I Blind-Tasted 10 Butters to Find Out Which One Really Is the Best—The Winner Is Under $5

They say butter makes everything better, and we couldn’t agree more. But let’s face it: not all butters are created equal. With so many choices in the grocery store—from cultured to sweet cream, blocks to tubs to sticks—it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. We put a spread (literally) of popular options to the test in the Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen and tasted them the best way we know how: slathered on thick toasted bread. After sampling our way through the lineup, one inexpensive grocery store brand rose to the top, earning top marks for its texture, flavor, and well-balanced saltiness.

How We Tested the Butters

Each of the 10 butters was blind tasted at room temperature with toasted artisan bread. The butters were ranked from 1 to 5 on flavor, spreadability, color, mouthfeel (creaminess), salt level, and whether or not our tasters would repurchase the butter. Our recipe tasters included BHG Test Kitchen experts, recipe developers, food editors, BHG editorial staff, food stylists, and more.

The 10 Butters We Tested

We tested a combination of cultured European-style and sweet cream-style salted butters. Here's the list in no particular order:

1. Finlandia Butter Perfectly Salted Imported - 8 oz.
2. Trader Joes Cultured Salted Butter
3. Le Beurre Bordier Churned Salted Butter
4. Plugra Premium European Style Salted Butter
5. Trader Joe’s Salted Butter Quarters
6. Kerrygold Grass-Fed Pure Irish Butter - Salted
7. Store Brand Salted Butter Quarters 
8. Lurpak Danish Butter Slightly Salted
9. European-Style Salted Amish Butter
10. Old-Fashioned Amish Butter Roll

The Best Butter Taste Test Results

While I loved all the butters (seriously, how could they be bad?), there were three that stood out. And all our fan favorites ended up being European-style cultured butter.

Easiest to Spread: Kerrygold Grass-Fed Pure Irish Butter - Salted

There's nothing more eye-twitch-inducing than snagging your knife and tearing the bread when you're trying to butter a piece of toast. Our taste testers felt Kerrygold's grass-fed butter spread easily and evenly. In addition, some tasters called out the "good balance" of texture, flavor, and salt levels, while others called it a "favorite" among the butters. Kerrygold butter is widely available and easy to find on store shelves, making it a great option for your morning toast.

Best Mouthfeel/Creamiest: Finlandia Butter Perfectly Salted Imported - 8 oz.

"Setting the bar high" was just one of the positive comments Finlandia's perfectly salted butter received, and the raves continued, especially when it came to the mouth feel. We found the light, creamy texture perfectly balanced the salty flavor, resulting in a really well-rounded butter. This butter had a classic flavor that reminded our tasters of the buttered bread many of us ate as kids. Look for Finlandia butter online and in specialty food stores.

Best Salt Flavor: Le Beurre Bordier Churned Salted Butter

If you're looking for a butter that packs a punch, Le Beurre Bordier is one you should try. This French butter takes longer than traditional versions to be made, which results in a deep flavor and color. The butter is finished with a dusting of salt, which amps up the flavor. Most of our tasters liked how salty this option was, with one comparing it to movie theater-style popcorn butter. However, a couple of our tasters did not that the salt overpowered the rest of the flavors. If you love salted butter and want to splurge, this is a good option to special order online.

BHG's Overall Favorite Butter: Trader Joes Cultured Salted Butter

If you're looking for a butter that checks all the boxes in flavor, texture, and balance, Trader Joe's Cultured Salted Butter is it. In fact, our tasters unanimously agreed they'd buy this butter again. It was the butter I found myself going back to even after tasting all 10 options. This butter, which is produced in Brittany, France, has just the right amount of salt and spreads like a dream. And at just $4.99 per 8 oz. package, it's priced right to enjoy slathered on toast every morning for breakfast.