Best Butter Dish: Covered, Glass and French Butter Keepers

A butter dish has two jobs: keep the butter spreadable and keep it covered. Which one you need depends on where you live, since American butter comes in two shapes, and on whether the butter lives on the counter or in the fridge.

By the Bonwits editorsUpdated October 26, 20266 picks

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Our top picks

6 picks, each linked to the exact listing

1
Best overallLe Creuset Stoneware Heritage Butter Dish, White
Check priceAmazon
2
The practical one, for either stickOXO Good Grips Butter Dish with Lid
Check priceAmazon
3
The glass oneCreative Co-Op Pressed Glass Butter Dish, Green
Check priceAmazon
4
The butter keeper, the original American oneButter Bell Crock by L. Tremain French Ceramic Butter Keeper, White
Check priceAmazon
5
For two sticks or a European blockLe Creuset Stoneware European Butter Dish, White
Check priceAmazon
6
If money is no objectEmile Henry Butter Pot, Flour
Check priceAmazon

Start with the stick. East of the Rockies, a quarter pound of butter is the Elgin stick, named for a dairy in Elgin, Illinois: about 4.75 inches long and 1.25 inches square. West of the Rockies, dairies print the same quarter pound as a shorter, fatter stick, about 3.25 inches long and 1.5 inches square. Most butter dishes sold in America are cut for the Elgin stick, which is why a West Coast cook so often finds a new dish a hair too narrow. European butter is wider still, a block of 250 grams or a half pound, and needs its own dish.

The second question is where the butter lives. Butter makers such as Land O'Lakes advise against leaving it out for more than four hours, and plenty of households ignore that and keep a covered dish on the counter for days at a time. If you are going to do that, do it with salted butter in a cool kitchen, and change the stick often. The French answer is the butter keeper, a crock with a bell shaped lid you pack with butter and set upside down into a base holding a little water, so an airtight seal keeps the air off it. Emile Henry rates its version for up to 30 days at room temperature.

The six below cover the three answers: a practical dish for the fridge door, covered stoneware and glass for the table, and two water sealed keepers for people who want spreadable butter at breakfast without a microwave. Every one is sold on Amazon by Amazon.com or by the maker; the marble and acacia dishes that fill the search results are all third party listings and are not here.

How we chose

Fits the stick. An Elgin stick at minimum, and we say which dishes take the short West Coast stick or a European block.
A lid that stays put. A cover that sits down over the base, or a water seal, so the butter is not picking up the fridge.
Material that lasts. Stoneware, porcelain, pressed glass or a sound plastic, dishwasher safe and made by a known maker.
Sold properly. Every pick is sold on Amazon by Amazon.com or by the brand itself.

We read makers’ specifications, warranties, care instructions and the sources listed at the end. We do not accept paid placements. How we choose

The 6 picks, in detail

Best overallNo. 1

Le Creuset Stoneware Heritage Butter Dish, White

Our take. A single stick covered dish in Le Creuset's dense stoneware, sized for an Elgin stick and, the maker says, wide enough for most European sticks too.

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Keeps for: Decades; stoneware with a glaze that resists chips and stains
Capacity: One stick; fits most European sticks (maker's description)
Material: Stoneware, nonporous glaze
Safe for: Freezer, oven, microwave, broiler, dishwasher
Lid: Domed, sits down over the base
Seller: Amazon.com

This is the dish most people picture: a rectangular stoneware base with a domed lid that sits down over it. Le Creuset says it is sized for a single stick of butter and wide enough for most European style sticks, which also makes it one of the few table dishes that takes the stubby Western stick without the lid riding up. The stoneware is fired dense, so it does not absorb moisture, and the glaze is nonporous and resistant to chips, scratches and stains.

It goes from the fridge to the table and, if you ever want it to, into the oven, microwave, broiler and freezer, and it is dishwasher safe. The colors match Le Creuset's cookware, so it sits on the counter next to a Dutch oven without looking like an afterthought. White is the quiet choice; Amazon sells a dozen colors directly.

Skip it if you keep two sticks going at once or buy European blocks. The European Butter Dish below is the bigger one.

The catch. A one stick dish; a second stick or a European block will not fit.

The practical one, for either stickNo. 2

OXO Good Grips Butter Dish with Lid

Our take. The one dish built on purpose for both American stick shapes, with stoppers that hold the butter still while you cut.

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Keeps for: Years; the lid is the only part that can crack
Fits: Elgin and Western sticks (maker's description)
Stoppers: Three sides, hold the stick while cutting
Markings: Tablespoon marks for each stick shape
Lid: Clear, sits down over the tray
Care: Tray and lid dishwasher safe
Seller: Amazon.com

OXO's designers found the East Coast and West Coast stick problem while making this dish and built the answer into it. The tray has stoppers on three sides that hold either an Elgin stick or the shorter Western stick in place as you cut, and it is printed with tablespoon markings for each. The clear lid sits down over the tray, and the soft grips on the sides make it easy to carry from fridge to table with one hand.

It is plastic, which is the right material for a dish that lives in the fridge door and goes through the dishwasher weekly. Tray and lid are dishwasher safe. Amazon sells it directly.

Skip it for a dining table where you would rather see stoneware or glass, and skip it for European butter; OXO makes a separate Wide Butter Dish that takes an 8 ounce block or two 4 ounce sticks.

The catch. Plastic, and looks it. A fridge dish rather than a table piece.

The glass oneNo. 3

Creative Co-Op Pressed Glass Butter Dish, Green

Our take. A pressed glass dish in the old depression glass idiom, translucent green with a molded pattern and a fitted lid, sold by Amazon.

Check priceAmazon

Keeps for: Decades if it is not dropped; pressed glass has nothing to wear out
Material: Pressed glass, molded pattern
Size: About 6.5 in L x 4 in W x 4.75 in H
Color: Translucent green
Lid: Fitted, rests on the base
Seller: Amazon.com

The pressed glass butter dish is the American original, and the classic makers' versions are now mostly sold on Amazon by third party resellers, which rules them out here. Creative Co-Op's is the one sold by Amazon itself: a rectangular dish in translucent green glass with vintage style molded texture, rounded edges and a lid that fits down over the base. It measures about 6.5 by 4 inches and 4.75 inches tall with the lid on.

Glass is the right material if you want to see how much butter is left without lifting the lid, and it takes no stain or smell from anything. The interior length is enough for an Elgin stick, and the 4 inch width gives a Western stick room.

Skip it if you want a lid that locks on; it rests in place. The green is a decision; it suits a farmhouse or a cottage table and will argue with a modern white kitchen.

The catch. The listing does not state dishwasher safety; treat it as hand wash. The lid rests rather than locks.

The butter keeper, the original American oneNo. 4

Butter Bell Crock by L. Tremain French Ceramic Butter Keeper, White

Our take. The crock that introduced the French water seal to American kitchens, sold by the company that makes it.

Check priceAmazon

Keeps for: Years; the ceramic is fired hard and the only wear is a chipped rim
Type: Water sealed butter keeper
Material: New Bone China ceramic, fired at 2,200 degrees (maker's figure)
Water: About 1/3 cup in the base, changed every few days
Holds: About one stick, packed soft
Seller: The Butter Bell Company

L. Tremain's Butter Bell is modeled on the French beurrier. You pack softened butter firmly into the bell shaped lid, pour about a third of a cup of cold water into the base, and set the lid upside down into it. The water seals the butter from the air, so it stays spreadable and fresh on the counter for weeks, the maker says, without refrigeration or odors. The company has sold it for over 25 years.

The crock is made from a high grade ceramic the maker calls New Bone China, fired at 2,200 degrees, with a scratch resistant glaze. It holds roughly a stick, and either stick shape works because you are packing soft butter, not storing a stick. Change the water every few days.

Skip it if you want cold, firm butter, or if you live somewhere hot: above about 80 degrees the butter softens enough to drop out of the bell into the water. The Butter Bell Company sells it on Amazon itself in many colors.

The catch. In a hot kitchen the butter can slump out of the bell into the water.

For two sticks or a European blockNo. 5

Le Creuset Stoneware European Butter Dish, White

Our take. The wide Le Creuset: a 5.9 by 4 inch interior that takes two American sticks side by side or one European block.

Check priceAmazon

Keeps for: Decades
Interior: 5.9 in L x 4.0 in W x 0.8 in H (maker's figures)
Exterior: 6.9 in L x 5.0 in W x 3.6 in H
Holds: Two sticks, or one European block
Material: Stoneware, enamel exterior
Care: Dishwasher safe
Seller: Amazon.com

Le Creuset's European Butter Dish is the Heritage dish scaled up for the rest of the world's butter. Le Creuset lists the interior at 5.9 inches long by 4 inches wide, with a 6.9 by 5 inch footprint and a lid 3.6 inches tall, and says it is designed to hold two sticks of butter. A 250 gram European block fits; so do two Western sticks, or a stick and a half of Elgin.

The stoneware is the same dense, nonporous material as the rest of Le Creuset's range, with an enamel exterior that resists stains and metal utensils, and it is dishwasher safe. It is the dish for a household that goes through butter, a bakery habit, or anyone who buys Irish or French butter in blocks.

Skip it for a single stick, which will slide around inside. Amazon sells it directly in several colors.

The catch. Too big for one stick, and the lid is tall on a crowded counter.

If money is no objectNo. 6

Emile Henry Butter Pot, Flour

Our take. The French butter keeper from the French maker: Burgundy clay, made in Marcigny since 1850, with a 10 year guarantee.

Check priceAmazon

Made in: France (Marcigny, Burgundy)
Keeps for: Decades; 10 year guarantee against production faults
Type: Water sealed butter keeper
Capacity: About 7 oz (maker's figure)
Material: High fired Burgundy clay
Keeps: Up to 30 days at room temperature (maker's claim)
Care: Dishwasher safe
Guarantee: 10 years

Emile Henry has made ceramics in Marcigny, in Burgundy, since 1850, from a local clay fired high enough that the maker says the glaze does not scratch. The Butter Pot is its beurrier: pack the lid with butter, pour a half inch of cold water into the base, set the lid in, and leave it on the counter. Emile Henry rates the seal for up to 30 days without refrigeration. The pot holds about 7 ounces, enough for a stick and a half.

It is the heavier, handsomer version of the Butter Bell idea, in Emile Henry's matte Flour glaze, and it is dishwasher safe. The guarantee is 10 years against any production fault in normal domestic use, which is a long time to promise on a butter dish.

Skip it if you want to store a cold stick; this is for soft butter only. Amazon sells it directly, which matters because Emile Henry's own site often shows it sold out.

The catch. The most expensive dish here, and it stores soft butter only.

Compare the picks

Pick	Best for	Made in	Keeps for	Buy
Le Creuset Stoneware Heritage Butter Dish, White	Best overall	Not stated	Decades; stoneware with a glaze that resists chips and stains	Check priceAmazon
OXO Good Grips Butter Dish with Lid	The practical one, for either stick	Not stated	Years; the lid is the only part that can crack	Check priceAmazon
Creative Co-Op Pressed Glass Butter Dish, Green	The glass one	Not stated	Decades if it is not dropped; pressed glass has nothing to wear out	Check priceAmazon
Butter Bell Crock by L. Tremain French Ceramic Butter Keeper, White	The butter keeper, the original American one	Not stated	Years; the ceramic is fired hard and the only wear is a chipped rim	Check priceAmazon
Le Creuset Stoneware European Butter Dish, White	For two sticks or a European block	Not stated	Decades	Check priceAmazon
Emile Henry Butter Pot, Flour	If money is no object	France (Marcigny, Burgundy)	Decades; 10 year guarantee against production faults	Check priceAmazon

Compared.

Every comparison

East Coast and West Coast sticks

Both are a quarter pound and 8 tablespoons. The Elgin stick, east of the Rockies, is about 4.75 by 1.25 by 1.25 inches and ships two stacked in a long box. The Western stick is about 3.25 by 1.5 by 1.5 inches, four side by side in a flat box. The shapes come from the butter printers, the machines that cut and wrap the sticks: West Coast dairies re-equipped in the 1960s with printers that made the shorter stick, and the two halves of the country have never reconciled.

What it means for a dish: anything sized for an Elgin stick is long enough for a Western one but may be too narrow for its 1.5 inch width. The OXO is built for both. Le Creuset's Heritage dish is wide enough for most European sticks, which makes it wide enough for a Western one. A water sealed keeper does not care, because you pack it with soft butter.

Counter or fridge, salted or unsalted

Land O'Lakes says not to leave butter at room temperature for more than four hours, and that is the official line. Many households keep a covered dish out anyway. If you do, use salted butter, which keeps better than unsalted, keep the kitchen cool, cover the dish, and put out only what you will use in a few days. A water sealed crock is the better tool for the job, and the makers of both crocks here rate them for weeks.

Unsalted butter is the one to keep in the fridge, and to freeze; Land O'Lakes says butter freezes well in its carton for up to four months and should be used within 30 days once thawed.

Lids and seals

Most covered dishes have a lid that rests over the base. It keeps dust and light off and stops the butter picking up smells, but it is not airtight, and in the fridge an onion will still find its way in. For an airtight seal you need either a gasketed plastic dish or a water sealed crock. Of the dishes here, only the two crocks seal.

What we left out

Marble and acacia butter dishes are everywhere on Amazon and every one we found is sold by a third party reseller, so none is here. The same goes for the classic pressed glass dishes from the big American glass houses, which are sold on Amazon mostly by resellers. If you want one, buy from the maker.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best butter dish?

For the table, Le Creuset's Heritage Butter Dish: dense stoneware, a lid that sits down over the base, and wide enough for either American stick. For the fridge door, the OXO Good Grips dish, which is built for both stick shapes and costs about $15.

Which butter dishes fit West Coast butter?

The OXO Good Grips Butter Dish is designed for both Elgin and Western sticks. Le Creuset's Heritage dish is wide enough for most European sticks and so takes a Western one. The water sealed crocks take any butter, since you pack them with soft butter.

Can I leave butter out on the counter?

Land O'Lakes advises no more than four hours. Many households keep a covered dish out for days with salted butter in a cool kitchen. A water sealed butter keeper is the safer way; Emile Henry rates its Butter Pot for up to 30 days.

Should I leave out salted or unsalted butter?

Salted. Salt slows spoilage, so salted butter keeps better at room temperature. Keep unsalted butter in the fridge or freezer.

How does a butter bell work?

You pack soft butter into the bell shaped lid, put a little cold water in the base, and set the lid upside down into the water. The water seals the butter from the air so it stays fresh and spreadable. Change the water every few days.

Are butter dishes dishwasher safe?

Le Creuset's stoneware dishes, the Emile Henry Butter Pot and the OXO are rated dishwasher safe by their makers. Pressed glass and some ceramics are better washed by hand; check the listing.