Miss Cellania
The Butter Bell
by Miss Cellania - August 24, 2009 - 8:12 AM
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What grabbed my attention this week is a low-tech, possibly even ancient gadget called a butter bell. You could call it a method for finding that happy medium between hard-to-spread butter in the refrigerator and ruined butter left too long butterdiagramon the kitchen counter. The butter bell is a small crock with a bell-shaped lid. You add some cool water to the bottom of the crock, then put your butter in the bell, turn it upside down and place it into the crock. The water forms a seal around the exposed butter to keep bacteria, insects, dust, and odors out. And you can forget ever putting cold butter in the microwave again, which leaves you with butter that’s more pourable than spreadable. Butter Through the Ages explains how the bell works. With a bell you can supposedly keep your butter out of the refrigerator for up to a month before it starts to go rancid. It’s always soft enough to spread and ready to serve at the dinner table.

Some experts are a little skeptical of the claim that the bell will keep butter fresh for a month. Maybe you should use your butter up faster than that to be on the safe side. Martha Stewart says that salted butter will keep longer than unsalted butter, but if you leave the bell in direct sunlight or if the house gets very hot, it will probably go bad sooner. A commenter with experience says butter in a bell will melt and make a mess if the house is hot. You should wash the bell thoroughly before reloading it with fresh butter. Also keep in mind this will NOT work with margarine or the abomination they call “spread” (which is already soft because it is made of soybean oil and water).

You can buy a Butter Bell brand crock for about $20. I also found bells from Norpro and Pinzon for about half as much. Of course, you can pay more. If you’ve used one of these, please leave your opinion for the rest of us.

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Comments (17)

  1. I’ll stick with refrigerated thank you. The last thing i need is another dish to clean. Plus, I’m the type of guy who likes to buy items that can serve more than one purpose.

    A knife can cut various foods. A plate can hold various foods. A bowl can hold solids and liquids either hot or cold. And a cup can have various liquids poured into it. I don’t know of many items that can be compacted into a bell-shaped item, turned upside-down into a pot of water, and left to sit out in room temperature for a month, all while being slowly eaten away.

    posted by Steven on 8-24-2009 at 8:34 am

  2. I’ve been using one for about 2 years (got at Tuesday Morning for ~6 bucks) and the only time it gets icky is July-August. Generally keeps 2-3 weeks. It’s lovely to have soft butter for bread.

    Steven, I would have a butter dish anyway :)

    posted by Julie on 8-24-2009 at 8:46 am

  3. I have had one for years. Its lovely! I usually use it up before it goes bad. In a cool kitchen it can last quite a while though. Its a piece of science from back when people didn’t have refrigerators.

    posted by Anne on 8-24-2009 at 10:12 am

  4. I had a butter bell but ended up throwing it out. The butter bell might work in cooler climates but not in South Carolina. The butter fell out of the bell into the water. Very icky. Now I just buy whipped butter in tubs and leave it out for a few minutes before I need to spread it.

    posted by kani on 8-24-2009 at 10:12 am

  5. I live up in the North where it’s mighty cold most of the year… and the Butter Bell works fantastically. I would imagine that in warmer climates it could get yucky–Kani, butter in the water would be gross!

    posted by Ophelia on 8-24-2009 at 11:38 am

  6. I’ll stick with refrigerating mine. I live in San Antonio (we’re sitting at 50+ days of 100+ temps), so I’m thinking the butter would get too melty in my warm pantry. Oh well, I mostly use butter for cooking/baking anyway. Still, it’s a pretty cool device.

    posted by nutmeag on 8-24-2009 at 12:27 pm

  7. I got one a few years ago and I love it! When it gets warm in the summer I just change the water a little more often with fresh cold water. The instructions that came with mine say to change the water every few days anyway. The only time I ever had any problems was when I tried to put butter in the top without letting it dry first, then the butter slid out.

    Also – warm climate people – does your home really get that hot? You don’t have air conditioning if the temperature is 100+ degrees? If so, that seems like you’ve got more problems than where to store the butter.

    posted by Kathleen on 8-24-2009 at 12:39 pm

  8. Kathleen, not all of us have the luxery of an air conditioner. Some of us retreat to basements, and some just have fans. Air conditioning is a luxery, really, as much as some may see it as a necessity….we survived many more centuries without air conditioning, than we would have without fire for heat. Having said that I think the butter bell is awesome!

    posted by Sandie on 8-24-2009 at 12:55 pm

  9. Kathleen – Southerners DO have air-conditioning, but unless you want $1000/mo electric bills, you keep the temperature around 75F when you’re home, and let the temp get up to 85 when you’re not there. So, yes, our homes do get warmer than they probably are elsewhere, but only because it costs so much to keep ‘em cool!

    posted by Megan on 8-24-2009 at 1:06 pm

  10. I live with a French chef and we always keep our butter on the counter in what is called a BEURRIER BRETON.

    You’re right, Cellania, its old technology. Replacing the water often will keep your butter fresh.

    posted by Jo on 8-24-2009 at 1:51 pm

  11. I just keep my butter in a dish on the counter, have for years.

    posted by Karen on 8-24-2009 at 2:35 pm

  12. I live in San Antonio, too, and I’ve used a butter bell for over a year now (inside temps range from 78F to 82F. I’ve never had a problem with the butter spoiling or liquifying.

    The directions that came with my bell say to change the water at least once every three days and I use regular, chlorinated tap-water. I’ve never tested the one month claim as it only takes me about a week to use a stick of butter.

    posted by Dan on 8-24-2009 at 4:40 pm

  13. My family doesn’t eat enough butter to make leaving it out worth while.

    posted by Steve M. on 8-24-2009 at 5:11 pm

  14. I use one for camping when refridgerator space is a premium. If it’s not swelteringly hot, the butter stays fine all weekend.

    posted by Goth Bunnyy on 8-24-2009 at 6:30 pm

  15. i grew up using a butter chicken, which, i believe, was made out of glass. it was a milky white and the base looked like a basket while the lid was shaped like a chicken. we kept it on the kitchen table and it kept the butter just right most of the year (of course i live in new england). has anybody else out there ever see one of these?

    posted by tilly on 8-24-2009 at 7:12 pm

  16. I love my butter bell, but it *is* very important to keep the water fresh and use up the butter in a reasonable length of time. It’s nice to have spreadable butter on hand.

    posted by Mama9cats on 8-25-2009 at 10:11 am

  17. You have all been very helpful. I think I am going to try one. We just got away from the processed spreads to real butter and I am not in the routine to get the butter out ahead of time so I thought this would be the ticket. I wonder if it would help to refrigerate at night until morning to be ready for dinner?

    posted by Kathy on 9-16-2009 at 10:05 am

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