This Is the Most Beautiful Butter Keeper Ever — And It’s Such a Good Gift Idea

I’m the type of home cook who thinks a lot about butter. I mean, who doesn’t? That also means I’m the type who uses a lot of it, too. Over the years, I’ve learned how to sniff out new recipes that make butter the star of the dish, and I loved the butter boards that were trending earlier this season. But my absolute favorite way to enjoy butter is simply spreading it on my morning toast. 

That calls for perfectly soft, spreadable butter — no matter what my boyfriend will try to tell you, a cold slab of the stuff straight outta the fridge just won’t cut it. Last year, I bought a simple French-inspired butter crock for room-temperature storage, which works well and gets the job done. During a recent late-night online shopping session though, I found something even better — this butter keeper from Williams Sonoma. It’s by far the most beautiful thing I’ve ever put on my kitchen table, and it’s been worth every penny.

The Hammered Copper Butter Dish is a Williams Sonoma exclusive and retails for $39.95. I’ve loved every Williams Sonoma gadget, utensil, and tool I’ve met, so I had a feeling this one would exceed my expectations. Happily, I was right — it’s a truly beautiful piece of decor while also being a highly functional essential around my house. And at this price, it also makes for a great gift for any occasion whether it’s the holidays or a housewarming.

The butter keeper is made of two pieces — a hammered copper base and a glass domed top. The base is handcrafted by copper artisans in Turkey and lined with a food-safe tin interior. And let me tell you: That copper base positively gleams in the morning sunlight.

I also appreciate that it’s made to age with grace. As the dish gets older, the copper will take on a brassy, antique-looking patina. That’s all right by me, but it could be restored back to its original shine with copper cleaner. Like all investment kitchen tools, this should be treated with care: Washed by hand, then dried immediately.

The lid is made from delicate but sturdy glass with a just-big-enough knob to lift it up and off the base, and the whole set measures about 4.5 inches high and can hold a generous 8 ounces. Unlike water-based crocks, which can hold butter at room temperature safely for days, this one won’t slow the “funkification” of your butter, so if you don’t go through butter as fast as I do, you’d have to pop it in the refrigerator, copper bottom and all. If you store it in the fridge, let it sit at room temperature for a couple of hours before serving so it can soften.

Usually, my new butter keeper sits on the counter. Chillier temperatures help keep my butter at a moderate temperature while it sits out, and besides, it’s way too pretty to hide. And if you get one to gift, expect to see it sitting on their counter all the time, too.

I know this butter keeper will shine during holiday meals and dinner parties (literally and figuratively), but for now, this ultra-luxe butter crock is making me smile on the gloomiest of fall mornings.

Is a butter keeper a must-have for you? Let us know in the comments below!

Buy: Williams Sonoma Hammered Copper Butter Keeper, $39.95