Butter Boat

Liberty__Belle · 07-02-2012 4:22pm #1

I found an old post on this from 5 months ago but no resolution. I am looking for a 3 piece butter boat. Essentially, it looks like a regular butter dish but it sits in a dish of water.

I can find loads from the US but the cheapest price to post is 23 euro.

Has anyone ever seen one for sale in Ireland.

This is what I am looking for. Click here: http://www.amazon.com/Silvermark-S07068-Butter-Boat-Blue/dp/B001AMC24Y

Thoie · 07-02-2012 4:45pm

"insulated butter dish" search results give something similar, but I've never seen one that floats in water.

olaola · 07-02-2012 5:20pm

A friend made one of these for me - it's something similar to what you're looking for? (butter bell/butter keeper)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=butter+keeper&x=0&y=0

stevenmu · 07-02-2012 5:46pm

I believe they're originally a tradional french design. If you search for things like "french butter dish" or "french butter keeper" there's lots of results.

Liberty__Belle · 08-02-2012 9:15am

Yes it is similar to a french butter dish or a butter bell. However, internet searches are still bringing me back to amazon and a US site.

I can't justify paying approx 40 euro for something that costs 15!

rubadub · 08-02-2012 12:30pm

Liberty__Belle wrote: »

Essentially, it looks like a regular butter dish but it sits in a dish of water.

Why do you want the water? Is it simply to be airtight or do you value the tradition factor?

I remember that old thread. I was saying I guessed the traditional design came about as an easy solution to making airtight seals -i.e. years ago they had no silicone seals, or precision screw on lids etc, or it would have cost a lot.

On amazon people were complaining that the butter would often fall off and into the water.

I would imagine you can get a nice looking ceramic airtight butter dish these days with discreet seals. I have my butter in a little pot with a screw on lid in a press.

Liberty__Belle · 08-02-2012 3:28pm

I want the water because it keeps the butter at the exact correct temperature.

The butter can fall out of the butter bell but not out of the butter boat.

The butter bell has the butter inverted into the water - I do not want one of these.

The butter boat has the dish in a dish of water. this is what I want.

I am not explaining it well but if you click on the link in my original post you will understand exactly what I am looking for.

rubadub · 08-02-2012 3:41pm

Aha, sorry, I did not cop that the water was for temperature, I thought it was for sealing only. I don't really understand how it controls temp, or how well it could do it.

I thought the photo on amazon was just a dish & lid, and that the same dish was pictured twice.

I see how it goes together easier from this pic.

http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4963340_butter-boat-work.html

The porcelain keeps the water cool, and the water in turn keeps the butter cool. This results in soft, spreadable butter without allowing it to spoil. The butter boat can be kept on a kitchen table or countertop indefinitely. Changing the water in a butter boat every few weeks is recommended.

It will insulate a bit but I would have thought after a few hours it will get to the temp the room is at. Unless some evaporative action was going on, like putting wet towels on things can cool them.

Liberty__Belle · 08-02-2012 3:53pm

Interesting.

Well my only source is information is my grandmother had one and it worked. The butter was always at a perfect temperature. I agree with you, it would seem the water should just reach room temperature and should amke no difference.

But it does.

My grandmother got hers as a gift >20 years ago and this is why I am trying to replace it.

FTGFOP · 08-02-2012 11:20pm

Was your grandmother's dish glazed or rough, like terracotta? If it was unglazed it would have been slightly porous facilitating evaporation.

Remember seeing something on television once about the ancient Greeks being aware that unglazed pots would keep water cool. Because the pots were porous, a small amount of the water would 'sweat' out and cool the pot by evaporation.

boardtc · 12-11-2018 12:13pm

@Liberty__Belle I'm very interested to read about the boat! We have used a bell for years and did have that issue with butter sometimes dropping into the water. Our bell broke a while back and we miss it. Do you know a source for the boat in Ireland?

Fann Linn · 12-11-2018 12:17pm

boardtc wrote: »

@Liberty__Belle I'm very interested to read about the boat! We have used a bell for years and did have that issue with butter sometimes dropping into the water. Our bell broke a while back and we miss it. Do you know a source for the boat in Ireland?

I'd say after 7 years the butters melted.

boardtc · 12-11-2018 12:30pm

I found a Trudeau Maison on Amazon but pity one has to import from USA https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00NUXQKHG/

Dizzyblonde · 12-11-2018 5:59pm

***boardtc, please feel free to start a new thread on the subject because I'm closing this one - there hasn't been any interest in almost seven years.

Butter Boat

Comments