Sweese French Butter Dish with Lid - Butter Crock for Counter with Water Line for Spreadable Butter - No More Hard Butter - Matte Finish Black

I got the neutral color, it’s kind of like a greige but not obviously grey either, it’s truly neutral. I thought it might be a tinge yellow from the photos. I included a photo of the butter bell next to a 17oz SWEESE mug in white so you can gauge the color difference. It matches nicely with my countertops. Very easy to set up and a lot less mess than a butter dish. Better looking than a dish too, so much neater, less counter space taken as well. All around a high recommendationfrom me. I would recommend to have a butter spreader as well instead of a butter knife or a spoon which would be next best.The tips included (in photos as well) warn to keep away from heat, and to keep house temp below 80-85* F and to refresh water about twice a week. Sweese will also send a replacement if your butter bell arrives broken, so no worries. Mine came perfectly. Love sweese

So I've owned the Sweese Butter Keeper Crock for about six months now, and think it's absolutely amazing. I've converted from margarine (when I was a kid) to Smart Balance (because it's way better than all that hydrogenated nonsense, and you can cook with it, too) to just plain old butter. The problem was just keeping the stuff in working order. You know, cold butter tears toast instead of spreading nicely. And I could never remember how to bring it out of the fridge 10-30 minutes before I wanted to spread it: not too cold, not too soft (like what happens when you just leave it out at room temp, especially in the summer).Enter Sweese. I got to shopping for a butter boat, one of those rectangular things with a lid, and stumbled on the whole idea of a butter bell/ crock. Sweese had a low cost of entry, so I decided to give it a shot. I got mine in the summer (it's now dead of winter), and it worked like a charm. I was honestly surprised at the non-intuitive way butter would actually stick to the upper portion ("bell") without sliding down into the water, and how the bit of water kept everything fresh. Wonderful analog, low-tech solution! I do notice that the crock does respond to ambient temperature; even with A/C in the summer (around 75 F in the house), the butter is very soft (perhaps more so for some tastes), and in the winter (around 68 F), it's much stiffer but still pleasurably spreadable. The point is, some people may want to hunt around the kitchen for a spot that's more temp-stable and store their crock there (I keep mine by my plates in the cupboard).Now onto the problem referenced in the headline. The only problem I've had with the crock was after my kids washed the crock: the butter had the annoying habit of no longer sticking to the sides of the bell but plopping down into the water well. Kinda gross (no actual spoilage, just the whole 'water and oil don't mix thing'), and definitely not convenient to fish out the butter and repack it into the bell and hope for the best. Finally I decided to re-wash it myself. Problem solved. I suspect that either the kids didn't wash it completely and left just a hint of oily residue in the bell (allowing the ceramic to not have quite the same stickiness to grip the butter).The bottom line is that my crock is back in perfect working order. If any other customers are having a similar problem, I'd simply recommend hand-washing with Dawn in very hot water, then allowing it to dry completely. You should be as satisfied as I am.

This butter Crocker is the best way to keep butter fresh on the counter. It also looks great and isn’t bulky on the counter. I have zero complaints!

I'm not quite sure what the deal with the water is, unless it's to keep the butter cool in warm environments. Being I live in the Coastal Pacific Northwest Rain Forest, this is not an issue. I tried the water deal, but I didn't like having wet butter and the little drips that came off the crock and threaten whatever toasted something you are eating, so I'm throwing caution and moisture to the wind and forgoing that part. Besides, they recommend changing the water every two to three days. What? Who's gonna remember to do that? Not moi. The unit holds just about a stick of butter at a time and the seller cautions against introducing fresh butter into the remaining, so you will need to use up what's in there. No biggy. Having to hold the butter containing lid in one hand while removing what you need and applying it to your recipient is an operational glitch they didn't fully realize. Try buttering toast with one hand. Okay, it can be done, but not without additional steps and maneuvering. Kinda irritating, actually. You also can't estimate a tablespoon sized serving from its cylindrical crock like you can from a stationary stick on a tray. So try not to get too frustrated with recipes. Just adapt. In the age of an infantile, dangerous president, and considering the ravages of our record breaking pandemic (I'm Number One On Facebook! Space Force! Super Duper Missiles!), these are first world problems and should not rise to the usual level of reviewer indignation and despair, and the hysterical DO NOT BUY!! admonition that our bossy consumer saviors enjoy demanding from us unwitting suckers. Where this sleek little hot-rodded baby really shines is in design and efficiency. It takes a small footprint, it doesn't look like a butter dish or display its messy contents like a glass lidded one, and it comes in several pleasing decorator colors. Additionally, if you are buttering the skin of a big bird, it is very handy to be able to hold, slather, and maneuver around your sacrificial fowl. Or kinky partner. A solid 4 Stars with no regrets. Butter me, Batman.

This product is very useful and a nice addition to your kitchenware. The butter stays soft and lasts longer! It doesn't take up too much space as well. It is high quality for a reasonable price.