Decorative yet functional, this stoneware butter dish can go from refrigerator to microwave to table. The European style is designed to hold two sticks of butter.
Before refrigeration, butter stayed fresh when immersed in water. The stoneware butter crock from Le Creuset uses that same principle, keeping your butter spreadable at room temperature. To use, pack the cup on the underside of the lid with six ounces (about 1-1/2 sticks) of butter. Fill the crock one-third of the way up with cold water. Invert the lid/cup into the water and an air-tight seal is created. When you're ready to spread, open the lid and set it on its wide, flat knob. Change the water every few days for best results.
Made in France of high-fired stoneware with a non-porous enamel glaze, the butter crock won't absorb odors or flavors, resists staining and chipping, and is dishwasher-safe. A choice of colors embellishes the exterior of the jar and lid in a graded fashion, from dark to light. Le Creuset also makes kitchen canisters and spice jars in the same traditional French country style, in matching or coordinating colors. Each makes a great gift and is covered by a lifetime limited warranty against defects. --Ann Bieri