Chef'n 102-567-017 Buttercup Butter Maker, One Size, Lemon/Meringue

When I was small, my mother had a similar hand-shaken butter churn that she used to make soft, spreadable butter for multiple purposes. It was from a different manufacturer, but worked essentially the same way: you put heavy cream in the reservoir, let it warm to approximately room temperature, and then shake it until he fatty solids separate and form a mass. That mass is the butter, which, when fresh from the shaker, is soft, easy to work with, and has a pleasing fluffy texture.Mom’s old butter churn got damaged and discarded somewhere along the way, but I never forgot the taste and texture of fresh-made butter. When I saw this butter maker was available at such a reasonable price, I knew I had to have it. The butter I makes lives up to the memories I have from my childhood. Fresh-made butter spreads more evenly on breads and other surfaces, without tearing the bread, and disappears quickly into whatever you’re spreading it on, leaving behind nothing but the taste.Also, fresh-made butter is airier and more malleable than store-bought butter. This makes it preferable for baking and other cooking that involves mixing. When the butter is fresh from the shaker, it’s solid enough to stand up on its own, but also blends easily. Unlike refrigerated butter, which is rock-hard, or melted butter, which is pure liquid, fresh-made butter has a light, fluffy texture, which it conveys directly into the baked goods, which emerge with a much airier texture than you’re maybe accustomed to.Fresh-made butter does have its limits. It doesn’t keep as long as store-bought butter, for instance; the store-bought stuff can remain fresh for a remarkably long time, because it’s been so thoroughly processed that it has no impurities. Fresh-made butter, even if it’s rinsed and stored well, has a life expectancy of about a week, tops, so be prepared to use it quickly. Also, if you refrigerate it, fresh-made butter will remain airy, but it will turn shockingly hard and difficult to spread.This butter maker comes with clear, easy-to-follow instructions. It may take a few tries to get it right. They also don’t warn you that your cream will turn into whipped cream before it turns into butter; this doesn’t mean you’ve done something wrong, just that you must keep shaking. I threw out a lot of perfectly good cream before I realized this. The butter maker itself is simple, has no moving parts, and is easy to clean. Make sure you clean up under the silicone seal, which can trap food particles.Probably not everyone really wants fresh-made butter or can use it. But for ambitious home cooks, this is a slick addition to your kitchen arsenal, and you can tell the difference between fresh-made and store-bought butter when you use it. Your food, especially baked goods, will have a finer texture and a richer, earthier flavor. I look forward to trying fresh butter in more recipes in the future, as everything I’ve tried it so far has been improved by its taste and texture.

I use 1 cup heavy whipping cream, which is half of the pint in the picture. I set it out for 5 hours on top of the refrigerator where it's plenty warm. Then my husband shakes it for 5 minutes. Rinse it while still in the shaker until the water comes out clear. Stir in 1/8 tsp of salt. Put it in a cheesecloth and gently squeeze out the water. Then we put it in the butter bell and leave it on the counter until it starts smelling funky! Which is about 3 weeks. Change the water in your bell every few days.

I gave this a 4 star as after the 5th time using this, it started to leak just a little. It takes just 3 minutes, and the homemade butter is really creamy tasty. Also my cats like the milk part that you remove. I bought this with the intent only to try homemade butter. At a min of 5 plus dollars for butter, this is a deal and it has paid for itself in the few times I used. Easy to clean too. As for the little bit of leaking, I just wrap a paper towel around when I shake it. I buy the heavy whipping cream from Amazon Fresh as well.

This butter maker was quite easy to use, fun to do, and made delicious soft butter.The instructions are printed on the outside of the bottle which is nice. I tried it the first time with a full cup of heavy cream. I recommend starting with only half that. I ended up taking some out just because of was hard to hear when I was shaking it if the cream inside was still moving around because it was quite full to start with.It took me only about 5 minutes of shaking to be able to hear the obvious separation of the liquid and solid. All of a sudden the sloshing sound was very noticeable. I shook it for maybe a minute more before I opened the top and drained the buttermilk out. I then rinse it 3 times until the liquid ran clear. I added some salt (a little too much so go lightly) then stirred it up and spread it on a piece of fresh sourdough bread. It was soft and flavorful.I don't know how often I'll do this since you have to put the cream in the bottle and let it sit at room temperature for 6-8 hours before shaking, and it's really not any cheaper to make it versus buy it, but it is absolutely delicious!When you wash it use plenty of hot soapy water as it is greasy in the bottle.

We had fresh baked sourdough with Christmas dinner so home "churned" butter seemed to be called for. Fun to make and know how simple butter really is. We added just a bit of salt but look forward to enhancing with other flavors. Even used the buttermilk byproduct to marinate some chicken cutlets that we fried the next day. (Pro tip: buy a butter bell to store your fresh butter in. You won't regret it!)