When most people think of butter, they envision a stick about the size of their palm or even a thumb. In reality, butter can be quite large or small, depending on its consistency.
However, the quantity you get out of a stick is not always consistent. It depends on the temperature and on how the butter was stored. So, how do you measure butter? How long is a stick of butter?
In general, a stick of butter is about 3.25 inches long, 1.5 inches in height, and 1.5 inches in width. However, the length depends on the brands and package. But the volume remains the same regardless of the package or brands. Regarding volume, the size of a stick of butter is 7.21875 cubic inches.
Here is a conversion chart for butter for better understanding.
| Sticks | Tablespoons | Teaspoons | Cups | Weight (g) | Weight (oz/lb) |
| ¼ | 2 Tbsp | 6 tsp | ⅛ | 28 g | 1 oz (1/16 lb) |
| ½ | 4 Tbsp | 12 tsp | ¼ c | 57 g | 2 oz (⅛ lb) |
| 1 | 8 Tbsp | 24 tsp | ½ c | 113 g | 4 oz (¼ lb) |
| 1 ½ | 12 Tbsp | 36 tsp | ¾ c | 170 g | 6 oz (⅜ lb) |
| 2 | 16 Tbsp | 48 tsp | 1 c | 227 g | 8 oz (½ lb) |
| 2 ½ | 20 Tbsp | 60 tsp | 1 ¼ c | 284 g | 10 oz (⅝ lb) |
| 3 | 24 Tbsp | 72 tsp | 1 ½ c | 341 g | 12 oz (¾ lb) |
| 3 ½ | 28 Tbsp | 84 tsp | 1 ¾ c | 398 g | 14 oz (⅞ lb) |
| 4 | 32 Tbsp | 96 tsp | 2 c | 454 g | 16 oz (1 lb) |
How To Measure Butter?
Usually, butter comes in three portion sizes 1 pound or 454 grams of a block, ½ a pound or 227 grams, and a quarter of a pound or 113 grams. The quarter of a pound block is called a stick of butter.
Whether you want to measure with tablespoon or cups, every package of butter has to measure lines or scale so that you can just cut the but according to the scale and use it.
However, if you throw out the package, you can still measure it using basic tactics. For example, a pound of butter equals four sticks of butter.
Therefore, if you cut a pound of butter into four even pieces, they will resemble a stick.
Most of the time, packages come with tablespoon, teaspoon, and cup lines. Usually, one stick of butter is equal to a ½ cup, while the ½ cup of butter is equal to 8 tablespoons.
Now, let’s think you need ¾ cup of butter; how do you measure it?
Since a stick contains ½ cup of butter or two quarters, you will need one and a half sticks of butter to use ¾ cups.
So, if a recipe requires a half cup of butter, you just use a stick of butter.
Similarly, for a cup of butter, you will need to use two sticks.
So, measuring the butter using the package lines or scales is like a piece of cake.
How To Measure Irregularly Shaped Butter?
When butter is irregularly shaped, it can be difficult to determine how much butter to use in a recipe. A less common but effective way to measure is using the water displacement method.
This process requires a sharp knife, a measuring jar with cup markings, water, and butter. Now, let’s check what to do-
- To begin, slice your butter into small pieces.
- Next, fill the measuring jar with cold water to the 1 cup line. However, make sure you measure the 1 cup of cold water perfectly or near perfect.
- Now, put the pieces of butter into the cold water-filled measuring jar slowly and observe the rising water.
- Add more butter until the water reaches the amount your recipe calls for.
- That’s it!
This process gets you the accurate measurement, and you need to stop adding butter when you get your desired amount.
How Long Is A Stick Of Butter In Inches?
Butter can be anywhere from 2 to 4 inches long, depending on the brand, temperature, and churn time. In general, however, a stick of butter will be about 3.25 inches long, 1.5 inches in width, and 1.5 inches in height.
What Is The Weight Of A Stick Of Butter?
Well, it depends on how thick the stick is and how much butter is on it. A standard stick of butter weighs about 4 oz or ¼ lb, equivalent to 113 grams.
Weight and size depend on the storage process, as an increase in the temperature may lead to melting, which may reduce the size and weight.
What is The Best Way to Measure the Length of a Stick of Butter?
Stick of butter may come in many different shapes and sizes, and it can also vary from brand to brand. But overall, a stick of butter is 4oz, and it contains 8 tablespoons of butter.
The most straightforward way to measure your stick of butter is to get a ruler and do it the old-fashioned way. Then you can cut the butter into 8 even pieces, and each piece will give you one tablespoon of butter. And if you want to measure with teaspoons, each tablespoon contains three teaspoons.
So, cutting a tablespoon-sized butter into three pieces will get you three teaspoons of butter.
Does Melted Butter Measure The Same As Solid?
Some people believe that melted butter is not as accurate a measurement as solid butter because it becomes liquid. However, it depends on the temperature of the liquid transition point, which varies depending on how long the butter is melted.
In general, the two measurements are actually quite close. If you want to measure in quantity, it will be close.
Nevertheless, the solid butter contains a specific structure and texture, and when it melts, the structure changes, and it doesn’t remain the same. So, if a recipe requires a cup of butter, you should not use the melted butter, as the recipes use solid butter for the measurement.
Why Are Sticks Of Butter Different Sizes?
Sticks of butter come in different sizes due to how they are made. However, what size is a stick of butter in different areas? Usually, butter sticks are long and skinny in the East, while it is short and squat in the west.
According to The University of California Dairy Research and Information Center, in the 1960s, West Coast’s dairy production was far behind, and all the milk was used for fluid needs. However, this was not the main reason for short and squat-sized butter.
It was due to the purchase of newer equipment in the west. The butter industry in the East was started so much earlier, and East Coast used to have the old machinery for packaging that had a skinny and long shape.
Butter in the USA vs. Europe
Butter is a staple in many European kitchens and the USA. But, their ingredients and tastes are different.
The butter needs to have at least 80% fat in the USA, while the minimum fat for French butter is 82%. If the fat content is higher, the butter is supposed to have less water. And more fat means faster melt, soft texture, and deep yellow color.
The European butter usually has a high-fat content which gives a rich taste. Moreover, European butter also has less water and is used for baking mainly.
On the other hand, American butter is primarily used for cooking or eating breakfast.
If you are confused between the US and Europe, here are a few Stick Butter ideas that you can try, good quality, smooth, and perfect.
| Stick of Butter | Origin | Ingredients |
| Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter | European style | pasteurized cream, salt. |
| Land O Lakes Salted Butter | European Style | sweet cream, salt, milk |
| Challenge Salted Butter | European Style | Pasteurized Cream (Milk), Salt. |
You might be interested to read also our another comprehensive article of: How to Make Colored Cocoa Butter?
Final Words
The butter is a common ingredient in baking or cooking recipes and adds flavor, texture, and richness to the foods.
Therefore, measuring butter is necessary to use it for other oils and fats in recipes properly. It is because butter has a low melting point, meaning that you can’t cook it as much as other types of oils or fats.
That is why it is necessary to understand a butter stick’s size to use it properly.
So, how long is a stick of butter? Hopefully, this article cleared your confusion and gave you an idea about accurate measurement. So, enjoy buttery cookery.
