Do you use a Butter Bell?
 

I leave 1/2 stick (real) butter in dish on the counter at home and it's fine, but we're living on the road for a while and found mold in unrefrigerated butter (heat, humidity?) so looked into getting a Butter Bell.

I know butter has has to be softened enough to press tightly in the Bell. I heard a guy telling how much he likes his, but other opinions are welcomed. DH hates hard butter at the table.

not sure why your having mold issues... I've done the butter in a plastic cover ( shower cap looking saran covers) with no issues... I have had a butter bell in the past and love it... i think more for the look of it tho...... I have RV'd with butter both ways. Maybe your not eating it fast enough.. bahahahahaha.... seriously.. prehaps put less in bowl?

I bought the butter bell but could not keep my butter up in it. I turned it over and just sit it on the counter. It works fine and looks like it is sitting on a little stand. That might not be appropriate for an rv traveling down the road. "smile" I find the only time I get mold in mine is I use a butter knife to spread the butter on bread and accidentally get some bread in it. My mother kept her butter on the cabinet in a plastic container with a lid on it. It was always fine. If we get our RV up and running, I will probably use plastic so I don't have to worry about breakage.

Never heard of a butter bell.

This is the one I have. Works fine. Never had a mold problem, but, we go through it pretty fast. You don't have to do anything to the stick of butter but put it in there.

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...tterkeepers-20

Never, ever, had mold at home with butter sitting out. Growing up on the farm, our butter came in 1 lb chunk, not quarters, and Mother kept the whole pound out with no issues. Sometimes you just "want" something kind of "cool" (butter bell) if you understand what I mean.

I have used one off and on for years. Only had mold once, not sure why. Usually I put my butter in a Rubbermaid container-1 cup size I think- with a screw-on lid.

Never heard of a butter bell, either. It's very attractive, but probably not a necessity. A dish with plastic wrap should work as well.

I used a butter bell for a few years but found remembering to change the water at least every other day to be just one more thing to remember. With school aged boys, a full time Kobe outside them home and farm work more than I could remember. I still have. It now just use Land of Lakes butter mixed with canola oil. Butter but soft right out of the fridge.

Kobe? What? That was full time job and 4 boys. I still have mine if you'd like it.

I've never heard of a butter bell, I like the looks and idea of them so I'm going to order one from Amazon. Thanks!

I have used in the past. Liked it a lot. I have had butter drop out but not often. I don't like refrigerated butter :(. You do need to change out the water occasionally.

I have had a butter bell for years and I love it. Mine will keep water cool for at least 3 days, so no problem remembering to change it. We keep a bottle of cold water in the fridge
all the time which is handy to replace the water.

I keep my butter in a covered butter dish on the cabinet (qt sticks) but with just DH and I sometimes (especially in summer) it will get rancid, not moldy. Would one of these butter bells prevent that problem?

I grew up in a margarine household and just turned to real butter about 4 yrs ago.

I had one in the 70s I bought at a craft fare when everybody was throwing pottery and selling in at fairs. I loved it. We live in Arizona and throughout the summer we had fresh soft better on the table. The one we had was pretty big so if you're on the road you may have a smaller table, etc. Nevertheless, if you can find one that fits you need I highly recommend it.

I use a butter bell all the time....no mold if you dont put dirty knives in it. It will be fine in RV because you only need water to be above the top of the bowl. No need to fill with water.
S

I use the base of the butter bell to hold my small scissors and stitch cutters.....lol

Ours just sits on the counter in a ceramic butter dish all the time. Never an issue...even if bread crumbs get mixed in.

I have used one continually for years. Change the water in it every couple days, make sure to wash it out between fillings. Works great and just put the whole thing in fridge if we go on vacation and know we wont be using it for a few days.

While on the subject of butter dishes I have a different question. I was gifted an antique "French or English?" butter dish that has a bowl, tray with holes in it, and a cover, but I do not have any idea how to use it, if any of you know, please enlighten me? Also, do any of you know how to verify lead content so I know if it is safe to use it?

I have a DH who will use the knife from his dinner to get butter from the butter dish and it makes me crazy! Do not ever use any utensil that you are eating with in dishes that others are being served from or that will not be refrigerated! In fact, don't use them at all. Get a separate knife or spoon or fork or whatever! I keep a BUTTER knife near the butter on the counter, but that does not always mean it will be used as it is intended. My DH is too old of a dog to teach a new trick especially since I have been asking him to refrain for over 40 years, but if any of you have some newer dogs, please train them better than I or his dearly departed mother have done my DH.
When at the dinner table, cut off a piece of butter with the butter knife and place it on your bread dish or on the side of the plate so that you do not have to go back to the butter dish.

You place the butter in the smaller bowl and insert it into the larger bowl with cold water. This water will need to changed every 2 or 3 days. I have one but not like yours. Yours would look great with my collection of dinner ware. I to have this pattern. Have a lovely day!
clmay

Wow, I can learn something new on here everyday, but this "butter bell" was not something I would thought would be my learning lesson today. Love the idea but have never seen one among my friends. Maybe I will start a trend for us.

My Texas grandma had one in her un-air conditioned cottage and the butter was always great. My mom just used a glass butter dish and it was out all the time. My mother-in-law never even covered her butter - she was in California.

Actually, I DO find my butter bell a necessity -- for me. I hate hard, cold butter on toast, English muffins, rolls, and baked potatoes!
Bought mine from Amazon, around $20, in yellow (Like butter, get it?!)

To use you put about 1/2 inch fresh water in the "bowl" part -- change it every 2-3 days for best results -- press your softened butter into the "bell" section (I use the paper the quarter was wrapped in to press it down), and place the bell into the water.

Why in water?? Because having the bell in the water creates an anaerobic environment for the butter which then does not go rancid. The butter doesn't get wet from the water as the placement creates a bit of a vacuum when you put the bell down into the bowl.

I LOVE mine and gave them for Christmas a couple years ago!

Jan in VA

I used to have a butter bell and you have to change the water every few days. I leave mine sitting in a covered glass dish. The dish does not seal.n I have never had an issue with the butter and I live in Fl.

You don't say where you lived or where you are traveling. Are you traveling to a more humid climate? We used to leave butter on the table when I grew up on So Cal but I would never do it here in Houston. Way too humid.

I asked original question. We live in Midwest, where Summers can get humid. When I grew up, butter came in 1 lb hunks, not quarters and Mom put the whole lb on the table, never had mold. We are winter vacationing in TX and mold I found (1 time) surprised me. I'll probably get a Bell, because I think they're kind of a novelty, but my reason for asking was to see if there's a favorite brand.

I don't know about brands but I have a round one which works great and one that is more of a square type. The square one will have the butter fall out of it easier so I prefer the round one.

This is the one I use and have sent as gifts. It holds 1 full stick of butter and has good reviews. The price of butter bells is all over the map on Amazon; this is a really nice one that comes in several colors.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0016L4RME...ing=UTF8&psc=1

Jan in VA

The round ones are a pain to get the butter in. I use the rectangle one. I haven't found a use for cold hard butter except for some baking. I don't allow crumbs or smears of other foods in the butter. A utensil is used to get butter out of the keeper to the food, not used to spread and go back to the container. Even the young grands know to do this. Same with mayo or other spreads. Do not spread and put the utensil back in the jar. That is a big no no in my house.

If you leave the butter stick in the wrapper, opened of course, the bowl stays much cleaner and fresher.

It's really no problem at all. Let the butter soften on the opened paper wrapper, then use it to smush the butter into the bowl and smooth the top a bit. Easy peasy!! Have never had a problem with mine in 5 years!

Oh my gosh, no don't use the whole container to spread it. Yuck, no, what I meant by it falls out easier with the square type ones is that it seems to fall out back into the water dish and then next time I lift it up to use it the big clump of butter is floating around in the water. And yes, we use utensils in my household too...

I'm original poster. Found it new in box, not used $6.99 at Don-Wes Flea Market yesterday. Love it already.

I meant no utensil is used to spread the butter and then used again to get more butter. My bell has handles so I can lift the butter part out of the water and set it back in without any water being spilled and no over flow. Never had butter get in the water. I don't use the invert butter bell.

This is what I use:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]567557[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]567558[/ATTACH]

thats what I use too. I posted a link to one on Amazon. I have a stick of butter in there right now. Half used. Still good.