12 Store-Bought Butters, Ranked Worst To Best

There are few things I use more in my cooking than butter. It's a crucial ingredient in my buttery mashed potatoes, and an integral part of how I make steak so flavorful — courtesy of homemade compound butter, of course. Unfortunately, I've learned the hard way that not all store-bought butter is created equal. During my extensive history with this ingredient, I've encountered butters that tasted artificial, felt greasy, or even had such a neutral flavor I wouldn't have been able to tell you what it was. This left me wondering: "How can you tell which store-bought butters are going to provide the best experience, and which will leave you feeling disappointed?"

Ultimately, I decided the only way to answer that pressing question was to test as many store-bought salted butter brands as I could to compare them to one another. After picking up 12 salted butters from my local grocery stores, I tasted them alone to get the most accurate representation of their flavor and texture. To do this, I used my food industry background alongside other relevant experiences — there's more about my methodology at the end of this article. Ready to learn which butters held up against my high expectations? Let's get into it.

Simply Nature is one of Aldi's private label brands, and I'm generally a big fan of the discount grocer overall. However, I haven't had many good experiences with Simply Nature specifically. The brand's store-bought mozzarella sticks were too dry, while its sweet breakfast Confetti Cake Oatmeal was bland, in my opinion. Unfortunately, this butter joins the ranks of mediocre products.

This is a USDA organic option from Aldi crafted from Wisconsin cows, which received a Grade AA. I'm not actually sure how the USDA provides its ratings, but I will say I wasn't impressed with this butter. It had the promising deeper yellow color of higher ranking (and higher butterfat content) options, but didn't perform the same way. The salty tones tasted harsh and faintly metallic, while the butter itself was mild. Texturally, it felt greasy instead of creamy.

There are very few store-bought butters on this list that I would neither buy nor use again — and this Simply Nature Organic Salted Butter is one of them. Even if you're shopping at Aldi, you can skip this in lieu of a significantly better ranked private label butter.

Although I've had positive experiences in the past, I haven't been the biggest fan of Great Value products over the last few months. After all, I found its popular sweet tea brand to be cloying and weakly brewed, with artificial notes so heavy I had to dump the gallon. So I wasn't exactly shocked when this butter turned out poorly, too.

Before the actual taste test, I noted these butter sticks were much harder than I expected. There was no rich creaminess to them, but instead a surprising density from a block that possessed a light yellow coloring suggesting a bare minimum butterfat content. A salty-forward flavor was laced with subtle hints of dairy and mild artificial notes vaguely reminiscent of chemicals — it wasn't as though any chemicals had made their way into the recipe, but more like they'd been sprayed nearby.

This butter is labeled as USDA Grade AA, and is made using only two ingredients — pasteurized cream and salt. This makes the artificial undertones incredibly curious. Regardless, I would neither purchase nor eat this butter again, and highly recommend you opt for a better brand.

I was surprised about Breakstone's low position on this list. Although I'd never tried their butter before this ranking, I'm a huge fan of their cottage cheese. But one great dairy product apparently doesn't guarantee another, or so it would seem in this case.

A fairly pale stick of butter felt excessively oily to the touch rather than featuring a medium softness or creaminess. The flavor was still only a moderate dairy, but it was a bit more robust than lower ranking options. Again, the salt had a subtle metallic taste to it that I didn't like, but I was thankful there were no heavy artificial tones.

This butter is certified Kosher. The packaging doesn't say exactly how much butterfat it contains, but it does inform us that this product is made from cows with no added hormones. Even though that's usually a selling point for me, it isn't enough to urge me to buy this again. I also wouldn't eat it again if offered the chance.

There's a pretty big jump in quality between Breakstone's and Keller's, marking the point where we go from truly low-quality butters to those that are mediocre. While mediocrity isn't what I look for in a product I use in excess during my cooking, the products moving forward are at least usable if they need to be.

The butter stick here was a little greasy, but it was appropriately soft. Although I can't be positive, it's been my experience that butter with a lower water content and higher butterfat tends toward being softer — so this might have been the first option to go a little above the legal threshold. A moderate dairy profile took centerstage, accented by subtle hints of salt. Unfortunately, there was the faintest metallic tinge to the salt, which is why this butter didn't rank higher. However, those tones were faint enough that you would probably miss them if you weren't looking, so they didn't entirely ruin my experience.

According to the butter's packaging, Keller's Creamery has been in business since 1906 — so I thought these products would be a little better. As it stands, this salted butter wasn't bad, just mediocre. And I wouldn't waste money on it.

This Hotel Bar Salted Butter looked promising, featuring a slightly deeper yellow color than lower ranking options. And while it didn't live up to all my expectations, this promise did show itself in the texture, which was neither greasy nor too dense. A semi-soft, creamy texture was really close to the perfect ideal I was looking for. The mild dairy flavor was neutral or even bland, however, featuring only subtle salty notes that weren't well integrated — it was as though I'd taken a stick of unsalted butter and sprinkled a little table salt on top.

This butter claims to be "New York's choice for generations," with the packaging saying the brand has been around since 1885. It's also kosher, keto friendly, and gluten free. While New Yorkers may disagree with me, I wouldn't spend my hard-earned money on this. 

Our seventh, sixth, and fifth options were nearly identical in quality, which made them tough to rank. Ultimately, this one came in last of those three because the texture and taste were more imperfect than the other two options, though almost imperceptibly. That said, this Bowl & Basket Salted Sweet Cream Butter featured a creamy texture with only slightly too much greasy residue. The flavor profile was predominantly a light dairy with subtle hints of salt and no other flavor tones to speak of.

This Shoprite private label butter is keto friendly and kosher. It works okay in a pinch, but I don't recommend going out of your way to purchase this when there are so many significantly better options available. However, I'd use it again if it was the only butter available — I'd just steer clear of using it in butter-forward dishes (buttered toast comes to mind).

Countryside Creamery pulled ahead of Bowl & Basket in the nearly three-way tie because its texture was slightly better. Although the creaminess was the same, this had a less greasy texture — in fact, you'd probably miss it if you weren't looking for it. A light dairy flavor profile was accented by faint salty notes, but didn't have any of the tangy, earthy, floral, or nutty undertones of better performing butters. Due to this, the taste felt one-dimensional, which doesn't lend extra oomph to your recipes or dishes.

This butter contains 90 milligrams of sodium per tablespoon serving, which is pretty common across the board for these butters — with a few noted exceptions, of course. I would buy this again only if I were already at Aldi and needed butter, because it's the best ranked option available at the private label retailer. 

Testing this butter brought back a lot of memories for me because it was the only butter I ever remember my Mamaw using — and, having grown up in the south, she went through a whole lot of it. In our three-way tie, this butter had the exact same texture combining decent creaminess with the faintest greasiness that Countryside Creamy did. But, the dairy flavor base was a literal hair more robust, and the salt came through more cleanly. Still, there were no nuanced finishes or distinct undertones present.

Land O Lakes proudly states it's a farmer-owned brand on the box, which I can appreciate having grown up in a family of farmers. Interestingly, the company has won Newsweek's #1 Most Trusted by Americans award across multiple years, which is a great endorsement for those who may worry about the quality or consistency of the brands behind the food.

I wouldn't buy this again because there are better options available everywhere I know Land O Lakes Salted Butter to be sold. However, I'd use it without a second thought if it was the only option available.

This is the part of our ranking where we go from mediocre salted butters to options that are really good and well worth the money — starting with the Vital Farms Salted Butter. And you could tell this specific option is of a higher quality solely by looks alone, because it featured a deep yellow color that spoke of a higher butterfat percentage. Texturally, this was super creamy, with the exact medium weight I was looking for. The dairy-forward flavor was robust, so you could tell you were eating butter (unlike the lower ranking options). The only reason this didn't rank higher is that, while the dairy was present, this butter didn't have the nuances of higher ranking options.

This salted butter is crafted with 83% butterfat, which places it more in line with European options than standard American ones. The cows this dairy is sourced from are grass-fed and pasture-raised for most of the year, according to the Vital Farms website. Per tablespoon serving, this provides 70 milligrams of sodium, which is a tad less than most other brands on this list.

I would buy this again if my top three options weren't available. Thanks to its ultra-rich flavor, I think this is an excellent butter choice for two-ingredient maple butter — which is delicious on your morning toast!

Plugra wasn't as deeply yellow as Vital Farms, so I was surprised when it turned out to be a bit better. Texturally, this was creamy without any excessive oiliness, with a medium weight that held together nicely in the dish but sliced like, well, butter. A rich taste of cream (rather than plain milk) took centerstage, paired with a subtle saltiness that was refreshing rather than metallic. The pleasant tangy finish was what really set this apart, however, providing a much-appreciated nuance.

Like other European style salted butters, Plugra has a slightly higher butterfat than traditional American varieties, coming in at 82%. The labeling says this is made with 100% American made milk and crafted by chefs. I would definitely eat this again, and I would buy without hesitation if my top two options were unavailable. Thanks to the tangy finish, I think this would bring a subtle elevation to creamy mashed potatoes.

Despite my years of cooking experience, I'd never tried Kerrygold Salted Irish Butter. I've always had a few go-to options I would grab instead, but I'd definitely heard more praise than I could recount for the brand. And one look was all it took to show me why it was so beloved.

A deep yellow coloring paired with the creamiest texture on this list and the exact medium weight I was looking for — texture was one way this beat out my top option, but I ultimately decided flavor was more important. Not that the profile here was bad. It was cream-forward, with a moderate but perfectly balanced saltiness. Faint grassy notes came through, alongside a subtle tangy finish.

Although the exact butterfat percentage isn't listed on the label, Kerrygold is Irish butter, which means it's somewhere around 82% (or maybe even slightly more). There are 100 milligrams of sodium per tablespoon, which is a little more than average, and this butter is made from grass-fed cows pastured in Ireland. Although it didn't snag first place, I definitely understand the hype around this butter. Without a doubt, I would buy this if my top option wasn't available, and I'd be happy to do so.

Country Crock is a familiar brand, but this Red Barn Creamery Salted Butter was released only this year. A faint yellow coloring belied the creaminess that awaited me, which featured a slightly heavier profile than other well ranked butters. But the flavor was exceptional. A cream-forward profile was laced with perfectly balanced saltiness, faint floral notes, and a mild but pronounced finishing tang. I truly have nothing bad to say about the flavor or texture of this butter.

This butter contains 84% butterfat, even though the American minimum is only 80%. It's made from 100% American cream with 70 milligrams of sodium per serving, and received a USDA Grade AA. Although the packaging is unique and eye-catching, it was a little inconvenient. Since it's all wrapped together, you're forced to either carefully re-wrap it or use it all in one go. I do have a butter dish, which partially solved this issue, but it's still something to be aware of.

Without a doubt, this will be my new go-to salted butter. It has everything I was looking for in both texture and taste, so I highly recommend grabbing a box on your next grocery store trip. When you do, you can see for yourself why the Country Crock Red Barn Creamery Salted Butter claimed the title of top store-bought butter.

I chose store-bought butters for inclusion in this ranking based on their availability to me near Vineland, New Jersey. To keep things fair, I only selected salted options, as what I would look for in salted and unsalted variations would be different. To determine the quality of each butter, I looked at it, touched it, and tasted it alone — this way the flavors of other foods wouldn't interfere with the natural flavor profile of the butter. I judged each product based on consistency and taste. I was looking for an option that was richly dairy and creamy, with subtle notes of salt without being overpowering. Bonus points were given to butters that featured any floral, earthy, or tangy undertones. Although some nutritional data was included in each slide, this wasn't a ranking factor, but instead meant to help people with dietary preferences or needs to make the most informed purchasing decision.

To make my judgments, I primarily relied on more than 15 years spent in the food industry, during which time I used more butter than I could ever put a number to. Extensive use of butter over three decades of home cooking and previous work for Daily Meal also contributed. This includes articles like my ranking of thick cut bacon brands and my ranking of store-bought Caesar salad dressings. Although personal preference played a role in this ranking, I aimed to be as unbiased as possible about product quality.