Author Topic: Electrically heated butter dish.  (Read 5755 times)

Offline NormanV

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Electrically heated butter dish.
« on: March 11, 2017, 04:22:07 PM »
Not an engineering project, but I did need to cut a piece of aluminium.
I have been long frustrated by my butter being hard to spread which resulted in my bread being ripped to pieces or having to slice the butter to apply it. This resulted in a very high consumption of butter which was not good for my arteries.
I have built a wooden butter dish that is divided horizontally with previously mentioned aluminium sheet to conduct the heat from the bottom section into the top where the dish of butter is placed.
The heater in the bottom section is a rather nifty one designed for use in a vivarium, 5 watts. I have it set on its lowest setting and it maintains the butter in a perfectly spreadable state.
It took just a couple of hours to make from scraps that I had laying around and the only expense was £3.60 for the heater.
I am very happy with it.

Offline smiffy

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Re: Electrically heated butter dish.
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2017, 04:50:40 PM »
What a good idea . I have a similar problem , consumption of butter is directly proportional to rise in cholesterol levels .
Another one for the to do list
                                                    Mike

Offline seadog

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Re: Electrically heated butter dish.
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2017, 05:18:10 PM »
I think that has been largely disproven. You're better off eating butter, a natural product, than some of the concocted muck that is sold at hugely inflated prices.

Offline krv3000

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Re: Electrically heated butter dish.
« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2017, 05:18:33 PM »
 :nrocks: brill

Offline smiffy

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Re: Electrically heated butter dish.
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2017, 05:36:05 PM »
I would never eat any of that sludge, but at times the amount of butter is thicker than the bread and that is before  I put a proper piece of cheese on top .
  On a slightly different note when I worked in a dairy  in my farming days we made butter in a twin tub washing machine using about 40 gallons of cream at a time    Mike
« Last Edit: March 12, 2017, 04:45:25 AM by smiffy »

Offline charadam

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Re: Electrically heated butter dish.
« Reply #5 on: March 11, 2017, 05:40:59 PM »
We renovated the kitchen, including installing underfloor heating.

The butter now spreads perfectly.

Offline NormanV

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Re: Electrically heated butter dish.
« Reply #6 on: March 12, 2017, 04:42:25 AM »
Charadam, that is taking things a bit far just for soft butter.  :)

Offline awemawson

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Re: Electrically heated butter dish.
« Reply #7 on: March 12, 2017, 05:01:23 AM »
Norman,

Fabulous idea to solve a perennial problem  :thumbup:

I've often wondered if a Peltier element could be used to not only warm up when too hard, but also cool when the ambient temperature reduces the butter to Ghee, but unlike you, I've never done anything about it  :palm:

I take my hat off to you sir  :bow:

(oh - on the health aspects of butter - my Mother used to have just a little bread with her butter, lashings of the stuff, and bless her lived to 99)
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline ieezitin

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Re: Electrically heated butter dish.
« Reply #8 on: March 12, 2017, 08:51:11 AM »
Nice one Norman thats using your noodle..

Our Eastern brothers are making boatloads of your butter toasters as we speak, watch out for the infomercials.

Anthony.
If you cant fix it, get another hobby.

Offline edward

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Re: Electrically heated butter dish.
« Reply #9 on: March 13, 2017, 12:26:59 PM »
and saved yourself £30 over the commercial one...


Offline NormanV

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Re: Electrically heated butter dish.
« Reply #10 on: March 13, 2017, 01:58:56 PM »
Edward, when I found that company, after I had made mine, I saw that every version that they listed was out of stock and had been for some time (the last update on their website was several years ago). Anyway, where is the pleasure of just buying something that you can make yourself?
Andrew, I will have to look up a Peltier element.

Offline edward

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Re: Electrically heated butter dish.
« Reply #11 on: March 16, 2017, 12:00:30 PM »
I think I prefer yours!

Offline bp

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Re: Electrically heated butter dish.
« Reply #12 on: March 17, 2017, 06:36:18 PM »
 On a similar, but different note.
A friend of mine used to machine high grade Titanium and he used coconut oil as a tapping fluid, and sometimes a cutting oil.  Even up here in 'straya coconut oil is usually solid at room temperature.  So he got a cup warmer from his local kitchen supply shop, and robbed a small Pyrex dish from the kitchen.  A dollop of coconut oil in the dish, dish on the warmer and bingo,  the coconut oil stays nice and liquid!!
cheers
Bill

Offline NormanV

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Re: Electrically heated butter dish.
« Reply #13 on: March 17, 2017, 07:36:00 PM »
It's easy to get the oil in a liquid state. So far at room temperature my butter is at a spreadable state. I will have to adjust it as summer approaches.

Offline S. Heslop

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Re: Electrically heated butter dish.
« Reply #14 on: March 17, 2017, 10:20:24 PM »
I've been having a go at sculpting with plasticine lately and the stuff is hard to work with when it's cool. I've been sticking the plastic wrapped bricks on the radiator before opening them but the thought is how i'm going to handle it when it's not conveniently wrapped in plastic. I was thinking of lightbulbs in a box which seem a little worrying to be left alone for long.. but a vivarium heater is a much better idea!