We Tested 5 Different Butter Storage Options — The Winner Was Not What We Expected

I am a big butter person. I love browned butter, buttery cookies, super-buttery rolls, mashed potatoes heavy on the butter, buttered toast, and even buttery salad dressing. But what I don’t love is storing butter. Usually, I end up stuffing the half-used sticks back into the cardboard box from which they came.

Obviously, this nags at the soul of my otherwise super-organized kitchen. I figured there has to be a butter way — er, I mean a better way — to store butter. Maybe even a best way! So I tested five of the most popular butter-storing gadgets and tools I found online.

I researched the most popular butter storing tools online, grabbed a couple of boxes of butter, and got to work — using each option to store around one stick of butter. Over the course of a few weeks, I used the butter from each storage option, slicing off a little bit to slather up some toast or to use in recipes. I tested them all on the counter and in the fridge, paying attention to see how easy it was to use each option, how well they worked, and how easy they were to clean.

The ratings: Each method received an overall rating, with 1 being my least favorite and 5 being the best, and considering ease and price. Keep reading — along with the rating, you’ll find more detailed notes.

• Ease: 2
• Price: 4 ($13.99 for this ceramic dish)
• Rating: 1 / 5

I don’t know about you, but I’m kinda clumsy. That’s why I try to minimize the amount of things I’m bound to break — especially when those things go from my fridge to my countertop, and then either back to my fridge or on my countertop where there’s always a flurry of activity. Ceramic butter dishes are fragile. And while I found that the butter was easy enough to get out of the dish, the dish’s lid slid around a bit, as did the base itself. Overall, it wasn’t terrible, but I think there are better options out there.

• Ease: 3
• Price: 4 ($14.26 for this stoneware crock)
• Rating: 2 / 5

A butter crock works somewhat differently than other butter keepers. You put softened butter in the top of the crock (it can hold up to one stick), place a little bit of water in the base, and slip the top onto the base. You just have to remember to change the water every day or every couple of days (you can read more here). If you regularly want softened butter for toast, this is the gadget to have. But for regular butter keeping (like, if you want to be able to easily chop off a few tablespoons at a time), you’ll want something else that lets you slice into a stick of butter.

Read more: The $20 French Butter Keeper I Wish I’d Bought Years Ago

• Ease: 3
• Price: 5 ($4.99 for one Butter Hugger)
• Rating: 3 / 5

This gadget not only has a fun name, but it’s also super helpful for storing the stick of butter as you slice a tablespoon or two off. It’s also cheap, and easy to store. However, it doesn’t fit every stick of butter and only works with standard-size sticks (like the kind Land O’Lakes makes). I initially bought Trader Joe’s butter for this showdown, and the sticks were too large for the hugger, so it’s definitely something to keep in mind.

• Ease: 5
• Price: 3 ($17.49 for a set of Bee’s Wrap)
• Rating: 4 / 5

I love using these sustainable and reusable food wraps to store all sorts of things, and butter is no exception! Made from cotton and infused with beeswax,  jojoba oil, and tree resin, the wrap allows you to store any size stick of butter easily. You don’t have to make sure the butter is a certain size, width, or even shape to use the wrap. I liked that this method could easily fit in my fridge’s butter drawer. Also, in my experience, Bee’s Wrap lasts for years — making its higher price tag worthwhile. The more you use the stuff, the better it gets anyway.

• Ease: 5
• Price: 4.5 ($22.60 for this OXO dish) [Editor’s update: Now sold out on Amazon and Wayfair. Here’s the less expensive plastic version, which is the same size!]
• Rating: 5 / 5

This OXO butter dish has lots of useful features and is worth the investment. I’ll even go as far as to say it’s the best way to store butter. At first glance, I definitely didn’t appreciate it enough. It has stoppers on either end that prevent the butter from moving around and a non-slip bottom that grips the counter as you slice. The dish can hold East or West coast sticks and the lid stays put once you slip it on. Whether you want butter that can sit out on your counter or something you can tuck into the fridge, this is your best bet.

Update: Since the stainless steel version is currently sold out, there’s also a less expensive plastic version, which has tablespoon markings along the base.

This post was originally published on Kitchn. Read it there: We Tested 5 Different Butter Storage Options — The Winner Was Not What We Expected