The Definitive Ranking Of Grocery Store Butter Brands

It's a truth universally known: Butter makes everything better. Still, not all sticks and bricks of this golden dairy product were created equal. Plus, with butter prices coming in at an all time high, it's more important than ever to make sure you're purchasing a brand that's worth the extra chunk of change.

I'm splitting up the review into two different fields, the best American-style and best European-style butter. The difference between these two categories lies in the presence of milk fat, with European butters expected to contain 82% milk fat and above, while American style butter hovers around the 80% mark. This excess milk fat in European butter changes the way it behaves and tastes, so it's unfair to compare the two. Bakers tend to use European-style (Mary Berry loves a high butterfat butter) more than cooks, but it has a place on all tables.

With that in mind, I'll be reviewing 10 different American-style butters and five select European-style butters, highlighting which brands deserve your patronage and which should be left on the shelf. Grab some toast and your favorite dull knife: The best of butter awaits. Prices may vary based on location.

Great Value is the Walmart brand for food, and often the most inexpensive option in the whole store. For $2.42 you can purchase an 8-ounce pack of Great Value Salted Butter, although it's even cheaper when you buy it in bulk. Unfortunately, while this is the cheapest option on the list, it also tastes like it.

Though marked with the Grade AA rating, the highest grading that the USDA can give to a dairy product, that doesn't necessarily mean the butter will taste superior to any other. On the surface, this stick behaves fairly normally, softening to room temperature in roughly one hour, melting quickly when applied to fresh toast, and turning nutty brown quickly in the sauté pan. But taste is everything here. Flavor-wise, my main complaint is in regard to the overpowering presence of salt, which blocked out any other rich butter notes you'd expect to come through. You'd be just as well served by a salted slab of Crisco as by this generic butter.

For me, the Cabot Creamery brand is more readily associated with the company's blocks of cheddar cheese than with butter. The brand is also proud of its association with the agricultural community in America, stamping "farmer-owned" on most of its dairy products. This was the case with Cabot Creamery's Sweet Cream Butter, which was marked at a slightly higher price point ($7.99 for 16 ounces) than some of the other butters on this list. Was it worth the price tag?

Not for me. Much like the Great Value brand, I found the Cabot Creamery to suffer from a surplus of salt. When it melted in my mouth, I felt like my tongue was coated in a saline solution rather than with a pool of butter. This also made the butter taste distinctly savory, an odd flavor note considering the underlying sweetness that almost all butter possesses. This is courtesy of the fact that butter is made with sweet cream, a pasteurized version of cream. Without that mellow sweetness popping through, I can't recommend this brand for the butter board.

Like Cabot Creamery, Challenge is also proud of being a "farmer owned" brand since 1911. In addition to that accolade, the dairy company doesn't use rBST growth hormones on its dairy cows, a distinction that many modern shoppers look for these days. Offered for a reasonable purchase point ($5.68 for 16 ounces), I was hoping that Challenge would be able to provide a nice bit of value to match its attractive pricing.

While it wasn't exactly a dud in the flavor department, this butter suffers from a bad case of mediocrity. The salt wasn't so strong as to blow out the sweet cream flavor, but what was present didn't stand out much either. It should be noted that I wasn't able to try the brand's European-style butter, which actually won an award at the WCMA World Cheese & Butter Competition in 2006. But for this specific Challenge butter, I didn't find enough richness to recommend it.

I've heard about Breakstone's brand thanks to the epic comeback that cottage cheese has been making in the dairy aisle — cottage cheese Alfredo sauce, anyone? First founded by Jewish immigrants in Manhattan's Lower Eastside, Breakstone's has long dominated as the only certified Kosher butter on the market, becoming an integral part of Passover for many Jewish Americans. This Kosher distinction means that the butter is made with only Kosher ingredients and with zero cross-contamination with non-Kosher entities. Available for $3.79 for 8 ounces, it's an affordable option for non-Kosher home cooks, as well.

While this butter may not have been a stand-out, I found it ticked all the boxes of working as a good piece of dairy. Though salty, I didn't find it overly so, and the taste has a well-rounded sweetness that complimented my slice of toast. Basically, if you prescribe to a Kosher diet or are looking for a moderately priced butter option, Breakstone's will fit the bill.

Another grocery store brand of butter, Publix's Salted Sweet Cream Butter ($5.79 for 16 ounces) has often found its way into my fridge out of pure convenience. I've lived in the south my whole life, and Publix has long been a Southern grocery gem. While shopping at my nearby Publix, if I need some generic butter, this has been an easy and safe pick. That being said, I've never particularly noticed whether the flavor was better or worse than another brand.

With my new skeptical goggles on, I found that this butter held up well. Featuring a nicely balanced presence of savory salt and slightly sweet cream, I liked that this butter didn't stand out on my palate in any negative way. It also cooked the way I was accustomed to, melting, browning, and softening fairly quickly. In conclusion, this is a good butter buy for cooks who aren't brand-name sensitive and need a basic stick on hand.

Admittedly, this is the classic butter brand I often buy when I'm not springing for expensive European-style butter or skimping with generic store-brand. Why? It's usually affordable ($5.88 for 16 ounces), delivers on flavor, and I've always been biased toward it for childhood nostalgia. After all, Land O Lakes Salted Butter was the specific brand called out for making retro Carmelitas, a chocolate, caramel, pecan, and oat bar that needs to be tasted to be believed. But nostalgic bakes aside, I tried to take a second objective look at the famed butter brand.

Happily, I find it still holds up for me. Featuring a balanced level of sodium and rich, creamy mouthfeel, I enjoyed slathering this on a dinner roll, and even taking a little bite of it plain. Is it the best butter out there? No. But it gets the job done with enough flavor to keep me as a satisfied customer.

Tillamook is a brand more commonly associated with cheese in my book — long live Tillamook milk cheddar — but as a leading dairy company, it's no surprise that it has invested in the butter business. Tillamook's extra creamy butter with sea salt commands a lofty price, $7.89 for 16 ounces, so I expected it to bring some superior quality to my bread basket.

While this was certainly a good block of butter, I'm not quite sure that this is worth the full fee. The butter is indeed a creamy blend, and it promises 81% milk-fat on the package, a bit more extravagant than your average 80% milk fat American butter. Still, I think it went a hair light on the sea salt which limited its overall charm. If you don't mind a butter that goes a little light on the salt and has plenty of creamy richness, Tillamook makes a solid option.

Though I was familiar with the Publix organic brand of GreenWise, I had never tried its take on butter before. There was a good reason for that, as it definitely falls on the pricier side ($9.59 for 16 ounces). I've also sometimes found organic labels to not necessarily offer better flavor or quality when it comes to produce — though I admit that's a subjective stance. Still, I decided to keep an open mind when trying this.

Boy am I glad I gave this brand a chance. The organic difference was definitely apparent, offering a difference I could taste, with a creamy flavor that bordered on the extravagant. Sporting a bright yellow hue, I could tell that each pat of butter packed a quality dairy. If you're looking for a great organic butter option and aren't afraid to pay for that lofty label, Publix's GreenWise more than delivers the goods.

I had never heard of Westgold butter before writing this article, although that's not surprising, considering its better known as a New Zealand dairy company. Featuring the distinction of using milk from grass-fed, free-range cows, this butter promised to offer a flavor that was a cut above the rest. Westgold also touts a unique churning method, known as the Fritz Churn Method, which supposedly produces a creamier butter.

As amazing as it may seem, I felt that Westgold was able to back up all of these major claims. With a nuanced flavor and delicate kiss of salt, I savored this butter, rather than just tasting. Even the color of this butter was enticing, melting into daffodil yellow pools on my dinner roll. Though I was ignorant of Westgold's existence for the majority of my life, I'm a rabid fan now, especially at its affordable price point ($3.76 for 8 ounces).

Another grass-fed butter option, Truly Grass-Fed Natural Creamy Butter Salted is imported from Ireland and commands a steep price for the trouble ($5.09 for 8 ounces). Free of growth hormones, non-GMO's, and antibiotics, this butter promises to be made from extremely clean and fresh cow's milk, which should create quality you can taste.

For me, all the trouble that went into making this butter was well worth it. Featuring a bright yellow color, this butter makes an appealing pat or spread visual on any biscuit or roll you could serve it on, and that's just the looks. Edging out Westgold by a hair in terms of flavor, this butter tasted elite and expensive, like the type I would get at a fine Michelin-starred restaurant. It is the ideal of smooth, creamy butter that you dream of. That I can buy this at the store and enjoy it without shelling out money for a tasting menu makes it all the more delicious to me. 

Claiming to be made from 90% grass-fed cows, I didn't originally consider Vital Farms butter ($5.49 for 8 ounces) to be a European-style stick. But after some light research I learned that the salted and unsalted varieties can boast 83% to 85% milk fat, which means it more than qualifies for the European distinction. So with an ethical message (who doesn't want milk from happy, pasture-raised cows?) and a sky high milk fat content, I had big hopes for this brand of butter.

Alas, it didn't exactly meet my expectations. Or, rather, it may have really suffered from being compared to a slew of better European-style butters. This is a very good butter, with excellent mouthfeel and decadent taste. But, compared to the other European butters on this list, it didn't really stand out or distinguish itself. For that reason, I have to give this butter a soft pass in favor of other brands.

Vermont Creamery has an excellent reputation for its many dairy products (I'm partial to its crème fraîche and mascarpone for my baking) so I was excited to try the brand's butter. Moderately priced at $4.24 for 8 ounces, I was rooting for this butter to deliver me a sophisticated tangy flavor as it is made with cultured cream, aka fermented cream. That little bit of fermentation should make all the difference taste wise.

However, although this tanginess comes through in the butter, it proves too mild a taste for me to consider it a shining feature. Especially when compared to the French Président butter, which also features the same delicious live cultures, Vermont Creamery's own cultured butter can seem a bit of a pale imitation. This is a still a nice butter, and divinely creamy considering it packs that European level of milk fat, but there are better alternatives available.

Président butter is a French icon and imbued with plenty of tradition from Normandy, aka the "Grand Cru" of French dairy land. The fact that the butter is "made with creams and cultures," proudly stamped on the package, should tell you a lot about the butter's flavor. Though it's not the most expensive European butter on the market, $4.39 for 7 ounces, it is still a bit of splurge for the average shopper. But, to Président's credit, it's butter is literally award-winning, taking gold at numerous dairy and cheese competitions in recent years.

With all that in mind, it's not surprising that this is one quality pack of butter. The cultured cream really made a difference in the nuanced flavor of this butter, giving it a tangy richness that set it apart from all the other European butters on this list. I will take a few points off for my annoyance that Président only sells its butter in 7-ounce packages, which makes it a bit short of the standard 8-ounce/1 cup measurement I'm used to. Still, with a flavor this good, this brand can get away with being a little bit fussy.

For a long time, Plugrà unsalted butter was my go-to fat for all of my baking projects. Slightly cheaper than other European-style butters, $4.89 for 8 ounces, I found it worked beautifully in creating delicate, flaky pastries and moist cakes and cookies. However, I hadn't really given the salted version much attention in the kitchen. Though it's made with American milk, Plugrà boasts that all important 82% butter fat that sets it apart from the regular stuff.

Because of my previous devotion to the brand, I wasn't surprised that I found the salted Plugrà to be a delicious bit of butter as well. Excellent mouthfeel and exquisite creamy flavor combine in one bite, and it will make any mashed potatoes or plain bowl of white rice taste like a gourmet meal. If you're looking to give European-style butter a test drive, Plugrà is a great brand to start with.

It's fitting that the gold standard for butter comes in a bright gold package. Though it commands a higher price ($5.99 for 8 ounces), Kerrygold promises a block of high quality, grass-fed Irish butter. You've probably seen this butter before, and have even heard some famous chefs claim it as their favorite brand. So is it worth the hype? The short answer: Yes.

The long answer: Much like the packet its wrapped in, the butter is a luminous, neon yellow that immediately designates its grass-fed bonafides, as the carotene present in grass is what turns that butter a rich golden hue. As for the flavor, I could spend pages rhapsodizing its perfectly balanced and — dare I say — buttery taste. It's worth bulk buying at Costco. Or, you can try the Costco dupe for Kerrygold if you wish, because Kerrygold is so fantastic, it's worth duping at Costco. The best butter for those looking for European-style decadence? It's Kerrygold by a landslide.

So how did I go about testing and choosing my butter? First, I decided to only test salted butter (which should contain less than 2% salt per stick) for taste and texture, as unsalted butter should be reserved for baking or making compote butters where controlling the amount of salt is crucial. For brand selection, I tried to stick to brands that were available at my two main local grocery stores, Publix and Walmart. I did not test any butter imitations, including margarine, plant-based butters, or oleo and I skipped testing whipped butters, spreads in tubs, and flavored butters.

For my basic taste test, I spread butter on plain warm bread (dinner rolls/toast) and tried it by itself. I was evaluating, mouthfeel, salt level, and overall flavor. I also evaluated how long it took for the butter to come to room temperature (usually decided by amount of fat in butter) or to soften (stand the sticks of butter up to make this go faster) and how quickly it seemed to melt when I applied it to heat.