Butter on the table?

[Anon Inn]

For French Toast and dinner rolls, I put out individually wrapped butter pats. (taken out of fridge to soften a bit well in advance of serving). Previously, I put a portion of butter in a 1/2 sauce cup.
Does anyone have a better way?
I don't want to use the butter bells in water. Too fussy.

 

[gillumhouse]

I use individual domed butter dishes or if using a butter dish, I used a butter cutter to slice a stick into pat-size pieces. This one Handle the dome carefully - I now have a collection of them without the dome but still have at least 4 with domes. I use the no dome one for jelly and apple butter. They look awesome on the table.

 

[Morticia]

We used to use butter molds. Every night Gomez would melt a stick of butter and pour it into plastic candy molds. Stick in the freezer until morning. Put on small serving plates in the morning.
You can get molds for whatever matches your inn. Trees, flowers, wildlife.
What you should check is if your health dept allows this. We scraped a lot of butter in the trash everyday. You can't reuse it.
Now we're stuck with the little plastic single serve butter. No one here stocks the foil wrapped ones. These are beyond annoying because the peel back top glues itself to whatever it touches. Try peeling it off plates, tables and the floor.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

I found a miniature butter dish at a small store and grabbed it. Love it for small portions.
Or you could portion butter into small serving dishes like tea bag rests or condiment servers.

 

[Highlands John]

We have mini butter dishes with a lid too. We put a small pat with a curl on top in each dish.

 

[Anon Inn]

We used to use butter molds. Every night Gomez would melt a stick of butter and pour it into plastic candy molds. Stick in the freezer until morning. Put on small serving plates in the morning.
You can get molds for whatever matches your inn. Trees, flowers, wildlife.
What you should check is if your health dept allows this. We scraped a lot of butter in the trash everyday. You can't reuse it.
Now we're stuck with the little plastic single serve butter. No one here stocks the foil wrapped ones. These are beyond annoying because the peel back top glues itself to whatever it touches. Try peeling it off plates, tables and the floor..

"We scraped a lot of butter in the trash everyday"
Yep, did that too. The individually wrapped is better in that respect, but the inconvenience of having to open the butter, and the greasy mess that can get on your hands is something that as a guest I find mildly annoying. When we started, I would put small pats of butter on espresso saucers. The tiny ramekins I used next were better, but some guests did not touch them. The waste was a problem.
I'll stop whining. The foil wrap clearly is less annoying than the peel back
And I'll be on the lookout for mini butter dishes. That might do the trick.

 

[Anon Inn]

I use individual domed butter dishes or if using a butter dish, I used a butter cutter to slice a stick into pat-size pieces. This one Handle the dome carefully - I now have a collection of them without the dome but still have at least 4 with domes. I use the no dome one for jelly and apple butter. They look awesome on the table..

Gillum, those look great. Goes with anything and the glass has a nice clean look. Thanks!

 

[An Old Tavernkeeper]

We use the LandOLakes individual plastic tubs.

Less expensive than the LandOLakes Continentals, less mess, less waste

 

[OnTheShore]

So these mini-butter dishes you all are looking for -- what size and shape? A little dish to hold a tablespoon or two?

 

[Arks]

There's a restaurant in a nearby town where the owner goes around with a big block of butter and cuts off hunks for people who want butter!
They are still working to get that first Michelin star. ;-)

 

[JBloggs]

We use the LandOLakes individual plastic tubs.

Less expensive than the LandOLakes Continentals, less mess, less waste.

We use the LandOLakes individual plastic tubs.

Less expensive than the LandOLakes Continentals, less mess, less waste

This is in reply to Arks comment, but borrowing OT's pat of butter image...
My Dad tells the story, too many times in fact: When the iron workers all boomed out and convened at the diner counter for breakfast at 4am before hitting the job site and each day they would all be handed these tiny pats of butter and they would be lumbering to open these little things with their big rough calloused fingers... (you have to picture it, it is pretty funny!)
Finally Dad stood up (as he tells it, and it is probably true) and said "Please stop torturing us, either butter the toast for us or bring us a tub to use!"

 

[Arks]

I've had many encounters with packaging that can only be opened with a chainsaw. I have scars where I've gouged myself trying to open things with forks and knives.
Then there are the boxes that say "Press Here to open" and when you press, it just bends the cardboard in but it still won't open.
Life is hard, and packaging designers aren't helping.

 

[Kay Nein]

We have the classic glass covered butter dishes and buy butter in the 1/4 stick serving size and put one in it. I'm very particular about the butter being very neat & clean and looking like no one's ever touched it before. After breakfast, if it's been used I'll either cut the end off so it's a square again and put it on a new dish so it's clean and tidy OR I put it in a ziploc bag in the fridge to use with other recipes. My baked french toast calls for pouring melted butter over the top before baking. Or I'll use the old pieces on the griddle when making pancakes. So, it never goes to waste.

 

[Tom]

We use miniature butter bells - without the water in the base. They hold about 2 "pats" and fill very quickly with a spatula and a soft butter stick. For example http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Stoneware-Piece-Butter-Keeper/dp/B0001LFPCQ
People like them, they have held up well. They are covered so they appear more sanitary and reduce waste. We don't re-serve butter left over, but I'll use it for personal saute cooking.

 

[Silverspoon]

We use miniature butter bells - without the water in the base. They hold about 2 "pats" and fill very quickly with a spatula and a soft butter stick. For example http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Stoneware-Piece-Butter-Keeper/dp/B0001LFPCQ
People like them, they have held up well. They are covered so they appear more sanitary and reduce waste. We don't re-serve butter left over, but I'll use it for personal saute cooking..

We use the same ones...in the same way. Great minds!

 

[Joey Camb]

I use individual domed butter dishes or if using a butter dish, I used a butter cutter to slice a stick into pat-size pieces. This one Handle the dome carefully - I now have a collection of them without the dome but still have at least 4 with domes. I use the no dome one for jelly and apple butter. They look awesome on the table..

Gillum, those look great. Goes with anything and the glass has a nice clean look. Thanks!
.

ironically we were looking at these today as we have a local company makes organic butter and it comes in a roll - they do 2 styles like that but white - one like a very small normal butter dish with lid and one like the glass one of gillums but also in white.

 

[Joey Camb]

I use individual domed butter dishes or if using a butter dish, I used a butter cutter to slice a stick into pat-size pieces. This one Handle the dome carefully - I now have a collection of them without the dome but still have at least 4 with domes. I use the no dome one for jelly and apple butter. They look awesome on the table..

Gillum, those look great. Goes with anything and the glass has a nice clean look. Thanks!
.

ironically we were looking at these today as we have a local company makes organic butter and it comes in a roll - they do 2 styles like that but white - one like a very small normal butter dish with lid and one like the glass one of gillums but also in white.

 

[Silverspoon]

I use individual domed butter dishes or if using a butter dish, I used a butter cutter to slice a stick into pat-size pieces. This one Handle the dome carefully - I now have a collection of them without the dome but still have at least 4 with domes. I use the no dome one for jelly and apple butter. They look awesome on the table..

I use those for jam...they work well.

 

[Tom]

We use miniature butter bells - without the water in the base. They hold about 2 "pats" and fill very quickly with a spatula and a soft butter stick. For example http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Stoneware-Piece-Butter-Keeper/dp/B0001LFPCQ
People like them, they have held up well. They are covered so they appear more sanitary and reduce waste. We don't re-serve butter left over, but I'll use it for personal saute cooking..

We use the same ones...in the same way. Great minds!

.

I have been tempted to buy extras when they are not too dear as I could sell them - some people gush over the "baby bells".

 

[Silverspoon]

We use miniature butter bells - without the water in the base. They hold about 2 "pats" and fill very quickly with a spatula and a soft butter stick. For example http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Stoneware-Piece-Butter-Keeper/dp/B0001LFPCQ
People like them, they have held up well. They are covered so they appear more sanitary and reduce waste. We don't re-serve butter left over, but I'll use it for personal saute cooking..

We use the same ones...in the same way. Great minds!

.

I have been tempted to buy extras when they are not too dear as I could sell them - some people gush over the "baby bells".
.

I keep a big butter bell on our counter all summer. It makes life so much easier to just grab a hunk of butter without opening the refrigerator when preparing breakfast.