A butter keeper can keep butter fresh for about 30 days without refrigeration. Most butter keepers have a similar design. Softened butter is put in the lid, and cold tap water is put in the base. The water forms an air-tight seal. Then the lid is turned upside down and put into the base. You need to replace the water at least every 3 days. Yes you do have to remember to do that. But the reward is, every morning you have soft and spreadable butter for your toast.

When you're reviewing butter keepers to buy, take note of the butter capacity and how long you can store the butter. Although, I've never had a stick of butter last more than a week in my house. So I really don't need a butter keeper that keeps butter up to 30 days. I also like to clean mine regularly, so a butter keeper that holds only 1 stick of butter is fine with me.

Instead of a butter keeper that sits on your counter, you might prefer one to keep butter in the refrigerator. The issue moves from one of temperature to maintaining the taste. You don't want all the odors from other foods, to invade your butter. So an air-tight lid is a requirement.

If you like to take butter on picnics, then you need something to keep the butter cool and keep it from falling all over the place. So a lid that attaches to the base is a requirement for this.

The butter keepers shown below can answer all of these needs. Clicking on any of them will take you directly to Amazon and you can see even more butter keepers. I know you'll find one to meet your specific needs.

Keep your butter fresh without refrigeration for up to 30 days with the Norpro Butter Keeper.

Here's how. You put softened butter in the butter keeper's inverted lid, then put about an inch of cool water in the base and invert the lid of the top. The water makes an airtight seal between the two pieces of the butter keeper. You will need to put new water in the base every few days.

The Norpro Butter Keeper is white with simple navy blue piping. It looks beautiful on the counter or on your table. It measures 4 inches in diameter and 3.5 inches tall.

Everyone can have their own individual butter keeper with the Norpro Mini 4-Piece Butter Keeper Set. A good idea if family members like different kinds of butter. It is also very elegant to give guests their own. 100% ceramic butter keeper. Works just like the larger butter keeper show above. Put softened butter in the bell, put water in base, put bell upside inside the base. Cleans easily because butter keepers are dishwasher safe. Each mini butter keeper measures 2.5 inches by 2 inches.

The see-through glass design of this Glass Butter Keeper makes it easy to know how much butter you have left. It preserves butter at optimal temperature keeping it soft and spreadable. Just put the softened butter in the lid, put cool tap water in the base and put the lid upside down into the base. The water preserves the butter and keeps it from drying out. This glass butter keeper measures 5 inches x 5.5 inches.

Keep butter fresh for up to 20 days without refrigeration in this marble butter keeper. It measures 4 inches x 3.5 inches and will hold a stick of butter. I don't know about you, but I don't need to worry about the 20 day limit. But it is wonderful to have spreadable butter in the morning on toast and muffins.

It works like all the others. Put the softened butter in the lid, water in the base and invert. The water creates a seal.

The marble construction is very distinctive and will coordinate with many kitchen designs.

Keep 2 sticks of butter or 8 ounces of cream cheese firm and chilled for up to 2 hours with the Cool Serve 6403 Butter/Cream-Cheese Container with Cool Pack.

This is for shorter-term preservation than the butter keepers above. But if you're serving brunch or having picnic, where you want to ensure your food stays cool, thisi s a great idea.

The easy-to-open tabbed base attaches to the clear plastic lid. There's also a convenient snap-on plastic spreading knife.

Keep 8 ounces of butter soft indefinitely in this attractive butter pot from Emile Henry.

You put the butter in the lid, cold water in the bottom to ensure fresh butter. Beautiful color to enhance your kitchen decor. Diswasher safe, The durable translucent glaze resists chips.

If you like to keep your butter in the refrigerator, but don't want all of the other food odors to latch on to it, this is a great alternative. The Progressive Clear Plastic Butter Keeper Dish has an airtight seal. The bottom of the dish has measurements right on it, so if you're cooking this comes in handy. The bottom of the dish is flat, no ridges, so it's easy to cut of just the right amount for your recipe. The clear lid lets you see just how much you have left. The sleek design fits right into the refrigerator door.

This does not keep the butter fresh just sitting on the counter though, like some of the others shown here do.

Keep 6 ounces (1/2 stick) of butter fresh and soft without refrigeration with the Le Creuset Stoneware Butter Crock. It's made of high-fired stoneware and comes in many colors. The non-porous enamel glaze is great because it doesn't absorb odors. So your butter really tastes like butter.

The the butter-filled top inverts into the water-filled crock base, Convenient to clean because it's dishwasher safe.

Here's some great examples of the buys you'll find on butter keepers and butter crocks on Ebay. There's everything from the traditional French and European butter keepers to Tupperware butter keepers.

You can check out some of the products available on Ebay below - as well as seeing the current bids.