Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Save yourself some hassle and purchase a Butter Bell crock by L Tremain Butter Crock instead of the Norpro crocks. No matter how carefully you care for the Norpro crock it is only a matter of time until the glaze develops fine cracks. Once that happens, the butter migrates under the glaze and turns rancid. It can't be cleaned, continues to grow and eventually the crock must be tossed. I went through two Norpro crocks before getting the L. Tremain crock. The L. Tremain butter crock is made from a different material and process. There is no traditional layer of glaze over fired clay because it is made from New Bone China. The clay itself is sealed so there is no need for a layer of glaze that will eventually crack like the Norpro. New Bone China is a relatively new invention by the Chinese and it is a unique claybody type. Essentially it is a porcelaneous stoneware that is fluxed with calcium. New bone is made with Whiting or Wollastonite which are minerals that are high in calcium carbonate with some other impurities like silica and alumina. The calcium melts within the matrix of the claybody and causes the clay to become completely vitreous. In other words, the claybody is "glassified" with the introduction of calcium compounds and it will hold water (and butter) without a glazed surface.