This device is constructed of food grade materials and is dishwasher safe. It is designed to portion butter sticks that are at (or below) refrigerated temperatures (40 °F) only!

It will portion both popular sizes of butter stick in the USA 1 ½ x 1 ½ x 3 ¼ inches (western) and ¼ × 1 ¼ × 5 ½ inches (eastern). The device has five (5) separate parts (Fig. 1) tunnel, plunger, insert and two (2) tunnel covers. The actual device is made of clear, yellow and white food-grade plastic.

Place the tunnel on a clean surface and face the length of the tunnel with the extended measuring scales on your right. The butter sticks and the insert should be loaded into the square end of the tunnel on your left.

The shorter scale is for western butter sticks. The longer scale is for eastern butter sticks. The tunnel without an insert will portion western butter sticks (Fig. 2).

The arrow on the insert guides you in placing it in the tunnel. Slide the arrow under the top of the tunnel so the sides of the insert are under the top and right side of the tunnel. (Fig 3).

Slide the insert completely into the tunnel reducing the size of the tunnel to accommodate eastern butter sticks. Note that the longer scale is visible to portion eastern sticks (fig. 4).

Remove one butter stick from the refrigerator. Remove the paper wrapper. Place the butter stick on its end. Place the square end of the tunnel over the butter and push down to start the stick into the tunnel. Push the butter completely into the tunnel with the assistance of the plunger. Some shavings of butter may be scrapped from the surface by the walls of the tunnel since al sticks are not exactly the same size (Fig. 5)

Place the covers on both ends of the tunnel to protect the butter from contamination by foreign odors and other foods in the refrigerator. Place the loaded device in the refrigerator (<40 °F) until you are ready to use it. It is important that the butter stick remain solid and does not melt. Keep it refrigerated when not in use!

If the desire is to sauté, fry or butter a hot cooked food, the device is removed from the refrigerator and the end pieces are removed from the tunnel. Place the plunger on the extension, insert it into the tunnel, partially forcing the butter stick out the opposite end of the tunnel. Note that the sides in this portion of the tunnel contain flexible segments which when held in the hand can be forced against the butter to prevent it from falling from the tunnel (Fig. 6)

Immediately prior to placing raw food in a warm sauté pan or on the warm flat grill to cook, pick up the device holding pressure on the butter with the flexible segments. Move the end of the butter stick on the warm pan or grill, delivering a uniform controlled amount of butter to the cooking surface. Move the butter stick over the surface of cooked vegetables such as cooked cob corn or asparagus just prior to service (Fig. 7).

Measuring portions of butter for a recipe are prepared by inserting the plunger into the end of the tunnel opposite the measuring extension. Push the butter stick to the appropriate mark on the extension. A sharp knife is placed against the end of the tunnel and cuts off the desired portion. If the amount of butter in the tunnel is not large enough to make the desired portions an additional stick of butter is pushed in against the portion in the tunnel.

The plunger pushes the combined sticks together to the appropriate mark. A knife placed against the end of the tunnel cuts the corrected portion.

The butter portioning device combined with a butter dish provides away to portion a whole butter stick into 8 portions of 1 T each and place them in the dish. Cover the dish and store in the refrigerator. This provides an instant supply of measured portions for cooking or for service. Quality is maintained by storing the butter at 40 °F rather than room temperature. Commercial butter pats are equivalent to 1⁄2 T.

If you desire 1⁄2 T portions, measure them on the appropriate scale one half the distance between the T marks.

The microwave oven provides a rapid method to change the temperature of the 40 °F butter when melted butter is called for in the recipe or if improved spreadability for service at the table is desired. When whole sticks of butter are unwrapped and stored at room temperature accurate measuring is not possible because the paper has been discarded. Quality of butter is best maintained below 40 °F!