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mine never sees the light of day from its divider inside the kitchen drawer.
I use a sharp thin steak knife to cut 1 tbsp slices from cold butter for recipes;
I use a spoon to dig out mayo or peanut butter or jam/jelly;
I use a rubber spatula to get that last 5% from the bottom of a jar
mustard + ketchup now come in squeeze bottles
I never reach for, or think about a butter knife.
I ate fresh baked bread today,
I used the rounded side of a clean spoon to dab a bit of softened butter on,
Of course!! I keep my butter on countertop, in a Chinese teacup with lid, covered with about 1.5" of water. It keeps the butter at the perfect spreading consistency and water creates an airtight seal that keeps oxygen away from the butter (oxygen is what turns butter rancid).
A water-sealed butter dish (AKA butter bell) is overkill for us because with five butter-eaters around, a stick of butter doesn't last remotely long enough to go rancid. I just keep butter in a glass dish with a lid. This is the actual one we have:
I would never think of anything else to use, but a butter knife for spreading butter, peanut butter, mustard ect.. I always set the dinner table with a butter knife too, whether we need one or not.....unless we do need a steak knife.
I would never think of anything else to use, but a butter knife for spreading butter, peanut butter, mustard etc.. I always set the dinner table with a butter knife too, whether we need one or not.....unless we do need a steak knife.
Exactly. People use spoons to butter their bread? That's up there with using paper towels for napkins as something I had no idea people did.
A water-sealed butter dish (AKA butter bell) is overkill for us because with five butter-eaters around, a stick of butter doesn't last remotely long enough to go rancid. I just keep butter in a glass dish with a lid. This is the actual one we have:
But for single people, people in extremely hot climates, people who are nervous about food safety, etc., a butter bell can be handy.
I too have a glass butter dish, that I keep in the fridge. The trouble is it gets slippery, and hard to handle. Someday I am going to have a buttered floor. LOL
But butter knives don't need to be sharp, although the Zyliss serrated edge is pretty useful. The blade is sharp enough to cut cheese, tomatoes, cucumber and other components of a sandwich.
Nope they dont, you could use a pop sickle stick to spread soft butter for all it matters. I just mentioned that spreader knife cause I got it with bundle junk knives. Never seen one like it and at time I was sharpening any junk knife I came across just to see if I could. Including some junk "miracle" knives no sane person would ever try to sharpen, its how one learns about metals used in knife making. I really had no use for it and its just in box with most of the rest of them.
I will say my favorite paring knife is a four star Henckels (German made) that I got cheap in very rough condition. People abuse even expensive knives. Seriously what fool would put a $50 knife in a dishwasher and break off tip opening a paint can or something? I think I have a Wusthof Classic utility knife which is about same as the four and five star Henckels. Very nice. Its not just the metal but also the shape/profile. I have run into some knives that took nice edge but are fat pigs and not much fun to use. By way the German Henckels though similar to the old second tier Spanish made Henckels International, is subtly better. Not sure what it is about it cause the old Spanish Henckels are a good knife when sharp. The French knives are good too though much wider variation in quality than German ones, have a lion head Sabatier that is my regular use chef knife. Reminds me, it really needs bit sharpening, I noticed its not as sharp as used to be and thinking its been over a year since I sharpened it. I just havent bothered, but it takes bit more force than it should..
Not only the high end knives that can be nice. After the Henckels, my next favorite paring knife is an old USA Ekco Flint Arrowhead former small bread knife that I shortened, removed the serration and sharpened as a regular knife. Most bread knives (serrated knives in general) are not high quality steel, this one is. The handle fits my hand (many paring knives have too small handles) and its really nice as paring knife. Gives the Henckels a run for the money though the Henckels slightly edges it out. You want a bargain and know how to sharpen knives, the older USA made Ekco Flint Arrowhead knives are about as good as you will find. NOT THE CHINESE VERSION. The older USA made Chicago Cutlery knives pretty good too, but they have a following and sell high, more than they are worth usually. Avoid the later ones when they cheapened them and finally made them in China. Another easy search, look for any that say vanadium on the the blade. They tend to all take and keep good edge.
But I have a small set China made knives from Aldi, guess back in 90s. They came horrible dull new and I am surprised I never threw them away. Had assumed they were just cheap junk. But wow they took/keep really nice edge and cut well. These werent fancy at all and havent ever found another China knife as good. Same with a Tramontina (Brazil) paring knife with rosewood handle I got for $1 new from some Dollar Daze sale at small local hardware way back. Same knife used now sells $12 on Ebay. Its much like the old Chicago Cutlery. Oh cant forget some of old carbon steel knives. One my ex brought into our marriage, made in Taiwan, just cheap carbon steel butcher knife bought in some super market when she got her first apartment. I fought that thing for lot years as our go to knife, could get it almost sharp. Well I eventually found it under old refrigerator when it went to appliance heaven. For giggles sharpened it, now knowing how to sharpen. Amazing, its super sharp, nothing like we struggled with all those years. Carbon steel knives (not stainless) are great and easy to sharpen very sharp, but you need to immediately wash after use, and apply some mineral oil to them after use and not let them rust. Oh and I have a little carbon steel cleaver that says Utica NY on it from 1950s. Sure it was never sharpened in its life and somebody had pounded on top edge with hammer to cut bone or frozen food or something. I sharpened it to use as a knife for chopping like a traditional Chinese cleaver, and it does quite well. Too light weight for a true cleaver, but nice as a chopping tool, it has some heft compared to lot "chef knives".
My butter stays out as long as a week. I have never had it go rancid. (I know what rancid is, on a trip around the U.S. my brother and I brought a stick of butter into Death Valley. OH. MY.)
With small amounts of butter, a spoon spreads it more evenly. If your toast is the size of Oklahoma, a flat knife might be indicated.
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