Do the opinions of professional chefs matter to you? If so, read on for what many across the country consider to be the very best butter you could ever find. It was Karla Walsh, food/health/fitness researcher and writer, that brought this little matter to recent attention (thank you www.allrecipes.com for sharing her research).

According to Karla (and professional bakers as well), you might think of butter brands as “toh-may-toh, toh-mah-toh,” but there’s actually a big difference between the options available at major retailers. Research and practical application shows that, yes, the kind of butter you choose really does make a noticeable difference in the finished product.

With that fact established, let’s look at the most common types of butter available in the U.S.:

• American-style butter: Contains at least 80% butterfat, according to USDA standards.


• Amish Butter: Usually slow-churned (for creaminess) and about 85% butterfat.


• Cultured Butter: Created when live active cultures are introduced to cream before it’s churned, which results in a tangy quality similar to yogurt.


• European Butter: Typically cultured, and includes at least 82% butterfat; due to having less water, European butters tend to have richer flavor than American butters.

So what, exactly, are chefs seeking from these 4 types of butters? High butterfat content tops every list. They also favor butter made with milk or cream from grass-fed cows (which results in a richer taste compared with butter made from cows raised in barn conditions). Consistency, availability, and affordability for nationally-available brands was also important. Being free of additives and preservatives was also a big deal. Color was, as well—they want it more yellow rather than pale or off-white. Lastly, every chef polled valued the availability of salted and unsalted options.

Now for the answer to “What’s the very best butter you could ever find?” According to the enthusiastic and unanimous response from Karla’s chefs, it’s Kerrygold (for ALL your sweet and savory applications). Karla says it ticks every box for what is considered to be a classic butter.

Clocking in at 82% butterfat, Kerrygold butter has a creamy texture and offers “rich, complex, yet not overpowering flavor,” according to chefs and bakers alike. That’s all due to the fact that its base is made with dairy from Irish grass-fed cows. Plus, it’s beautifully golden in color.

Since it’s available at large retailers like Costco, Target, and Walmart, Karla’s chefs were particularly fond of Kerrygold’s wide availability and fairly budget-friendly price (compared to most fancy butters).

Does any of the above ring true for you? Have you tried Kerrygold? Or do you have another butter brand you really like? At our house we’ve always just bought the least expensive—aka the house brand. Now I know we’ve been ending up with lower butterfat and that off-white color, though.

Since studying this topic, I’m leaning towards spending a little more and giving Kerrygold a try. Your thoughts?