A butter dish is a handy piece of kitchen gear that can store butter in your refrigerator or on the countertop. Whether you’re saving a block of French butter studded with flaky salt, unsalted sticks waiting to be creamed into your latest baking project or even homemade compound butter, a quality butter dish should prevent your butter from tasting like the inside of your fridge or the material of the dish. Butter dishes should also help keep your butter cool and protect it from harsh light, dust and external forces that could contaminate or spoil it more quickly. A good butter dish should also be durable, easy to clean, have a helpful handle, be easy to remove butter from and bonus points if it’s a stylish serving vessel for entertaining. For short-term countertop storage a butter dish is perfect, but for longer periods a butter crock will allow you to keep butter on the counter for up to a month because it uses water at the base to create an airtight seal.
As a reviews analyst in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, I’ve tested 12 butter dishes and eight butter crocks in the last two years alone. Over 40 sticks of butter were utilized for testing, over 70 temperature readings were taken and almost 30 consumer testers put these butter dishes to the test in their home kitchens. I evaluated each butter dish for performance, ease of use and butter longevity to determine which you should add to your wedding registry, purchase before your next dinner party or impulse buy when you need to organize your refrigerator.
” data-next-head/>
1
Best overall
Crate & Barrel Marin White Covered Butter Dish
Pros
- Fits both European and Western butter types
- Can be used both in the fridge and on the countertop
Cons
- Heavy and might rattle when you carry the dish
This butter dish from Crate & Barrel’s popular Marin dinnerware line is made in Portugal from durable stoneware. Not only is the design stylish, but it also fits either European (8-ounce blocks) or Western (4-ounce sticks) of butter. In our Lab tests it received top scores in both refrigerator and countertop tests. I found that butter tasted good after sitting in the fridge and after two weeks on the counter it was nicely balanced with sweet and salty notes.
Kitchen Appliances Lab Director Nicole Papantoniou tested this butter dish at home and said: “I kept it on my counter and loved how I was able to have room-temperature butter (when I used salted butter). It was easy to use and didn’t take up too much room but was obvious on my counter and it didn’t get knocked around. I also liked how I could cut right on it and it was dishwasher-safe.” Another tester stated that they wished this butter dish was lighter and that it didn’t rattle when you carried it from your refrigerator to the countertop.
| Material | Stoneware |
|---|---|
| Weight | 1.7 pounds |
| Dimensions | 2.75″ x 5.75″ x 4″ |
| Butter capacity | 8 ounces |
| Dishwasher-safe | Yes |
2
Best Value
Chef’n Slice’n Store Butter Dish
Pros
- Measurements on the base of the dish
- Built-in blade in the lid for slicing butter
Cons
- Only recommended for fridge storage
For just around $10, this butter dish is at a great price point, but what really makes it a great value is the fact that it has a built-in blade that allows you slice your butter, without needing to dirty another knife. It also has a base with built-in measurements and stores nicely on most refrigerator shelves. In our Lab tests this butter dish was great for using in the fridge, but I don’t recommend storing this model on your countertop for over a day or two. I found that the butter absorbed some plasticky notes after sitting on the countertop for four days.
“Never knew I needed a butter dish until I used this one,” said one consumer tester. Another tester added: “The cutting feature is handy and I love the compact size so it’s not taking up a lot of room in my fridge.” All testers said this dish stored compactly in their refrigerator.
| Material | Plastic |
|---|---|
| Weight | 0.3 pounds |
| Dimensions | 6.5″ x 2.35″ x 2.5″ |
| Butter capacity | 4 ounces |
| Dishwasher-safe | Top-rack only |
3
Best butter crock
Le Creuset Stoneware Butter Crock
Pros
- Water fill line inside
- Comes in four different colors
Cons
- Larger footprint compared to other butter crocks
If you’d prefer a butter crock over a butter dish, Le Creuset’s butter crock is the one I would most recommend. It’s made out of lightweight stoneware with the signature Le Creuset logo written across the crock, and it comes in a few of the brand’s signature colors to match your other Le Creuset pieces. The handle of this butter crock is easy to grasp, there is a water fill line located on the interior and it performed well in our testing.
In the Lab, butter remained at 73 degrees throughout the entire month of testing. The butter stayed a soft yellow color in the crock and tasted smooth, sweet and salty – perfect for spreading on toast. The butter even tasted sweeter at the end of the testing period due to the flavor mellowing as it sat. This butter crock is larger than other butter crocks I tested, storing 6 ounces of butter, and it’s dishwasher-safe.
| Material | Stoneware |
|---|---|
| Weight | 1.4 pounds |
| Dimensions | 4.1″ x 4″ x 4″ |
| Butter capacity | 6 ounces |
| Dishwasher-safe | Yes |
4
Best large-capacity
Tower Vacuum-Sealing Butter Dish
Pros
- Vacuum-sealing lid to keep butter fresh
- Testers had rave reviews about the streamlined design
Cons
- Easier to use if it’s filled with more butter
This butter dish is the most practical pick on our list. You can easily transfer four sticks of butter from their packaging to this butter dish to keep in your fridge, or you can fill it with a single stick or two. It has a vacuum-sealing lid that is designed to keep butter extra fresh and it proved itself in Lab testing. This was the only plastic container that kept butter tasting good even after sitting on the counter for two weeks, while it also kept butter fresh in the fridge as well.
Testers described this butter dish as streamlined, sleek and appreciated that the lid kept their butter fresh. One tester said: “It fits in my fridge door where I keep my other butter dish; it is light and easy to use and fits my European-size butter nicely.” While another shared: “I’m glad to have this in my fridge, it’s cute, elegant and useful.” However, testers did note that this dish is easier to remove butter from if there’s more inside, otherwise you may struggle to dig the butter out.
| Material | Plastic |
|---|---|
| Weight | 0.4 pounds |
| Dimensions | 3.6″ x 5.8″ x 3.4″ |
| Butter capacity | 16 ounces |
| Dishwasher-safe | Yes |
5
Best for storing butter on the counter
Sur La Table Pearl Stoneware Butter Dish
Pros
- Butter remained at a cooler temperature than in other dishes
- Sturdy
Cons
- Only fits one 4-ounce stick of butter
Whether you’re hosting Easter dinner or cannot get enough of sourdough bread with lots of softened butter, this butter dish is for you. This elegant stoneware butter dish won’t take up too much countertop space but will only fit a Western stick of butter. In our countertop Lab test, it kept butter at a cooler temperature on the countertop than majority of the butter dishes we tested and after two weeks the butter still had a nice sweetness and flavor, but was a bit saltier than from the start.
One tester stated, “Clean look and design, sturdiness and the lid doesn’t slide around. It doesn’t feel fragile either, the butter dish has a nice weight to it.” Another stated that they wished the lid was wider so that you could fit two sticks of butter instead of one.
| Material |
lass="css-1flax12 elexcwx1">Stoneware |
|---|---|
| Weight | 1.5 pounds |
| Dimensions | 7.5″ x 4.5″ x 3.5″ |
| Butter capacity | 4 ounces |
| Dishwasher-safe | Yes |
6
Best for storing butter in the fridge
OXO Good Grips Butter Dish
Pros
- Non-slip base with measurement markings
- Handles on the side for easy carrying
Cons
- Not recommended for storing on the countertop
Looking for another affordable option for storing butter in your fridge? This butter dish from OXO has a non-slip base with measurement markings and a lid that rests within the base’s handles for extra security. After Lab testing, I found this butter dish better for the fridge as it imparted a plastic flavor to butter after a few days on the counter. In the fridge, the butter tasted the same throughout the testing process, without any unpleasant tasting notes.
Testers appreciated that this butter dish was helpful for fridge organization due its compact size and base’s measurement markings which clearly display how much butter you have left. One tester noted that they liked the handles on the sides of the dish for carrying.
| Material | Plastic |
|---|---|
| Weight | 0.3 pounds |
| Dimensions | 7.87″ x 2.56″ x 2″ |
| Butter capacity | 4 ounces |
| Dishwasher-safe | Yes |
7
Most design-forward
MacKenzie-Childs Sterling Check Butter Box
Whether you are a MacKenzie-Childs collector or you want your butter dish to make a statement on your countertop, this dish is for you. It’s the most expensive butter dish on our list, but if you’re looking for a design-forward butter dish it might be worth the splurge. It’s made out of hand-glazed steel and comes in a variety of different designs. I especially was drawn to the glass and brass “jewel-like” handle.
In our Lab tests it kept butter tasting delicious and sweet on the countertop, even after two weeks. One drawback was that you have to hand wash this butter dish to keep it in pristine condition, but we didn’t find that too difficult.
| Material | Heavy-gauge, hand-glazed steel with glass and brass accents |
|---|---|
| Weight | 1.2 pounds |
| Dimensions | 5″ x 9″ x 4″ |
| Butter capacity | 4 ounces |
| Dishwasher-safe | No |
Other good butter dishes
- Le Creuset Stoneware Heritage Butter Dish: Available in six different colors, this butter dish is made of a durable stoneware that’s easy to clean, but we found it only kept butter tasting delicious at room temperature for up to a week.
- MacKenzie-Childs Cow Creamery Butter Dish: The cow design of this butter dish brought smiles to Lab testers’ faces, but we found better as a piece of art than practical: The handle (the cow’s head) is difficult to hold compared with other dishes.
- Williams-Sonoma Hold Everything Butter Dish with Lid: We loved the tablespoon markings on the bottom of the dish, but wished there was a handle on the lid.
- Good Cook Butter Dish: This dish is compact for easy storage, but we found the opaque glass lid to let in too much light when the dish is sitting on a countertop.
How we test butter dishes
We’ve tested eight butter crocks and 12 butter dishes in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab to find the best butter dishes, using both salted butter (in the fridge and countertop) and unsalted butter (in the fridge). We tested each butter dish for performance, ease of use and longevity of the butter inside each dish or crock.
Countertop test: We only recommend storing salted butter (not unsalted) on the countertop because the salt acts as a preservative. For this test we stored salted butter in the dishes and crocks on a countertop for two weeks under the same external conditions. Twice a week, we took the temperature of each butter dish and removed a tablespoon of butter to mimic real-life use. Each tablespoon of butter was evaluated for color, texture and flavor.
Refrigerator tests: We stored salted butter (with the wrapper removed) in the butter dishes in the refrigerator for two weeks. After two weeks, a tablespoon of butter was removed and evaluated for color, texture and flavor. We then repeated the process for another two weeks with unsalted butter.
Cleaning and ease of use tests: We evaluated each butter dish for how easy they were to hand wash or clean in the dishwasher, depending on manufacturer’s instructions. We also evaluated how easy it was to slice butter (both cold and softened) and open and close each dish.
What to look for when buying a butter dish
✔️ European versus Western: The two most common types of butter dishes are European and Western.
- European butter dish: These are usually designed to accommodate a wider block of butter.
- Western butter dish: Smaller, more narrow dish designed to fit butter sticks.✔️ Material: Butter dishes are made from a variety of different materials, but the below are most popular:
- Stoneware: This is the most common material used for butter dishes as its opacity can keep the butter cool and protected from any exterior light. It’s easy to clean thanks to the nonporous glaze. This material can break if dropped by buttery hands.
- Plastic: Plastic butter dishes are lightweight, usually dishwasher-safe and an easy way to store your butter in the fridge, but we don’t recommend them for long term storage on the countertop. If clear, they will expose your butter to light and we also noticed that room temperature butter may start to taste like plastic after a week or so.
- Steel: Whether stainless steel or enameled steel, this is a solid choice for storing your butter. It’s less common, but we found that steel dishes kept butter cool when sitting on the counter and are highly durable. Keep in mind some may not be dishwasher-safe and might impart some metallic notes to your butter.
- Glass: We do not recommend glass butter dishes as their translucency exposes butter to light. While most glass butter dishes on the market look beautiful on your countertop, they won’t store butter for as long as you might like and can shatter easily.
- Wood: While there aren’t many butter dishes that are completely made of wood, there are many with wooden lids or bases. While they look stylish, we determined that butter starts to take on wood flavor notes after it sat in the dish for a week or two. You also cannot put the wooden pieces in the dishwasher.
✔️ Capacity: The majority of butter dishes fit a standard stick of butter (4 ounces or 1/2 cup) which is convenient. If you have a larger family or just love having more butter on hand there are dishes that fit up to two sticks of butter or a larger 8-ounce block of butter. The largest butter dish on our list fits four sticks of butter.
✔️ Helpful features: While not all butter dishes feature a handle, it is a nice feature to easily maneuver the dish. Some models we tested have tablespoon measurements which are helpful for accurately measuring ingredients. And a unique feature that we found on one dish was a built-in blade to slice butter without a knife.
✔️ Ease of cleaning: Hand washing a greasy butter dish can be a time-consuming and slippery task. Not all butter dishes are dishwasher-safe, but many are. Pro tip: If you do have to hand wash your butter dish, we recommend Dawn Platinum Plus PowerSuds Liquid Dish Soap, which easily washed greasy butter dishes after testing.
Are butter dishes worth it?
While you don’t need a butter dish, they’re nice to have, whether you like having softened butter at the ready for baked goods or you host a lot of dinner parties and want to have butter out for your guests to slather on rolls. Some butter dishes are designed to keep in the fridge and help you organize your butter sticks a bit better.
What is the difference between a butter dish and a butter keeper or crock?
A butter dish is a vessel that has a base and a lid and can be stored in the fridge or on the countertop, while a butter keeper or crock is designed to be stored on the countertop for softened butter. For a butter crock, fresh butter is stored in the top piece known as the bell, and water is stored in the base, or the crock. The major difference between a butter dish and a butter crock is that a butter crock uses water to seal off the bottom of the butter from air, keeping it fresh for longer than butter exposed in a traditional butter dish.
Can you keep your butter dish on the counter?
Yes, you can keep your butter dish on the counter, but not for too long. Salted butter can stay at room temperature for longer because the salt acts as a preservative. For our Lab test, we kept salted butter in butter dishes on the counter for two weeks. However, after that time we noticed that it didn’t taste as delicious. Because of this, we think it’s best to keep butter out for up to a week, unless you’re using a butter crock. Unsalted butter should only be kept on the counter for about a day because it does not contain salt.
To answer this question in regards to food safety, we spoke with food scientist Lauren Jude. “Butter is intrinsically safe because of the fat content and salt used to preserve salted butter; there is no food safety concern. Your butter would taste sour or rancid because of age, but it won’t hurt you, you would just perceive it differently. It would be hard for butter to grow mold because of the fat content unless the butter was tampered with (example: you left bread crumbs inside your butter dish).”
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Eva Bleyer is the reviews analyst in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab. She has tested everything from gas ranges to microwaves to kitchen scales to blenders in the last three years. She graduated from New York University with a bachelor of science in food studies, nutrition and public health and is a trained chef through the Natural Gourmet Institute. Eva conducted the side-by-side testing of butter crocks and butter dishes. She loves having soft, spreadable butter whenever she pleases for homemade banana bread or a fresh boule of sourdough.
Eva (she/her) is a reviews analyst in the Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she tests kitchen gear, home appliances and culinary innovations. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor of science in food studies, nutrition and public health and is a trained chef through the Natural Gourmet Institute. Eva has more than 10 years of experience in the food industry, working as a food stylist, personal chef and marketing manager.
Watch Next
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below