How often do you use butter knives? (people)

[saibot]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

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.

I'll have to give it a try, because I can't imagine how a curved surface with a small point of contact would spread anything better than a flat surface with a large area of contact.

[harry chickpea]

Originally Posted by saibot

I'll have to give it a try, because I can't imagine how a curved surface with a small point of contact would spread anything better than a flat surface with a large area of contact.

I think you may be right on that and I overstated. Sorry. It may be that I'm just so used to the other that I find it easier - more with jellies and jams than butter. Something like this lives in my butter dish and never makes it to the table:

https://www.surlatable.com/sur-la-ta...O-3419389.html

[jtab4994]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

Do you use butter knives regularly, or are they going the way of the pickle fork?

Just curious, how do you spread butter if you've shoved them all to the back of the drawer with the pickle forks?

I thought I used a butter knife today to retrieve some mayo out of a jar but upon reflection I used a fork. But I use the butter knife for butter, PB, jam, avocado, and all kinds of stuff.

[HJ99]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

Heh! You just reminded me of my mother. She was NOT a good cook by any stretch, but she had an old paring knife that she must have had as a kid. That thing was brutally sharp, with a blade about as thick as three razor blades. Over the years of peeling apples, she had worn it into a tourné. That was an amazing knife. She once gifted me with a serrated spreader knife. When I moved to Florida I finally figured out what it really was for - it is the perfect grapefruiter. A regular curved grapefruit knife twists in the hand, and cutting segments often requires a second knife. The serrated spreader takes two passes around the half fruit, but by squeezing the fruit slightly you can get almost all of the fruit without any pith. Then it cuts the segments like a dream, not piercing the rind.

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.

Mom had an old CATTARAUGUS plain carbon steel blade black with age. She used that for everything except peeling fruit. I dont remember that CATTARAUGUS ever being dull. She had an old whetstone in junk drawer. It worked on the carbon steel, but you couldnt sharpen stainless with it. She would just occasionally buy a new stainless paring knife for peeling.

[aquietpath]

What else would you use for spreading condiments, peanut butter and jelly, etc? I use butter knives every day - I am surprised to hear some people rarely use them.

[k350]

Probably on average once a day.

[harry chickpea]

Originally Posted by jtab4994

Just curious, how do you spread butter if you've shoved them all to the back of the drawer with the pickle forks?

I thought I used a butter knife today to retrieve some mayo out of a jar but upon reflection I used a fork. But I use the butter knife for butter, PB, jam, avocado, and all kinds of stuff.

The pickle forks are in the silverware cases and pie safe, where they gather dust. My butter is soft - very soft. A previous post shows a bamboo spreader. The toaster oven is next to the butter dish, so it is bread/muffin/waffle out of the oven onto a plate, slather the butter, done. The stove is to the left, so when a pan needs butter it is scoop, move to the left, plop. The spreader goes back in the butter boat.

YMMV

[steiconi]

I would have called that a table knife, since there are special butter knives.

I use table knives for most of my spreading needs--butter, mayonnaise, cream cheese--and also for cutting food at the table.

I do also have the special butter knives, which come out for parties and holidays.

[Tallysmom]

I had spreaders that came cheese spread as part of a gift set. They were ugly as sin. But for some reason my husband really liked them so we kept them. Along with the spreaders that we had that matched our stainless. After he died, I tossed them. And I do find that I use my butter spreaders frequently for cheese spreads. I like cheese. My regular knives they’re kind of big for that job.

Small plate with some crackers some cheese spread and a little knife to do it with had a little bit of fruit works perfectly for lunch.

I’m actually still using the Oneida stainless flatware that I bought during my engagement from the Betty Crocker catalog. So I have everything and it all matches. Serving spoons, sugar spoon, ice tea spoons, ice cream spoons, seafood forks… All bought on the thrift plan at a dollar apiece and a lot of Betty Crocker coupons. And it’s a very nice basic pattern. Patrick Henry.

[elnina]

Originally Posted by saibot

A water-sealed butter dish (AKA butter bell) is overkill...

But for single people, people in extremely hot climates, people who are nervous about food safety, etc., a butter bell can be handy.

Yeah, single person in extreme hot climate. And a habit too. But you probably should know me better by now to assume that I am ever nervous about food safety...

Originally Posted by Charlie&Rose

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.

My butter knife stays "attached" to the cup, so it's always there when needed. Also a habit.