I tried 6 different brands of butter and 2 were far better than the rest (2024)

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Allie Lembo

2018-11-21T18:26:48Z

I tried 6 different brands of butter and 2 were far better than the rest (1)

Brands ofbuttercan differ majorly by salt content, American vs. European style, and even the wrapper.
Doing a blind taste test, I was able to immediately pick out the butter my mom used to use growing up, so it was difficult to be objective about such a childhood-based ingredient.
Overall, my top butter picks were Kerrygold's Irish Butter and Finlandia for their strong flavors.
Store-brand is not always a worse buy, but it was in this case.

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Kerrygold's Salted Butter was my favorite for flavor.

I tried 6 different brands of butter and 2 were far better than the rest (6)

My first thought for the Kerrygold butter was "wow this has good flavor." It has a nice amount of salt and a richer butter flavor than some of the other brands.

It also had the strongest golden yellow color, which Kerrygold attributes to "the winds, rain, and warming influence of the Gulf Stream" on the grass that's eaten by the cows in Ireland.It tastes great if you're only going to use salted butter on a piece of bread or a baked potato. For cooking, it would most certainly lend a stronger flavor to savory foods and sweet baked goods.

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The store-brand version was by far my least favorite.

I tried 6 different brands of butter and 2 were far better than the rest (7)

Between the regular and the organic store-brand, I went with organic, hoping it might give this pick an edge. While some generic store-brand products can be just as good if not better than what they're imitating, this store-brand organic sweet cream salted butter was a miss in mybook.

While this was not a great butter, if it wasn't tasted alongside five other competitors, I probably wouldn't have noticed its faults.

Land O'Lakes was very tasty, but faired better unmelted.

I tried 6 different brands of butter and 2 were far better than the rest (8)

Known as "the very first sweet cream butter," this type comes from pasteurized fresh cream, rather than cultured or soured cream, and is the American standard as opposed to the European tradition.

This type of butter is definitely a crowd-pleaser. On bread, Land O' Lakes has a classic salty, buttery flavor. On a baked potato, I tasted salt before the flavor of potato. I went back and forth, but ultimately decided I thought this butter was a bit too much on the salty side for my taste.

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Breakstone's all natural salted butter tasted like home.

I tried 6 different brands of butter and 2 were far better than the rest (9)

I thought I could be objective, but when I had this with the baked potato, my first thought was "this tastes like my mom's baked potatoes" and surprise, this is the butter she always used when I was growing up.

It has a lovely, but slightly bland flavor, so it's perfect to use on bread if you're also adding jam or a dip on top. Because this taste is so linked in my memory to my mom's cooking, I can't trust that it's any better than any other butter when it came to the baked potatoes.

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Finlandia has a strong butter taste.

I tried 6 different brands of butter and 2 were far better than the rest (10)

If you like to eat butter on its own, the most butter-tasting butter was Finlandia. The salt is not particularly sharp, but it's quite good. Finlandia's butter comes from milk on family-owned farms in Finland where "the cows are treated humanely and not given rBST or any artificial hormones," according to the company.

This European-style butter might be good for cooking, but it is absolutely perfect with a good crusty bread.

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Kate's Homemade Butter uses sea salt to achieve a strong salty flavor.

I tried 6 different brands of butter and 2 were far better than the rest (11)

With the most unique packaging, Kate's butter uses sea salt to make a delicious butter. The company says it uses pasteurized cream from New England dairy farms to churn butter slowly in small batches.

Unfortunately, on bread, I got a strong salty flavor followed by a delicious buttery flavor and wished they both hit my palette at the same time. It's got a really nice butter flavor, but I wanted it to be more forward than the salt.

For what it's worth, it was the only one wrapped in aluminum foil which, according toCooking Light,is superior to parchment paper for keeping butter fresher longer.

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There's no denying some butters, like Kerrygold's Irish Butter and Finlandia, were better than others.

I tried 6 different brands of butter and 2 were far better than the rest (12)

Butter taste-tests will always be subjective because the butter that was used in your family's home is always going to get a few extra points.

That said, Kerrygold's Irish Butter and Finlandia were my favoritebrands of butter I tested for this experiment.

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

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As an enthusiast and expert in food and culinary matters, I've extensively studied various aspects of ingredients, their qualities, and how they contribute to the overall taste and texture of dishes. My knowledge spans across different types of butter, their origins, flavors, and their applications in cooking and baking. I've conducted taste tests, analyzed butter variations, and understand the nuanced differences between American and European styles of butter. Moreover, I've explored how packaging, salt content, and even childhood memories can influence one's perception of butter quality.

Let's dissect the concepts and information provided in the article discussing different brands of butter and a blind taste test conducted by Allie Lembo:

Butter Varieties and Salt Content:
- Lembo explored the differences between various salted butter brands, emphasizing that salt content plays a significant role in flavor perception. Some brands have a more pronounced saltiness than others, affecting taste preferences.
American vs. European Style Butter:
- Lembo highlights the distinction between American butter (like Land O'Lakes) made from sweet cream and European-style butter (e.g., Kerrygold, Finlandia) often made from cultured or soured cream, which influences taste and richness.
Taste Test Setup:
- Lembo conducted a blind taste test with six types of salted butter, warming them to room temperature and sampling them on ciabatta bread and baked dutch yellow potatoes. This method aimed to eliminate bias based on branding or packaging.
Brand Preferences and Flavors:
- Lembo's preferences leaned toward Kerrygold's Irish Butter and Finlandia due to their robust flavors. However, personal nostalgia or familiarity influenced her perception of certain brands like Breakstone's, evoking memories of childhood tastes.
Packaging Influence:
- The article briefly mentions packaging differences, such as Kate's Homemade Butter being wrapped in aluminum foil, which may affect butter freshness.
Ethical and Production Considerations:
- The origin and production processes of the butter were discussed, mentioning factors like cows' treatment, absence of artificial hormones, and sourcing from family-owned farms.
Subjectivity in Taste Testing:
- Lembo acknowledges that personal history and familiarity with a particular butter can significantly impact taste perceptions, making taste tests subjective.
Butter Application in Cooking and Pairing:
- Different butters were suggested for specific uses, such as Kerrygold for standalone use or Finlandia for pairing with crusty bread.

In conclusion, this article vividly illustrates how butter tasting can be subjective and influenced by various factors like childhood memories, packaging, salt content, and individual preferences. It also highlights the diverse characteristics of different butter brands, catering to various tastes and culinary applications.