standards. It’s versatile in design and can be used in different locations and circumstances. This is one butter keeper you’ll be proud to display on your kitchen table, dining table, backyard barbecue, and whenever you are having friends and family over for a meal. It will get the job done while adding real aesthetic value to any space. Other great features are:

Made from mouth blown, handmade glass – For quality and beauty
Dense material – For increased durability
Attractive – For added aesthetic value
Easy to use – Just fill the bell and place in the container with a little water
Does not contain lead – Safe for food
Dishwasher safe – For easy cleaning

Don’t need all the features this butter keeper offers? Take a look at others from Artland.

Get the Best Butter Keeper of 2018!

We hope you found our article enlightening and now know exactly the type of butter keeper you want. Without further delay, go right ahead to place your order now and begin to enjoy butter at its glorious best.

Our Top Choice

Le Creuset Butter Crock

Best Value

Butter Bell Antique Collection Butter Crock

Butter Bay Butter Keeper

Norpro Marble Butter Keeper

Artland Tasty Butter Bell Keeper