You butter get one of these

I have to say that this is one of the coolest little kitchen gadgets we have bought in a long - long time.  Not the toaster but the innocent little crock located right next door to it.  It's called a Butter Bell - and if you use butter - you need one (buy it here).

Why do you need one?  Well, simply put, one of lives often missed pleasures is the spreading of fresh, creamy butter on toasts or homemade breads.  Fighting with stick of hard butter from the fridge just isn't the same.  And don't get me started on those nasty butter substitutes that "look" like you think butter is supposed to look and "spread" like you think butter is supposed to spread.

That's just gross.  There's nothing yummy, natural, or overly healthy about those hydrogenated spreads of strange oils, colors and flavors that try and approximate the real thing.

While I'm not advocating some sort of "all butter, all the time" lifestyle, I do think good organic butter is a real treat.  And what the butter bell does is use cool water to seal the butter from the atmosphere - keeping it fresh at room temperature.  As you can see, the butter is packed in the top of the bell where it's yummy-ness waits for you to separate the 2 halves and display it's golden goodness.

I have been making homemade bread for years - and I have to honestly tell you, this little investment in butter storage makes that first warms slice all the much more tasty.

Comments

[Meme Riedy]

What an absolutely beautiful toaster.

[Andy]

Look the the right - that's the Butter Bell :)

[Meme]

The butter bell is really a great idea, but the toaster, Oh, what a beautiful sight!

[Second (pre-season) CSA share]

[...] salt and some good unsalted butter (organic or grass fed is best) and you might as well get one of these too.  Cut the bread into small slices about 1/2″ thick, spread the butter on [...]