Why Every Home Cook Should Own a Butter Crock—Plus, Our Favorite Options on the Market Right Now

If you love to spread butter on bread, on toast, on waffles, and pancakes but find cold, hard butter far less appealing, it's time to get familiar with the French butter crock, also known as the butter keeper. With a butter crock on your countertop, you'll never need to plan ahead to ensure there's softened butter available for that fresh loaf of bread, and you'll never have to worry about the safety of keeping butter on the counter overnight so that it's soft for breakfast.

Not to be confused with a lidded butter dish for storing butter in the refrigerator and bringing out at mealtimes, the butter crock goes one step further. It was invented sometime long before refrigeration to keep butter fresh and spreadable. The French claim to be the originators of this butter crock or butter keeper, and that's why you'll find French butter crocks for sale; it doesn't mean the crock was made in France but merely indicates it will keep butter soft—not melted—and fresh on the countertop.

The style of crock we know today likely appeared in the 19th century. It's a two-part design with a base that holds an inch or two of water and a bell-shaped or circular cup that holds the butter. When the cup is place over the water-filled base it creates a seal. The lid of a butter crock is always tight fitting and and this, together with the water, is what keeps the butter fresh. Best of all, there's no need to refrigerate—a butter crock is designed to live on the counter.

The water in the crock will need to be changed around every three days, the butter in the crock will stay fresh much longer than it's actually likely to last (around a month), because you'll be busily spreading slices of toast and the butter is likely to go fast. The one caveat is that you need to keep an eye on your room's temperature. You butter crock should be kept in a room where the temperature is below 80°F, and it's important that you make sure to change the water regularly.

Luckily, that maintenance is simple enough, which means you can enjoy the pleasure of soft, spreadable butter whenever you need it.

The bright colored enameled exterior of this stoneware butter crock is stain- and scratch-resistant. The interior is glazed, the knob is easy to grip when removing the top, and the cup of this crock holds six ounces of butter.

Shop Now: Le Creuset Stoneware Butter Crock, $42, lecreuset.com.

Many butter crocks hold four ounces, but this glass butter keeper is larger and holds eight ounces (or two sticks) of softened butter. Not only does it mean more butter is always available to you, but it also makes it easy to see how much is left at a glance.

Shop Now: Food 52 Extra-Large Glass Butter Keeper, $38, food52.com.

From Burgundy, France, this ceramic beurrier is made by a family-owned company that has been producing cookware for over 150 years. It is available in eight colors and is dishwasher safe. As a testament to its durability, it comes with a 10-year guarantee.

Shop Now: Emile Henry Butter Pot, $49.95, surlatable.com.

Cool and elegant, this marble butter keeper holds eight ounces of butter. It's a bit more delicate than other options, so you'll need to wash it by hand.

Shop Now: Crate & Barrel French Kitchen Marble Butter Keeper, $24.95, crateandbarrel.com.

Made to order by a ceramicist in Idaho, this beautiful stoneware crock comes in a variety of colors and glazes, including the blue option shown here.

Shop Now: Jolynn Hook Pottery French Butter Crock, $35, etsy.com.

Handmade in upstate New York, this crock has a smooth white glaze on the inside, but the exterior is made from raw, unglazed stoneware. Each piece is wheel-thrown and will have slight variations in shape, size, and color.

Shop Now: The Farmhouse Project French Butter Crock, $44, thefarmhouseproject.com.

Sleek and simple, this ceramic butter crock is available in matte black or ivory.

Shop Now: Butter Bell Classic, $26.95, wayfair.com.

This handmade stoneware crock comes from a small pottery in Olympia, Washington. It's about four inches in diameter and three inches tall, and it can easily hold a stick of butter.

Shop Now: M.Bueno Butter Keeper, $34, etsy.com.

The prettiest decorated stoneware crock, this patterned option is made in Poland. It's dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.

Shop Now: Blue Rose Polish Pottery Mosaic Flower French Butter Dish, $68, target.com.

A cheery presence on the counter, this porcelain butter crock holds a little more than one stick of butter and is dishwasher safe.

Shop Now: Sweese Butter Keeper with Ring Handle, from $15.99, amazon.com.

A simple glazed stoneware crock that holds up to a stick of butter never goes out of style. This one must be washed by hand, but it's worth the effort.

Shop Now: Norpro White Butter Crock Keeper $8.26, walmart.com.