5 Best Butter Brands, According to Chefs
Butter makes everything taste better. Many people use it daily, and whether you’re baking, greasing a pan or adding it to a dish for flavor, it’s a kitchen must-have. But not every brand delivers the same flavor, texture or performance. The right butter can enhance whatever you’re making, so Eat This, Not That! asked chefs which brands they keep in their refrigerators.
Vital Farms
For chefs who want butter with a little more flavor, pasture-raised butter can be a standout choice. Vital Farms earns praise for its rich color, fuller flavor and ability to hold up well when cooked, making it especially useful for sauces and finishing savory dishes.
“Vital Farms is the butter I keep in my own kitchen,” says Steve Ingber, executive chef & owner, MileHighCook. “The pasture-raised cream gives it a deeper color and a fuller flavor than most supermarket butter, and it browns without breaking.” He adds, “On a pan sauce or finishing a steak, that difference shows up on the plate.”
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Extra Creamy
Not every chef reaches for traditional butter. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Extra Creamy has won over one culinary pro who says its creamy texture and subtle sweetness can complement a variety of foods.
“I’m usually met with a lot of resistance when I tell people I use this; that’s until after they taste the food prepared with it,” says John Miller, chef and caterer, Owner of Miller’s Catering Company and Family Food and Beverage. “The fresh cream gives it a sweetness that pairs well with items like corn and seafood.”
Kerrygold
A higher butterfat content can make a noticeable difference in both flavor and texture, which is one reason Irish butter is a favorite among many cooks. Kerrygold is a staple in one home chef’s refrigerator, where both its salted and unsalted varieties get regular use.
“I always keep both salted and unsalted Kerrygold in my refrigerator,” says Marissa Stevens, home chef, founder and recipe developer at Pinch and Swirl. “It’s an Irish butter with a higher fat content, so it’s creamier than most U.S. butter, with a richer flavor and more body.”
Plugrà
When butter is the star ingredient, quality matters even more, and Plugrà comes highly recommended by the co-founders of a cookie company.
“Butter is the most important ingredient of our sablés. It’s the principal flavor of our cookies, so it’s imperative to choose the right one,” say Jeremy Mandrell and Anne Ng, co-founders of Butternubs. “As a European-style butter, Plugrá gives us the rich, creamy flavor that makes Butternubs so buttery and decadent.”
Strauss Unsalted
For cooks who want more control over seasoning, Strauss Unsalted is an easy choice.
“I prefer European cultured butter because it’s much more flavorful. I look for high butterfat content, so Strauss Unsalted is my favorite because I like to control the amount of salt,” says Mary Sue Milliken, co-chef/owner of Mundo Hospitality Group.