# Butter Bell Crock - Comments/feedback?



## AnnieDrews (Mar 31, 2011)

Has anyone ever used of these? It is the Butter Bell Crock that keeps butter fresh and spreadable at room temperature. I wonder if it would be worth investing in....I use butter sometimes, but not every single day.

Butter Bell Crocks


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## Janet H (Mar 31, 2011)

Yes but mine is made by a local potter. I LOVE French Butter crocks but tried several before I found one that was perfect.  Having the lid flat enough to sit well on a flat surface is important to me and the butter bell brand has a handle on top which is unneeded imo and impedes use.

Mine looks more like this one:


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## FrankZ (Mar 31, 2011)

I have the red one and love it.  My only complaint is it doesn't remember to fill itself when I forget to do it.


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## joesfolk (Mar 31, 2011)

I have a butter bell and I love it because I can keep butter fresh and soft without refridgeration. The only problem I have with it is that sometimes the butter slips out of the top of the bell and falls into the water that keeps it fresh and airtight. (You have to put a little water into the bottom of the bell and the butter into the top. Then you fit the two pieces togetther to get the airtight seal.) In my opinion it is great for summer use especially. Oh, you do have to change the water occasionally.


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## Katie H (Mar 31, 2011)

FrankZ said:


> I have the red one and love it.  My only complaint is it doesn't remember to fill itself when I forget to do it.



I've had one for over 10 years and love it.  And, like Frank, mine doesn't fill itself either.

It's one of the handiest kitchen tools I've found in a long, long while.  No matter the time of the year, there's always butter ready to use.  That is...when it's not empty.


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## Janet H (Mar 31, 2011)

joesfolk said:


> The only problem I have with it is that sometimes the butter slips out of the top of the bell and falls into the water that keeps it fresh and airtight.



I had this happen with the first one I tried as well - but the hand made version has a slightly rough glaze (no sliding) and that seems to solve this issue.


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## mkaylady (Mar 31, 2011)

I saw one in a thrift store once for a few bucks. I didn't know what it was so I didn't buy it. Then after finding out what it was, I was kicking myself.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 31, 2011)

I love my Butter bell, best "gadget" I ever bought!


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## mkaylady (Mar 31, 2011)

BTW, LeCreuset makes one. I saw it at the Outlet when I went there recently. I would have bought it if they had it on sale. They had Dijon and Kiwi colors on sale but not butter crocks in those colors were available. Maybe some time I will find one there on sale.


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## joesfolk (Mar 31, 2011)

I looked for a butter bell for years before I found one and that one I found at Tuesday Morning.


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## Janet H (Apr 1, 2011)

Try looking on etsy.com for butter crock.  They always have a good selection of handmade versions - all very beautiful, one of kind art to hold beloved butter.


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## joesfolk (Apr 1, 2011)

Wow some of those are really pretty but they also have some pretty big prices.  Mine is just a plain white crockery bell with the words butter bell written on it.  But it was also under ten dollars.  Still, some day when I am flush.....


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## PrincessFiona60 (Apr 1, 2011)

Yeah, I was wondering if Shrek would notice a purchase on his card...a couple of those match my Irish dishes.


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## mkaylady (Apr 1, 2011)

joesfolk said:


> I looked for a butter bell for years before I found one and that one I found at Tuesday Morning.



I have a feeling I will find one there one of these days.


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## betterthanabox (Apr 1, 2011)

I have a really funny story about my butter crock. 

My Mother-in-Law bought me a Paula Deen Butter Bell off of QVC for Christmas last year. They told her they were out of stock and wouldn't be able to be sent before Christmas. So She told me all about it and told me they promised that they would get it out before the end of January. In January she was told June. I ended up forgetting all about it. This Christmas she decided to go pick one up several hours away because she was done with QVC. She gets home after driving 4 hours to find it tucked in her door! 

So now we both have one. I find that it doesn't keep the butter very soft, and if you forget to change the water, it makes your butter stink. 

Does anyone know when you are supposed to change the water? QVC left out the instructions.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Apr 1, 2011)

betterthanabox said:


> I have a really funny story about my butter crock.
> 
> My Mother-in-Law bought me a Paula Deen Butter Bell off of QVC for Christmas last year. They told her they were out of stock and wouldn't be able to be sent before Christmas. So She told me all about it and told me they promised that they would get it out before the end of January. In January she was told June. I ended up forgetting all about it. This Christmas she decided to go pick one up several hours away because she was done with QVC. She gets home after driving 4 hours to find it tucked in her door!
> 
> ...


 
Change the water every two days.  If your kitchen is cold, the butter will be harder.


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## FrankZ (Apr 1, 2011)

I change the water every few days.


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## sparrowgrass (Apr 1, 2011)

I keep my butter on the counter in a wide-mouth half pint Mason jar.  I usually put one stick at a time in it.  I live alone, so my butter might sit on the counter for 2 weeks before I use it up, and I never have any problem with rancidness or spoilage.  My kitchen is very cool in the winter, but warm the rest of the year.  I have done this for many years.

The rest of the package is in the freezer.

No, wait, I am lying about no spoilage--I once bought some 'Amish' butter that got black mold on it quite quickly.  That butter probably wasn't processed properly.


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## LPBeier (Apr 1, 2011)

I would love a butter bell because I think they are great looking; however, since none of us use butter on bread, etc. it would be a decoration!


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## Silversage (Apr 1, 2011)

It's great if you don't use much butter, but I found that sometimes I had to refill it with butter every day or two.  First you have to soften the butter it get it in there.  Then you have to load the butter into the bell.  Then you scoop it out to use it.  Then you refill it again!  By the time I was done fussing with it, i couldn't figure out what it was doing to actually help me.  

So I sold it in a garage sale for 50 cents.


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## Katie H (Apr 1, 2011)

I've never had any difficulty filling mine or keeping the butter from dropping out of the bell into the water.

Over the years, I've learned to take a stick of butter out of the fridge/freezer when it looks like the bell will need to be "loaded."  I just let the butter sit out, in its wrapper, on the kitchen counter.

By the time the bell is empty, the butter is soft enough to put in.  But...and maybe this is what keeps mine IN the bell, I peel the wrapper off the butter, place the butter into the bell so the butter is standing on end, then I place the wrapper over the other end and shove the butter with the palm of my hand on the outside of the wrapper into the bell.  This way I don't get any butter on my hands/fingers and the butter is really pushed into the bell.  Did this make sense?  I can see it in my mind and I hope I conveyed it with some semblance of reason.


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## FrankZ (Apr 1, 2011)

I take mine out and let it soften on the counter as well.  I use a spoon to put the butter in the bell and mash it down.


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## Selkie (Apr 1, 2011)

I use a regular butter dish with a cover. Butter doesn't stay around long enough to go bad, and while it's in stick form when I'm cooking, let's say a recipe calls for two Tbls. of butter, I can judge the amount I need right then and cut it off the end without having to dirty a measuring spoon to use with the crock, or get an additional stick from the fridge.


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## jdthompson (Apr 1, 2011)

Yes I agree, one of the best inventions. No more nuking your butter to get it spreadable.


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## AnnieDrews (Apr 1, 2011)

Wow! Very helpful replies everyone!! I'm thinking of getting one....we'll see.


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## taxlady (Apr 1, 2011)

Silversage said:


> It's great if you don't use much butter, but I found that sometimes I had to refill it with butter every day or two.  First you have to soften the butter it get it in there.  Then you have to load the butter into the bell.  Then you scoop it out to use it.  Then you refill it again!  By the time I was done fussing with it, i couldn't figure out what it was doing to actually help me.
> 
> So I sold it in a garage sale for 50 cents.



Thanks for the feedback. I think we probably use too much butter for it to be useful for us too. We don't have a problem leaving it out, except in summer when it sometimes gets too soft.


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## CWS4322 (Apr 1, 2011)

I've never heard of one of these--I'm going to look for one when I'm in MN (and Chicago). A friend of mine from Poland is mortified that North Americans keep butter out--it's a dairy product.

I brought home a pound of butter the other day--left it on the counter to soften a bit. When I went back to quarter it--it was gone...I've been watching Clifford--the 18 mo. old Saint--for evidence that he countersurfed it.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Apr 1, 2011)

CWS4322 said:


> I've never heard of one of these--I'm going to look for one when I'm in MN (and Chicago). A friend of mine from Poland is mortified that North Americans keep butter out--it's a dairy product.
> 
> I brought home a pound of butter the other day--left it on the counter to soften a bit. When I went back to quarter it--it was gone...I've been watching Clifford--the 18 mo. old Saint--for evidence that he countersurfed it.


 
ROFL!!!  I just have to worry about cats in the butter!


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## babetoo (Apr 2, 2011)

went on line to esty yesterday and ordered one. not a butterbell. they are way to expensive. just want it for table services for guests. mine does fine in a small white bowl on the counter.


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