Top 10 Best Butter Dishes of 2021

Not all butter dishes are created the same, even if they may look the same.

The main thing that you need to remember with butter dishes is that they actually have more purposes than you think.

Whether you are using a butter dish to simply hold and store butter, as a measuring device for when you are using butter to cook or prepare dishes, or as a companion piece for the dinner table, different butter dishes have different purposes.

Another thing that you should know about butter dishes is that some of them can be used for the kitchen as well as the dinner table. In fact, many butter dishes can function this way and it all depends on what you actually need the butter dish for.

If you plan on using a butter dish to store butter for long periods of time, you’ll want a butter dish that can seal off as much incoming air as possible with its lid. Do not forget that butter can harden when it comes in contact with air.

Best Overall Butter Dish

Heritage stoneware butter dish by Le Creuset

The common butter dish faces two different issues.
The first of these is size. A lot of common butter dishes are just not big enough to hold the right amount of butter, especially when it comes to butter that is to be served at a dinner table.

Another issue is aesthetics. Most butter dishes are designed for function and often do not compliment the other dishes at the dinner table.

While this is negligible when it comes to butter dishes that are designed to store butter inside of a refrigerator, these kinds of butter dishes do not belong on the dinner table.

Fortunately, Le Creuset’s butter dish solves both of these issues.

First, it can hold two butter sticks. This means you can store it if necessary without worry, at least in the short term.

Second, it is made of stoneware and comes in a variety of colors. Staying true to the concept of beauty in simplicity, Le Creuset’s butter dish is a welcome addition to the dinner table. And because it holds two sticks, you will not need to worry about running out of butter at the dinner table either.

The glazed interior of Le Creuset’s butter dish is also nonstick, meaning it is very easy to clean.

There are not really any other functions of Le Creuset’s butter dish other than providing a dish for butter to stay on and having something to cover it. If you are expecting Le Creuset’s dish to contain measurements, air tight seals, or anything that would make it optimal for the kitchen, you will need to look elsewhere.

You will also need to look elsewhere if you want Le Creuset’s butter dish to store butter for a very long time. Because it does not seal tightly, air molecules can still get inside of the dish, meaning any butter that is stored inside of it will not last long.

Best Budget Butter Dish

GBD-2 butter dish with silicone seal by Prepworks

Most butter dishes are simple in their design.

In this case, “simple†means that butter dishes only exist to cover butter that is placed onto a plate.

Very rarely do they have other functions, and this is unfortunate.

One of the things that makes Prepworks’ butter dish stand out in a very good way is that it contains markings for measurements. This makes it really, really effective when you are using it in the kitchen.

No longer do you need to use the measurements placed in the wrapper of your stick of butter when cooking. All you need to do is take the stick of butter, put it in Prepworks’ dish, and you will have no problem with measuring.

Very few butter dishes contain this, and again, it is one thing that makes Prepworks’ butter dish stand out above others.

Butter can struggle to stay fresh even when it is covered in a dish, and another thing that makes Prepworks’ butter dish so valuable is that the cover has a silicone airtight seal. This will decisively keep butter fresh when stored.

The silicone airtight seal and measurement markings on the bottom of Prepworks’ butter dish, however, dictate that it can pretty much only be used in the kitchen. It is not an impressive looking butter dish at all, so you will need another butter dish for the dinner table if that is applicable.

“Good Grips†butter dish by OXO

A common issue with butter dishes is that they either sacrifice aesthetics for function, or they sacrifice function for aesthetics.

Indeed, finding a butter dish that can be used in the kitchen as well as the dinner is very rare if not impossible to find.

Fortunately, the Good Grips butter dish by OXO has solved this problem. It contains a stainless steel body which means that it looks elegant enough to bring out to the dinner table, but also durable enough to be used in the kitchen. This is really great for anybody who just wants to use one butter dish for both the kitchen as well as the dinner table.

Another thing you will not need to worry about with the Good Grips dish is whether it can accomodate a long butter stick or a short one. Not only will both sizes of butter sticks fit perfectly inside of the Good Grips dish, but it is just as easy to cut a small butter stick than a large one inside of the dish.

The stoppers on the sides of the Good Grips dish will also keep butter in place while cutting it. This is very useful since butter can slide when being cut even when placed in a dish. These stoppers will prevent that as much as possible.

Surprisingly enough, it seems that the Good Grips dish is not large enough for certain butter sticks. The common western butter stick will struggle to fit inside of the Good Grips dish, and it is virtually impossible for it to not smear the top or the sides of its lid.

Best Butter Dish With Lid

Glass butter dish with handled lid by Royalty Art

Some of the more elegant and impressive looking butter dishes can be difficult to clean. Most of them are difficult to clean by hand and some of them are not dishwasher safe either, meaning you will need to clean them by hand.

Fortunately, Royalty Art’s butter dish solves this problem by being made of glass. This simple glass design makes it a little easier to clean than most other elegant butter dishes. While it is not dishwasher safe, it is much easier to clean by hand than other gourmet butter dishes.

Very few butter dishes are odor resistant, and many will still produce an odor even when cleaned thoroughly. Fortunately, Royalty Art’s butter dish resists nearly all odors. This makes it ideal for both storing butter as well as presenting it at the dinner table, as the odor resistant properties will keep butter fresh when it is inside of the dish.

You will need to be extremely careful when handling Royalty Art’s butter dish, however. Because it is made of glass, the chances of it breaking when dropped are very high.

Another thing about Royalty Art’s butter dish that makes it less than desirable is that it is smaller than most other butter dishes, especially the kinds of butter dishes that are designed for function above other things.
While you can store butter in Royalty Art’s dish, you will not be able to store much of it because of how small it is. It also does not contain anything that helps you measure how much butter you are cutting and it also does not contain anything that will prevent butter from getting everywhere when cutting it.

Crystal butter dish with handled lid by James Scott

When you think of butter dishes, what do you think about?

You usually think of something that looks like the other dishes you keep in your kitchen, only the butter dish contains a saucer and a lid.

If butter dishes aren’t comprised of a saucer and a lid, they resemble something else.

But answer this question: Have you ever seen a butter dish that is made of crystal?

If you have not, and it is very likely that you have not, James Scott’s butter dish will simply amaze you with its drop-dead elegant crystal design.

No other butter dish in existence looks as impressive. If you are interested in a butter dish that belongs on any given dinner table, you will not go wrong with James Scott’s butter dish. Nobody is going to not be impressed when they see a butter dish with a crystal design.

However, as you might guess, James Scott’s butter dish has almost zero function.

Is it dishwasher safe, like most other butter dishes are? No. While you can put it into a dishwasher, you shouldn’t if you want it to maintain its appearance, much less prevent it from breaking.

Is it easy to cut the butter in its saucer without butter getting everywhere? No. There is nothing that will prevent butter from getting all over the place when it is cut in James Scott’s dish.

Cleaning James Scott’s butter dish by hand is no easy task. Being constructed of crystal, you will need to use specific cleaning solutions and techniques that you would not need to employ when cleaning other butter dishes.

Porcelain butter dish with lid by Sweese

It can be difficult for any impressive looking butter dish to hold a lot of butter. Most butter dishes that compliment other dishes are usually very small and cannot hold a lot of butter.

Fortunately, Sweese’s butter dish will not only compliment any other dish at the dinner table, but it can also hold a lot more butter than most other elegant butter dishes. The dish itself is about 7 inches in length, which is considerably longer than most other gourmet butter dishes.

Sweese’s dish is also made of porcelain, making it easy to wash off and clean by hand. The fact that it is made of porcelain does mean that it is not dishwasher safe, but it is simple enough in its design to where you can clean it by hand very easily.

You will not need to worry about butter going everywhere when you cut it inside Sweese’s dish. The dish portion has plenty of ridges that will prevent the butter from sliding everywhere when cutting. This makes it a somewhat welcome addition to the kitchen as well.

When it comes to function, Sweese’s butter dish leaves a little to be desired. First, it is not dishwasher safe, as mentioned earlier. While it is easy to clean by hand, it still will take some time to clean Sweese’s dish by hand.

Best Butter Dish For Counter

Butter Dish With Lid By Norpro

Most butter dishes are either very functional but have little to offer in terms of aesthetics, or have a lot to offer in terms of aesthetics but may not contain the features that you need in order to use it properly.

Norpro’s butter dish attempts to combine both function aesthetics, and it does a fairly good job of doing this.

First, it looks very elegant, adhering to the observation of “beauty in simplicity†almost perfectly. Norpro’s dish and lid are made of a white porcelain, providing an impressive polish to its appearance that is matched by few other butter dishes.

The dish plate of Norpro’s butter dish is made of the same porcelain material, and it contains ridges on the inside and the outside. This will not only prevent butter from leaving the dish when cut, it will also prevent butter from spreading all over the dish.

Something that this porcelain material that Norpro’s dish that makes it better than other butter dishes is that it will keep butter colder than most. This is very nice if you are using Norpro’s butter dish to store butter.

However, Norpro’s butter dish is not perfect, and there are a couple of things that prevent it from being perfect.

First, you cannot carry it on its side, as it has no side handles. This may not mean much, but if you are swapping out a butter dish that had handles for Norpro’s, which does not, you will notice a difference. And it is likely that you will not welcome it.

Although you can store butter very effectively with Norpro’s butter dish, you will not be able to store a lot of it. Norpro’s butter dish is smaller than most others, and this is something else that takes away from its value.

Ceramic butter dish with handle cover design by KooK

Even butter dishes that are designed to excel in aesthetics often stick out like a sore thumb in a bad way. This is especially true with butter dishes that are used for dinner tables, but it is also true for butter dishes that are designed for the kitchen.

Fortunately, KooK’s butter dish solves this issue decisively, as it is one of the most elegant looking butter dishes in existence.

It’s presentation is simple, and when it comes to almost any kitchen accessory, there is beauty in simplicity. KooK’s dish is a clear ceramic white in color, with the word “butter†engraved on the lid. The dish itself is simply a rectangular plate.

The fact that it is ceramic also means that KooK’s butter dish is also very easy to clean. Not only is it dishwasher safe, you will not need to worry about the gleaming white color fading. This means that KooK’s dish will last several washings.

If you are in need of a butter dish that is posh in its design, you will not go wrong with KooK’s butter dish.

However, KooK’s dish sacrifices a lot of functions in order to be aesthetically pleasing.

If you are looking for a butter dish that can store butter effectively, KooK’s dish is not for you. Being only 3 and a half inches wide by 7 and a half inches long, large sticks of butter will not fit in it.

There are also no handles on the side of KooK’s dish, meaning you will need to carry it from the bottom. While this may seem negligible, there are times where it is preferable to carry a butter dish on the side, and this is not part of KooK’s butter dish.

Another thing missing from KooK’s butter dish are stoppers. While the dish itself is ridged and prevents butter from spilling out when cut, butter can still go everywhere when it is cut.

Best Butter Dish For Camping

 Butter dish with lid and wooden knife by Dowan

When using a butter dish in the kitchen while cooking or preparing, it really helps to possess a butter dish that is very easy to use as you cut the butter that you need to cut.

Dowan’s butter dish is one of the most functional butter dishes in existence and it contains everything that you could possibly need for a butter dish to function perfectly. It contains a wooden knife which is perfect for butter, and the saucer part of the dish contains measurements which will help you keep track of how much butter you need to cut.

Another thing about Dowan’s butter dish that make it stand out above others is that it contains an upgraded groove that will not only prevent butter from sliding everywhere when it is cut, but also makes it much easier to carry.

While you can present butter in Dowan’s dish at the dinner table, it is likely that it will stand out negatively when it comes to complementing the other dishes and silverware. With the dish itself being a baby blue color and the measurements on the saucer do not make it too visually pleasing.

Capacity is another issue for Dowan’s butter dish, as it only measures three or so inches long. This means that you will need to look elsewhere if you desire a butter dish that can hold a lot of butter.

It is also not ideal for you to keep butter inside of Dowan’s dish for long periods of time. The cover is not airtight and it does not prevent odors or anything of the sort, so if you are going to store butter in Dowan’s dish in your refrigerator, take care not to leave it for long periods of time.

Flip-top butter dish with matching spreader by Butterie

An issue that an overwhelming majority of butter dishes face is that they do not come with matching spreaders.

This means that you need to either be lucky and possess a spreader that happens to match the butter dish in your possession, or look for a spreader that matches your butter dish.

Butterie’s dish solves all these issues by containing a matching spreader. This is a godsend if you are hosting a meal for a large party, where butter would be necessary to keep on hand.

Most butter dishes have a separate lid, but Butterie’s dish does not and instead contains a cover. This makes it look even more presentable at the dinner table, and because Butterie’s dish contains a cover, it is easier to carry around without worrying about a lid falling off or anything similar.

It is even easier to carry Butterie’s dish because of the handles on the side. Instead of holding it on the bottom like with most other butter dishes, you can definitively hold Butterie’s dish from the side.

Butterie’s dish also can carry up to two sticks of butter, and these are sticks of practically any size. Again, this makes it an almost optimized choice for a large kitchen and especially for the dinner table.

However, the cover of Butterie’s dish will present quite a few problems when actually cutting the butter. The butter you attempt to cut will slide everywhere when it is inside Butterie’s dish. There are no stoppers to prevent this either, so you will need to be very careful when cutting the butter inside of Butterie’s dish.

The size of Butterie’s dish can also be a little overwhelming for certain kitchens or dining areas. It will take up more space than it probably should in these small areas.

Things to Consider When Choosing a Butter Dish

Although it is a very simple device that does nothing more than hold butter for you to cut and serve or hold butter for you to store, there are a few things that you should consider when choosing a butter dish.

There are actually a lot of butter dishes that you can actually choose from. Not every butter dish is made the same, and it is a good thing to understand that there are different kinds of butter dishes out there, and they all have different purposes.

The first thing that you need to consider is whether you need the butter dish for the kitchen or the dinner table.

A sad fact about a lot of butter dishes is that they can be used to either store butter and measure it when cooking, be brought out in said dish to the dinner table for diners, but never both.

If a butter dish is very elegant looking and can complement other dishes at the dinner table, chances are really good that these butter dishes cannot hold a lot of butter. Most elegant looking butter dishes are small in size because a very large butter dish typically does not complement other dishes really well.

Some butter dishes actually contain measurements on the bottom of the dish, and it is obvious that these will not look good at the dinner table. These kinds of butter dishes seem to be designed exclusively for cooking and preparing meals.
You’ll also need to determine how long you want to keep your butter in the dish. While all butter dishes contain a lid, some of these lids are more airtight than others, and this will determine how long you can keep butter inside of the lid.

If you only intend to keep butter in your lid for a few days, then you have a lot more freedom to choose between the dozens of different butter dishes out there.

But if you intend to keep butter in your lid for longer, you will need to consider a butter dish that has an airtight lid. These are rare and oftentimes, they will not complement dishes at the dinner table.

The last thing that you should consider is how much butter you need to hold inside of the dish. Remember that not all butter dishes are the same, and this is especially true when it comes to how big or small they are.

One thing to notice with size is that there do indeed exist elegant butter dishes that are large and can hold a lot of butter. However, these dishes may not be able to hold a lot of butter for too long, as their lids are not very airtight.

Does a Butter Dish Keep Butter Soft?

The answer to this question revolves around two aspects of the butter dish: How airtight the lid is and how much butter you want to place inside of the dish.

Remember that butter is a dairy product. If it comes in contact with air, a lot of the nutrients of the butter will be removed and it will not be as soft as it was in its original package.

A butter dish will keep butter soft, but in order for the dish to keep the butter soft, the lid must be able to prevent the butter from coming in contact with as much air as possible.

Some butter dishes contain lids that are actually airtight, meaning that they are able to keep any and all air outside of the dish while the butter inside remains soft for as long as possible.

Also, do not forget that the less butter you leave in a dish, the more air it can come in contact with.

This air will be inside of the dish itself, and if the lid is not airtight, air from outside of the dish will enter it, drying up whatever butter is inside.

Therefore, make sure to put as much butter as you can in a dish if you plan to use said dish to store butter.

How do You Use a Butter Dish?

There are many uses for a butter dish.

Butter dishes can be used to store butter, they can be used as a measuring device when using butter to cook, and they can also be used as an accessory dish of sorts at the dinner table.

When using a butter dish to store butter, it is a good idea to make sure that the lid of the dish can prevent as much air as possible from coming inside of the dish.

Do not forget that butter can dry up or even go bad if it comes into too much contact with air, and just because you have it in a dish does not mean that it is safe from air. This is especially true if you intend to use a butter dish to store butter in the long term.

Some butter dishes can actually be used as a measuring device when using it to cook. Some of them contain lines on the bottom that you can use to determine how much of it you want to cut.

Butter dishes that look like this will not look impressive at the dinner table at all, and that is where the last purpose of a butter dish comes in.

If the dinner you are serving requires butter for any reason, you can put butter in a dish and bring said dish to the dinner table.

Certain butter dishes are designed for exactly this purpose, as some of them are very impressive looking and can complement any dish on the dinner table.

Conclusion

You’ll also need to prepare to sacrifice a little bit of function if you are using a butter dish as a companion dish at the dinner table. Many of the more elegant butter dishes typically do not contain the features that butter dishes that are designed for the kitchen have.

The opposite is true if you possess a butter dish that has measurements on the bottom or other features that make it ideal for the kitchen rather than the dinner table.

In most cases, it is optimal to possess two different butter dishes: One for the kitchen and one for the dinner table. Do not be afraid to do something like this, even if you think it might be inconvenient.

All things considered, choosing the best butter dish will require you to determine what exactly you need a butter dish for and what you think you need the most from a butter dish.

Take some time and explore the many features that most butter dishes contain before making your decision.