# What's your favorite butter or butter substitute? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 13, 2016, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-butter-or-butter-substitute/754724 "2016-05-13T22:46:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-butter-or-butter-substitute/754724/21 "2016-05-14T02:45:01Z")
> [@Periwinkle](#): > > The reason why unsalted butter is specified in many baking recipes is to control the amount of salt in getting the desired result. I have also read that unsalted butter has a shorter shelf life, and so is more likely to be fresh - there is nothing to disguise any “off” flavor. I regularly bake with salted butter and the full salt called for in recipes, and get no complaints. Maybe I like it salty, or maybe the difference really is too trivial for most folks to notice. As for the freshness issue, this is the one that I think is decades out of date: butter moves too quickly at most supermarkets today for freshness to be a serious concern. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-butter-or-butter-substitute/754724/22 "2016-05-14T03:24:19Z")
Costco Organic butter is the best price performance trade-off I’ve found. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-butter-or-butter-substitute/754724/23 "2016-05-14T12:23:03Z")
I’m with everyone else as far as “butter substitutes are the devil.” Personally, I use [Rochdale Farm’s Hand-Rolled butter](http://www.rochdalefarms.coop/#!butter/c1p0e). Really amazingly good, but pretty sure it’s not available nationwide. ---
**Author:** ![Me\_Billy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-butter-or-butter-substitute/754724/24 "2016-05-14T14:52:57Z")
I use “I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter” ---
**Author:** ![toast\_pakora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@toast\_pakora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toast_pakora)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-butter-or-butter-substitute/754724/25 "2016-05-14T16:18:28Z")
Organic Valley Cultured Butter (unsalted) is the closest I’ve come to “European flavor” butter, Lurpak or Elle & Vire. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-butter-or-butter-substitute/754724/26 "2016-05-14T16:37:36Z")
We usually buy Tillamook, as it’s a local product, but sometimes buy what’s on sale. I like Organic Valley, also. For a real treat, I might order some [Double Devon Cream](http://www.igourmet.com/shoppe/Double-Devon-Cream-Butter.asp) or one of the [French butters](http://www.igourmet.com/search/search.asp?keywords=french+butter&search.x=0&search.y=0) from [iGourmet.com](http://iGourmet.com) (caution: website not safe for your wallet). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-butter-or-butter-substitute/754724/27 "2016-05-14T16:49:47Z")
We like [Fleischmann’s Vegetable Oil Spread with Olive Oil](http://www.walmart.com/ip/Fleischmann-s-Vegetable-Oil-Spread-with-Olive-Oil-12.3-oz-2ct/10295051?reviews_limit=10&). As for butter, I like Tillamook and Land-O-Lakes. A lot of the time I’ll just buy whatever’s cheapest. I use butter as an ingredient, not a spread; so I only buy unsalted butter. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-butter-or-butter-substitute/754724/28 "2016-05-14T23:59:32Z")
No butter substitute or salted butter in my house. We use a local brand of slightly cultured butter. If I want to salt it, I will. We freeze the butter and take it down 1/4 lb at a time. ---
**Author:** ![MizQuirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/94ad74/32.png) [@MizQuirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MizQuirk)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-butter-or-butter-substitute/754724/29 "2016-05-15T14:39:29Z")
My goodness – what an array of exotic-sounding specimens! I had no idea these all existed; I’ve got to get shopping! My guess is that a doctor would advise us to stay away from all of it but of course if we did that, there’d be a lot of things we’d never even taste. Many thanks ~ ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-butter-or-butter-substitute/754724/30 "2016-05-15T15:55:13Z")
I was using I Can’t Believe It’s Not Better for a while (though I usually use a store brand of real butter) and I read the ingredients and nutritional information that turned out to be the same as a stick of margarine. So no more ICBINB for us. Mr. S insists on Land O’Lakes and claims can tell it from any other kind. We did try Kerrygold and were disappointed. I don’t know why it gets such rave reviews. It was yellow and greasy, like yellow Crisco, and didn’t taste like anything in particular at all. I still have a bit and use a little when cooking. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-butter-or-butter-substitute/754724/31 "2016-05-15T18:21:58Z")
> [@Me\_Billy](#): > > I use “I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter” I like it, too, but their new square-ish container bites the big one. I also like the blue packet sweetener better than real sugar, so, yes I’m a mutant. > [@salinqmind](#): > > I was using I Can’t Believe It’s Not Better for a while (though I usually use a store brand of real butter) and I read the ingredients and nutritional information that turned out to be the same as a stick of margarine. So no more ICBINB for us. Mr. S insists on Land O’Lakes and claims can tell it from any other kind. > > [You need to do one of those “All in the family”-Mike-Stivic-cola-taste-test-dealies and make him eat a lima bean if he loses](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nIgSwlk3Hc). 😉 > > We did try Kerrygold and were disappointed. I don’t know why it gets such rave reviews. It was yellow and greasy, like yellow Crisco, and didn’t taste like anything in particular at all. I still have a bit and use a little when cooking. ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-butter-or-butter-substitute/754724/32 "2016-05-15T23:56:46Z")
Just regular butter, no margarine or substitutes for me. It was something I started when I moved out on my own and decided I didn’t need the bright school bus yellow spread (or dead lard white in Quebec). When I was single, I found that buying real butter was a cost savings because a little goes a long way. At this point in my life, living with a popcorn fanatic makes it expensive though. In winter when he is really into popcorn I buy Imperial Margarine for his popcorn. Otherwise his snack is 10 cents worth of corn and $1.75 worth of butter congealing on the bottom of the bowl. Nasty. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-butter-or-butter-substitute/754724/33 "2016-05-16T00:41:01Z")
Whatever butter was on special on shopping day. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-butter-or-butter-substitute/754724/34 "2016-05-16T01:17:51Z")
Of the major brands I see in many stores, Lurpak. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-butter-or-butter-substitute/754724/35 "2016-05-16T01:23:07Z")
For spreading we use Mainland Buttersoft, it is pure butter but triple churned or something to give it a more spreadable texture. It needs to stay refrigerated though, if you leave it out and it softens too much it becomes hard when put back in the fridge. For cooking we use whatever brand of salted butter that is both cheap and a convenient size to fit in our butter container. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-butter-or-butter-substitute/754724/36 "2016-05-16T01:42:33Z")
Generally speaking, for cooking it’s whatever regular butter we can find- usually Sam’s Club. But for applications like fresh bread or others where the butter’s flavor is front and center, I tend to prefer the French butter made in Normandy(salted), or barring that, any other good salted cultured butter. ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-butter-or-butter-substitute/754724/37 "2016-05-16T01:49:40Z")
My spread of choice is Brummel & Brown yogurt spread. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-butter-or-butter-substitute/754724/38 "2016-05-16T02:21:38Z")
Another vote for Olive oil. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-butter-or-butter-substitute/754724/39 "2016-05-16T04:26:11Z")
Plugra. Unsalted. ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-butter-or-butter-substitute/754724/40 "2016-05-16T05:36:06Z")
I use margarine on toast or a sandwich, always have. I only use actual butter for cooking when I use it for flavour. Sometimes I have avocado instead of margarine if I’m having a chicken sandwich, but I don’t eat a lot of bread. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-butter-or-butter-substitute/754724.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-butter-or-butter-substitute/754724.md?page=3)