Side by Side Comparison of: HIC Harold Import Co. vs Norpro vs Fox Run

Works flawlessly. Is true white in color. I first tried the Norpro brand butter keeper but it was an odd color so I returned it. This butter crock by Mrs. Anderson's is closer to pure white. It came well packaged and has been keeping our butter spreadable and soft without fail. The only problem with this is that now we eat more delicious butter on our bread, pancakes, and waffles.

Was very happy with this item, have been searching locally to no avail and have looked on ebay and they're so expensive! This one is reasonably priced. For those who don't know what this is used for, it is a way to keep butter soft and at room temperature without going bad as quickly. You put butter in the top, fill the base about a quarter of the way with water and insert the top, butter side down, into the base. Make sure you do this over the sink to allow for any excess water to run out. Also, you need to change the water periodically (they say every few days but once a week seems fine and is more practical).

I love this Butter Bell and have given many to others as gifts. I love to cook and like to have softened butter on hand when I need it. My family loves having soft butter for their toast or muffins in the morning. This product does exactly what the description states. The seller is easy to order from, has great communication, and ships items ordered immediately. If you want fresh tasting, soft butter available in your kitchen then this product will work well for you. Butter remains fresh for up to 21 days! I also use two others for the handmade cream cheese spreads that I make and keep on hand for my family.

Does exactly as advertised. Holds one stick of butter. Bring butter to room temperature before cutting up and pressing into mold.

When it arrived I thought it looked small. the cup will hold 1 cube of butter. Others stated the butter fell out, I took note of that and let the butter soften a bit so I could smash it into the cup and it has not ever fallen out. I when replacing the water I put ice water into the cup up to the top and let it get cold (my kitchen is warm) dump the water then add 1/4 cup ice water then invert the butter cup into the container with water. Love not having a messy butter dish to deal with. I wish they would make a larger one for when guests are over you won't rkun oiut of soft butter. Love this product and will be giving as Christmas gifts to my daughters.

This is the second butter keeper I bought because I found that having just one made it difficult to have enough soft butter at all times without having to wash it out in order to reuse immediately. This way when one gets low I simply fill the spare one and refrigerate it until needed. Then the emptied one can just go in the dishwasher to be cleaned and then refilled at my convenience. I have never had butter drop out of either butter keeper but depending how well it is packed in initially and how hot the kitchen is I suppose the butter could slide out into the water.

I love, love, love, this butter keeper. It works great. So easy to use and love not having to pre soften my butter. I change the water out every other day with cold water. Never had an issue with it melting or sliding out at all. when it gets low just refill with more butter couldn't be easier. So glad for this purchase.

I love this thing, and my butter never went rancid in it. I live in Vegas but keep my house air conditioned 24/7 at about 75F. I leave this thing out on the kitchen counter and switch out the water every few days. Never had to use ice water. I pack the butter real well every time, and clean it out thoroughly every time I have to use a fresh stick. Works great and I have fresh butter every time I have my toast. So worth it!

I bought 2--cannot stand hard butter. I live in South Florida where butter melts if left out on the counter or table. The "Butter Bell" keeps it soft and spreadable without it turning to liquid. Works great and it is attractive. Everyone comments on it.

I'd have never thought to keep butter out on the counter 24/7 until I got this.. The butter stays fresh and soft for spreading. Nite: do remember to change the water every other day. Make sure the cup is totally dry, or the butter may slip out into the water. No harm, just put it back after you dry it all.

I love this product so much everyone in my extended family got one! I appreciated the packaging and quality of this product so that I could ensure no one missed getting already soft, fresh butter for their bread. Just an inch of water in the bottom, changed weekly, and the butter lasts a month, or could if it weren't used quickly. I shove a stick into the circle in the lid, ensure the butter's not softened too much first. Very happy with this.

If you like to have spreadable butter for bread this is the item for you. I hate taking cold butter out of the fridge to try and spread on toast or bread. The butter is contained in a recess and stays submerged under water keeping it fresh and soft. I highly recommend this butter keeper.

There is nothing like having soft butter to spread on your toast. I've used mine for years and now I give as gifts to butter users. Very old fashion method of keeping fresh spreadable butter.

Best price. I have paid $30 for like products. I have given these to all my children and as wedding and Christmas gifts. They keep the butter fresh and are so much more sanitary.

I've wanted one of these for a long time but never thought it was worth the 25.00 - 35.00 that I've seen them priced at. Then I happened to find this one on line. 12.00! And it works perfectly! No more torn bread or rolls!

A butter bell is one of those things I will think of getting every so often (I had one ages ago), but then forget about it..........until I see one at a specialty store.....for $50....and I just can't see spending $50 for a butter container! I saw this one on Amazon, the price was right, and I've been very happy with it. I have a 'thing' about hard butter....as in I don't like it.....so a butter bell is the perfect solution for anyone who wants fresh creamy butter. The butter holder is a generous size and it's easy to clean. If you do get one, always make sure to change the water in the base every 2-3 days..........and if you plan on going away, put it in the fridge - don't leave it out on the counter --- we went away for a week. and it was mold city when we came back...completely forgot about the butter bell before we left! Great product - great price - I'd recommend.

Nice unit. Hadn't seen one of these in decades and wonder why lost their popularity. Great way to save butter without worrying about bugs and dust and dirt getting into your butter while being kept on the countertop. My wife had never heard of these before and she loves it. She's thinking it would be a great Christmas gift for friends next year.

When looking for a natural alternative to the unhealthy butter like spreads it dawned on me, "what's more like butter than butter?" And of course butter is a natural product nothing added except maybe salt. I searched for a crock or butter bell and the Norpro had a basic design and a low price. I used my Cricut and some vinyl to embellish the exterior. It holds one whole stick (1/2 cup) of butter at a time. I live in Georgia and was worried about the warm air melting it. The butter does stay soft and has fallen out once or twice but I'm not sure if that was environmental or User error.We also learned not to put new butter on top of old butter - we got mold. I have seen mold in the water but change it every few days and started using one drop of Nutribiotic - Gse Liquid Concentrate, 2 fl oz liquid every time I change the water. We no longer have any mold and can spread fresh butter on any bread without lousy hydrogenated substitutes! My heart valves thank you Norpro.*update 7/18/14 * ~I still love this little butter keeper!

I had one just like this before we moved and i needed a replacement. This is perfect and i use it all the time to have perfectly spreadable butter on hand.

This is working great. It keeps the butter at a good, spreadable temperature. It's hard to find a good time to clean it, though.If it continues to work well during the summer, when a skylight makes our kitchen extra-warm, I'm going to buy a second one so that I'll have one to use while the other is in the dishwasher.

WHAT A FUN PIECE OF COUNTER DECORATION AS WELL AS IT IS EVER SO HANDY. Plus the conversations it begins by those never having seen one of these. I particularly like the container I bought since the shape is a little different but not different enough to be 'weird'.BUT . . . It has been increasing my butter consumption, I believe! It is so easy to reach for the little pot of room temperature butter, just awaiting your knife taking a tad to spread it on whatever tastes good with butter (everything!) or your spoon to place a bit or more than a bit of butter on your veggies, oatmeal, or whatever tickles your fancy​. Delightful! New and novel, or to me it is. I thought it might be difficult remembering to change the water a couple of times a week. It has not been. I change this water when I take some butter. Easy. No big deal. I love the little, cute square pot of room-temperature butter always available with no pre-mess or fuss. Try one - you also may enjoy it.

I was introduced to a butter crock 30 years ago, and thought the concept of keeping butter soft in a ceramic container with some water without refrigeration was clever. I chose this butter crock for its low price and simple shape. It looks elegant sitting on a dinner table or kitchen counter. The lid's shape allows easy handling, and provides a place to rest your butter knife. The butter crock requires 1/2 cup of cold water to keep the butter soft and safe from exposure. Using the butter crock for the first time was simple, after leaving a stick of butter to soften at ambient temperature, just slide the bar of butter into the crock and pack it down with a spoon making sure their are no voids. I have no problem that the crock only holds 1 bar of butter, I think that prevents to much butter going to waste if it spoils. I learned if you change out the water every 3-4 days the butter will not go bad.I live in a humid tropical environment (80-90 degrees F) and sometimes I forget to change out the water and the butter is still good, and never falls out of the container. If the butter crock goes empty I will give it a wash, what normally happens in my kitchen if there is still some butter remaining I will just fill it up again. The quality and low price made it an immediate purchase. I highly recommend this to everyone who is new to using butter crocks.

Out of the fridge, very cold water in the surrounding container keeps butter protected at the perfect temperature! Cool enough and sealed, to prevent from going rancid, yet just soft enough to spread.I cut a stick of butter in half and waited for both halves to become soft enough to press into the bell-shaped container; filled the surrounding well about 1/3 full of the coldest possible water from the tap, then put the butter-filled container in the well. When not using, keep in the refrigerator and it keeps long enough to use up the stick.

i had low expectations for this item. have been keeping the butter on the counter in one of those plastic rectangular dishes for years now. it was ok, but very unattractive and messy.knew about this type of crocks and always wanted to try it, but was skeptical that it would work right. So, i had a gift card and got it.it holds just one stick of butter. i left the stick outside until it completely softened up and used a butter knife to pack it in the crock. the butter was so soft that i thought when i flip it over it would slide out, but no....nothing happened when i flipped it over.put .5 cups of water in the dish, closed the lid and have been using it for 3 weeks now. I absolutely love it. the butter has never slid or even moved just a little bit towards the water. the temps have been in the high 80's, even 100's outside, so it's not that the butter has seen just cold temps and that's why it stays put.in short, i'd get it again any day. would highly recommend it. love the modern look too.if they make one for 2 sticks of butter, i'd get it in a second. but i still love this one.11/13/11 update - still use it and still love it. wish it would hold more butter. would buy it again without hesitation

My butter keeps getting moldy but it might be because I'm not changing the water out regularly. My parents have the same one and love it.

Its a great piece of crockery to have. I would have liked it better if it held more than 2 sticks of butter at a time; but it looks so good on the dining table that I don't mind transferring butter sticks every other day.Quality is decent; not chipping despite me accidentally dropping it on floor multiple times.

It looks ok, does the job, but it holds very little. On another note, the butter is supposed to hold be out of the fridge only a few days anyway, so if it were too big, I'd probably end up dumping a lot of butter in the trash. I'm the only one who cares for soft butter in my house, everyone else's likes it cold from the fridge.

I've had butter bells/butter keepers in the past and this is a nice little sturdy one- holds a whole stick of butter, and looks very nice on my counter.good product- and was shipped wrapped up in bubble wrap- good packing.

just the right size, takes one butter stick. looks neat on the table, easy to use with a spreader.worked like a charm during winter for obvious reason, the house is maintained at comfortable temperatures just right to keep butter soft - still to see if butter really remains fresh even during summer season. Also once the butter quantity goes low in the cup, the butter becomes too soft and just falls into the water when inverted - this again would be summer only issue.

I bought this dish for the color. I didn't want white and reviews said this was more of a cream which is exactly what I wanted. I also have the marble one on Amazon which is a tad larger and heaver, but don't know if that makes any difference. I would recommend it.

I did not know what to expect when I bought this. I just knew the old fashioned glass butter holder we have been using weren't cutting it. I'm loving room temp butter than spreads smoothly. No more worries about ants getting into it, and the water seal assures the butter stays fresh longer.

I have only one complaint: I am barely able to grip the end of the holder. I'm worried about it slipping out of my hand, especially if I get butter on my fingertips!

I tried using this with the water in it for a while, but it's really kind of a pain. So, I've still been using it, just upside down with the handle on the bottom. Works great like that!

Not sure yet. First trial the butter fell right out into water by the next use. You really have to soften it first and container completely dry. Seems OK now. I'm a little worried about butter lasting because my house gets hot all day when I'm at work.

It looks pretty and works well. My only problem with it is that it is quite small. Holds a stick of butter which means if it's almost empty I can't put a new stick in because it won't all fit. I wish it was twice the size.

I like the butter keeper especially in the winter. The butter is soft enough to spread on bread, toast, etc with no tearing of the food. Good product and quality. Very happy with this product!

Over the holidays, while visiting family my niece always kept her butter out to keep it usable. I bought this for her and she loves it. She went out of her way and cooked items for several days, just to use the butter keeper. She said it was one of the best gifts she's ever gotten.
I use one myself and am very happy with it.

Great for the price. Exactly what I needed, fast shipping. Only issue is the lip used to pull the dish out of the water is quite small; would be much easier to remove if the lip were larger to enhance grip.

Nice product for my favorite butter. Because it does the job, I find myself using more butter. Ah, another curse in the kitchen.

I didn't use this butter crock because all of my dinnerware is pure white. This crock was off-white to light khaki in color so I returned it.

There's a few blemishes on the crock itself, and a crack inside of it, but it don't effect it's function at all. It's handy having room temperature butter when I need it since I bake so often.If you're using a regular stick of butter I suggest getting the butter to room premature before you try to install it into the bell or else it'll just fall right out.

I bought this as a gift for someone who mentioned they wanted one of these. The instructions were a little hard to follow and it doesn't seem worth the effort to use it.You have to put in spreadable butter to start (aka warm the butter first) so it's not like you can grab the butter from the frig and your ready to go. This makes it a bit of a hassle.It's a nice solid material and it works after you put the effort in. I like the white color as it matches almost anything. I wouldn't buy one of these for myself though. Guess I will only have lovly spreadable butter when I visit the inlaws.

I've never had one of these Butter"Bells" before so I didn't quite know what to expect. It is keeping my butter at an excellent spreading consistency. The base and the bell-lid don't fit perfectly and it's a bit difficult to figure out how much water to put in it but I think I'm getting the idea. Maybe transparency would be good but then it might not keep the butter cool enough. Watch for dripping water when you remove the bell. I did have to return the first one because of a crack in the base but all in all I would order from this company again.

This butter keeper does a very good job keeping the butter fresh.

Had a butter keeper before but I dropped the lid and it broke in pieces. This one just doesn't seem to work as well; keep finding the butter floating in the water; maybe it's just me, but I'm not as happy as I was with the old one.

Have not used it for raw butter yet, so cannot comment on extending the life of it yet. Using it for store butter, it seems to work alright. if the water is cold, the butter is hard. If the water is room temperature, the butter is spreadable. The only thing that is slightly aggrivating is if the butter is not packed in, like you wiped the knife off on the edge, that butter will end up in the water. Other than that, it looks cute, and stays clean. I like it

This is an attractive item for the kitchen. My only complaint of this product is the lid being so warped. So far I have not had any issues with insects or bugs getting into it, but that is not to say it will not happen at some point. The butter stays fresh and I do love being able to spread butter on a roll or bread with no hassles.

My wife likes it and it does keep the butter soft (but not too soft) and fresh a pretty long time. The only thing for me is whether or not it is a worthy replacement for a regular butter dish. You have to load the thing with butter and then keep track of the water. You can't tell by looking at it whether there is any butter in there or not. Definitely qualifies as a 'fancy' purchase.

I once saw a french butter keeper at a boutique and thought the idea was brilliant. I can't believe it took me so long to actually buy one of these useful little crocks! I really like the square design and functionality of this particular butter keeper. It holds one stick of butter and the lid sits nicely on the counter for easy access and usage. The summer months here are hot and dry and I have had no problems with rancid butter. That could be because we use it up pretty quickly, though.

Butter doesn't stick in the cup, so falls down into bottom of the crock. Not a problem, except for if you're using the water as suggested, which lead to the butter going rancid in a few days (first time that's ever happened). As such would work just as well if it was just a lid.

The first time I discovered a Butter keeper I was pretty blown away. I never knew this was possible to server butter, and I certainly appreciated and loved how soft the butter was when you need it. I saw one in a friend's house, and the same day I saw it I ordered one for myself. Now, this is where I explain why I only give this three stars. I do not know if it is because my friend has a better branded butter keeper, but I found that with this one, the butter kept falling out of the container. So when we lift the holder, I find the butter sitting in the pool of water. The other thing I noticed is the instructions indicate to fill it with water, but my friend only fills it with enough water to cover the lip of the butter container. Either way, I tried both methods and have found that the butter falls out. So at this point I am not sure if this is because of an inferior product, or if there is something at play here. So over all, I like the idea of it....just not as good in use from this particular one.

Works good. Shipped good and quick. But I was so excited to use this, and I found out quickly it makes your butter moldy very quick, if you get one Change the water out much more often than instructed. If you have grown up with these then you know that, but I didn't. Wish the instructions mentioned that part.

It works, but will not hold up in the really hot weather, i.e., will have to put in the refrigerator during the day since my kitchen is not air conditioned. Even in this moderate May/June weather, the butter can become much too soft ank.d melting within an hour or so. However, when I've taken it out of the fridge, it softens a little more quickly than in other containers, so it's a help. Also, I'd prefer the stoneware to be whiter (it's slightly grayish). Possibly another material (porcelain?) will maintain butter temperature more evenly, but I suspect stoneware would be better at this task.

This does what it is supposed to in that you put butter in it and place it in water and it keeps it fresher longer. However, the butter has slipped out more than once. This is really annoying. My mother has one that is sloped the opposite way to that the mouth is a smaller diameter. That way, when you press the butter it, it doesn't slip out as easily. I should have thought of that when I was looking to buy one. It works well enough for a reasonable price and free shipping with Amazon Prime.

The round isn't quite "round" and is more oblong. This makes it difficult to place the top part into the bottom part or to remove when needed. I am considering returning and buying a different brand. I recall king Arthur online shop had a nice one that lasted me years until it was broken accidentally.

The item came chipped. There weren't any pieces of the chipped part in the box, so it tells me someone knew it was chipped, yet they still sent it to a customer. Otherwise, the item works. It stays soft outside of the fridge for three days, then change the water in the basin. If you don't use it, mold will grow. So, if you know you don't need soft butter stick it in the fridge.

I find the butter keeps falling down into the water. Maybe I am not packing the butter into the top part properly. My sister turned me onto this type of butter keeper and couple years ago. She doesn't seem to have any issues the style she owns.

Very well made & great price. It's just kind of awkward for me with the round part on the bottom & the other piece sitting on top of it. You have to make sure you grab the bottom part first so you won't drop & break it.

I guess I hadn't thought of gravity. This gadget is well made and probably works somewhat ok for some people. I filled the cup end with semi soft butter and packed it in, did the water thing too and set it on the counter. The next morning when I removed the top, the butter contents stayed in the cup with the water. So, that's the end of that. The only reason I gave it more than one star is maybe someone else has a better way, but I DID follow instructions.

This got good reviews but I was disappointed in this item and in myself. I've never had trouble with moldy butter here in upstate NY- perhaps that's a problem in warmer climates. But I've been buying grass fed butter from a coop that comes scooped into a plastic quart container and I wanted something nice looking to put on the table and was intrigued by this concept. I tried repeatedly packing the butter into the tub but it fell out each time I tried to use it! Now I am using it upside down from its intended use- I didn't need the water trap anyway. It looks fine on the table that way but in retrospect a covered sugar bowl could have served the same purpose for less expense.

I love the idea! And it was a great investment. Perfectly soft butter. However, its square shape is a problem. The two parts of my container don't quite fit together and sometimes it's a struggle to separate them. Design flaw....

I was super excited about this share butter saver that matches my kitchen a lot better than a traditional round one would have. It looks great has smooth edges and such and is true white. The one downside I found is that the opening is not a true square so if I have the top turned the wrong way it will not go into the base. It is still functional obviously I just have to turn it the other way but it can be a bit annoying.

I got very little use out of this product.It is much larger than expected. I couldn't use all the butter before it started to go bad.The water needs to be changed often & is something I forgot to do because I don't use butter every day.This might be great if you go though butter fast, but that is not me.

About 10 years ago I purchased a butter keeper from Ikea, and when we moved last year it got lost (along with a bunch of other kitchen stuff...I blame my in-laws ;) Anyway... since I can't for the life of me find another identical one and Ikea seems to be out of the butter-keeper business, so I tried this one. It is very cute, but not nearly as practical as the one I had from Ikea.

This is supposed to prevent mold. It did good until this week. Don't know why it had some mold in it but I may not have had enough water in it. I added more so we will see.

The sides were not square. Each side was somewhat crooked. Also, the directions say that it can keep butter for up to 7 days. I ended up returning mine and spent the extra few bucks to get a white Butter Bell. It was better quality and its directions say it can keep butter for up to 30 days. I have it 3 stars instead of 2 because the seller refunded my money, which I really appreciated.

The butter doesn't get very soft and it turns moldy within a week. Not like the one my grandmother had.

It stated that it was white and when I received it, it was a cream color so I sent it back.

The butter bell is too deep and the container too small so it doesn't fit a lot of water. In the warm months the butter falls out into the water. Am checking out other designs.

Wasn't the model where a whole stick could be put in and kept soft......I should have looked at the details more.....I am sure it is a good product if this is the style you like.....

I don't like this product because the butter I put in it never stays in the cup. Whenever I took the cup out to get the butter, the butter would fall out.I wasted my money.

This does what it said it would, I just don't like having to clean out the water and whatever else gets into the bowl of butter. Gave this away within a week and will continue to use the countertop butter keeper that uses a ceramic dish over water in the base. Much cleaner.

I've had this for a while now and must confess that I am not thrilled. The butter keeps falling from the top into the water. I don't know if I simply need a better quality item or not. I have a friend who has a butter crock (different maker) and she is very, very satisfied with it. I've tried adjusting the water level and still end up with the same result. All in all, this has been a disappointment for me.

Don't get me wrong the idea is amazing, and my family has used butter keepers for many years, but this one has an issue with sealing or something because my butter always gets a top film of mold within days! I've ran many experiments, different amounts of water to see if the water seal was the problem, cleaned the dishes out every time with soap and water then vinegar and water to make sure it wasn't bacteria from the dish, but the film of mold is on the outermost layer of the butter, first it gets slightly whiter yellow and then comes spots of green.

Also, the ring "handle" you're supposed to pick up the suspended butter part from is not only a very small surface to grab onto but also very slippery, so take extreme care or you'll drop it.

I don't know if my product was a defect but I'm really disappointed.

The directions are horrible so I have no idea how much water you are supposed to add and the butter keeps falling out of the top. I don't know if it just doesn't work or if I'm doing something wrong. Looks nice though and made well.

I really like a classic design, and the size is right. However, the glaze suffers a pattern of hairline cracks all over. Seller denied knowing about this, even though crazing is caused by "a mismatch between the clay and the glaze" according to one seemingly reliable website. The result is that water seeps into the crazed cracks, and possibly. Bacteria, as well...

LOL! It does work! Be sure you add water to the bottom. But not too much. Because when we did the butter did fall out of the cup. But besides that this works as it says and is beautiful!

***Recently returned this. Butter kept falling out into water. SAD

The item received was unfinished on the lid grabber and had some cosmetic defects there and around the lip. It seemed smaller in the pictures, but I didn't measure. I could not get a good grasp on the top to comfortably pull the bell out. Too bad because for the price it seemed okay.

Spend a couple of dollars more and buy a better quality Butter Bell. As others have reported, the base on the container that holds the butter is too short and it is difficult to remove from the storage container. I also experienced mold in this Butter Bell and I have never had that problem with two others that I own.

I love butter dishes. Problem is the water seal or something is defective with this one as my butter consistently molds after only one week. My fiance also liked to make fun of me for purchasing technology from the middle ages for butter storage. I guess this is what we have refrigerators for.

I have two butter bells that I use in my home. I bought this one to use at my office. This butter bell doesn't seem to be the same quality as the two more expensive ones I purchased. It may be a design flaw; however, I couldn't tell you what that may be as they appear to be very similar by sight -- except for color and outside decorations, etc.M. Bittner

Butter keeper arrived with a crack along the 'handle' of the lid (the same location when inverted for serving, would be in contact with the table top). This same lid lip arrived partially unglazed and I promptly returned it before it had a chance to scratch my table/counter tops. Could be a great product if it was slightly better made, but seriously, what do you expect for $10?

Very thin, compared to the Butter Bell brand. I would recommend paying the extra to get the Butter Bell, which is much heavier. I have both, and much prefer the heavier version. I bought this one to put in my RV, and have since replaced with the Butter Bell.

2 stars because I love the concept and I love white porcelain, BUT I never got it to work! Could not figure out how to keep the butter fromdropping into the water. I am experienced in the kitchen - but this model of butter keeper is beyond my expertise!Cannot recommend for the intended purpose but you can use the water keeper part for a few things like putting the butter directly into it,without the water of course.

I loved the shape on this and the white color. Problem is that base and lid are not perfectly square. This causes a gap where the top moves around on the base. Because of this, the butter is not kept away from air, hence could go rancid and mod actually crows up in the corners. It does the job but the design is flawed. I am on the look out for a better unit.

The crock came and it holds less butter than it appears, the outer crock makes the entire piece alot bigger. The pot itself is made out of a very inferior porcelin and has alot of specks of black that almost make it appear dirty. Definitely doesn't meet up to a serving piece for dinner parties. Also does not sit properly on base so there is gapping. I don't think I would recommend this product as I purchased a round one similar from another vendor and found none of these issues.

While this butter keeper looks very chic, it is not a good buy. Two related defects keep me from recommending it: The lid does not have equal sides. It is absolutely necessary to align matching sides when you lower the butter-dish into the water. If you don't, you risk at worse, breaking it; at best, having it get stuck so you can neither open nor close it. The inexactness of the measures also keeps the better from being closed air-tight. I marked a side with nail polish, so everyone sees how to align matching sides. It avoids problems but doesn't help the look.

This butter keeper is made of very thin porcelain. The base was broke in the dishwasher (top shelf) after first use. Could not see the break, only found out it was broken when it was filled with water, and it leaked all over the counter. I like the size and shape. It would have served me well if it would have held up. If you do buy this item, I would only hand wash it.

First as to butter bells in general, I purchased this item as a replacement for a prior "stoneware" butter bell. In reading reviews on Amazon, it seems that butter bells often have quite finite service lives. Apparently, (i) the glaze on the ceramic often develops small cracks, and once it does, (ii) butter gets under the cracks, and (iii), once that happens, butter placed in the bell will quickly go rancid even if the bell has been washed in the dishwasher. This certainly happened to my old one, and inasmuch as this one was relatively inexpensive, I thought I would give it a try.When I received this butter bell, I liked the shape and design. Unfortunately, there was a small area in the bell where glaze was not properly affixed, and the raw porcelain was seemingly exposed. Knowing my prior experience with glaze issues and the comments of others in relation to the same, this one went back. If there had been a "replacement" option on the return, I probably would have taken it since the bell seems no worse than others, and I liked the square design.Finally, I'm not sure what the differences between "stoneware", "ceramic" and "porcelain" are as to butter bells (or even if the manufacturers are applying the labels correctly), but this "porcelain" bell seemed to me to be made from the same kind of material as the prior "stoneware" model.Update 7/5/2012:I ordered a Norpro to replace this butter bell. Its holder was cracked when received, so I had to return it. Since I had to send that one back, I thought I would give this one a try again.Just received the replacement, and I'm sorry to say that this one has a raised rough spot on the lip of the bell as well. It looks like that the glaze has at least adhered to this one, so I'll give it a try, but I am not impressed with their quality control.Update Early 2013:Down to 2 stars. Well, the glaze crack beast discussed above has raised its ugly head. The butter has started to go moldy in this one as well. I think that the design of the bells does not lend itself to long term usability.

Advertised as white but was not white. Was a beige off white color. Returned it because it did not go with my kitchen at all.

It is not white. I got it a a mothers day gift for my mom as she just had her kitchen redone and the picture on the box is white and the add description says white so I didn't think to open it beforehand. I just gave it to her and it's almost a tan it's so NOT WHITE. It doesn't match her kitchen and I'm so disappointed.

My butter keeps falling off into the water. I have tried really pushing it into the top holder, but still doesn't work. Are all French butter keepers like this?

Others consumers have rated this object quite highly, which frankly puzzles me. Every time I've opened it, I found the butter floating in the water, even though I am careful to fill the little cup with softened butter. It's still fresh, mind you, but it's a nuisance to fetch your wet butter out of the cup.I'll repurpose it as a salt box, but that's only because I discarded the box before I began to find this issue more than I was prepared to countenance.

The butter fit (rather poorly)into the water so that the butter container is above the butter. As a result, the butter is likely to fall out of the container, and into the water. Very messy outcome!

I purchased this butter keeper as a replacement for an earthenware one that developed crazing of the surface over time, because of the continuous exposure to water. This one said it's made of porcelain, and I was sure it wouldn't have the same problem.Only it's not porcelain. It's stamped clearly on the bottom, "earthenware". I'm returning it as soon as I post this review.

cracked

Had to change water daily.

I am having trouble having my butter not fall out into the water? I've had to throw away two sticks of butter. I'm wondering if I just need to return it?

Not very happy the butter falls out

This product appeared used, the box was worn, the product was wrapped in used colored tissues paper, the product was dirt and has a hairline fracture which caused the water to leak on the counter. Very disappointing.

I couldn't even use this once because the two pieces separated, the knob came off, and I got a shard of glass in my finger. Seemed very shoddy. For the price, not worth returning, but I would never buy it again.

Butter falls out.

Handle on the top is too small.

This thing is a joke. Take lid off and butter falls out in a big clump. I guess you still have to store it im the fridge, even though the package says it can go without refrigerator for 30 days.

The top does not sit tight so air is getting in causing the butter to mold. There is a crack . Would like a replacement but I gave it as a gift and just found out it is defective but is past by just a few days the 30 day return. I have one and it works great so believe this one is defective . Just need a replacement.

A friend of mine has a butter crock and I've been coveting it for awhile. But I don't eat much bread and therefore, have little use for butter. But when I saw this one for less than $10, I couldn't resist. I should've known better.The main problem is that the fit between the two halves of the crock isn't tight enough to get a good seal when filled with water. In less than a week, my butter started to get moldy and I just threw the whole thing out.My friend has never had butter go bad in her crock -- which is a more expensive version -- so when I have the extra cash, I'll probably upgrade to a Le Creuset version.

Disappointed in this product . Butter got moldy and it falls into the water. I have one by another company that works perfectly. The cover is not mesh with the dish which may be why it doesn't work as well.

Cheaply made and poor quality control. The square top part, which holds the butter, is supposed to fit into the square base. The top part was not square; it was slightly rounded, and with unequal sides. Thus it would not fit into the base easily.

I bought this as a replacement for the Trudeaux Porcelein butter boat which got broken. This was eligible for Amazon Prime. I think that's the reason I switched. I was very happy with the butter boat.I don't know what I am doing wrong but every time, I lift off the top I find the butter has fallen out and is submerged in the water - extremely messy. I've packed it in firmly. It has only been in the 70s here so it is not very hot.But this just does not work for us. My husband just asked me if we could please use this for something besides butter. Maybe I'll use it to store sea salt and just pretend like the top part is only a cover.

This product has been sent to me twice after returning first as being defective. Make you wonder when the box in arrives in says "Keep in a cool place". The bottom portion on the second is warped as was the first. Being it made of a china material I assume it was fired, seems someone placed in a hot place rather than as the box suggest. Not worth what paid for it. Amozon was nice about the return. Not returning the second, just throwing it away, not worth the time.

Very dissatisfied with this product. Got it shipped and the quality control I discovered after opening the box is terrible. How it passed inspection, I don't know. The bell top wouldn't fit into the bottom in any direction! The bottom is mis-molded, the sides were bowed into the base, and the top would get stuck half-way into the base. No quality control. Returned, will buy a better one, not from Fox Run.

I didn't have the time or energy to mess with a return, but I was disappointed in this product. It was shipped with just the inside butter holder and the outside casing is missing (the white box that protects the butter). So basically it's useless. I have been disappointed lately in the items I am receiving through Amazon. Usually, when I buy Amazon Prime items, I get what I pay for; however, recently I've received damaged or incomplete items or items of questionable quality. I am wondering if Amazon is getting to large to manage itself. I can say, that when I return items, Amazon is excellent about crediting and replacing things. Better than any store. UPS picks up right at your door. A great service.