This Hack For Softening Butter Will Make Your Life So Much Easier

Photo credit: Getty
Photo credit: Getty

From Men's Health

There’s nothing worse than wrestling too-cold butter onto your morning toast. Microwaving butter can result in a soupy mess, or even worse: a butter explosion. No one wants to clean that up at 8 in the morning. Just like those sad actors in the black and white portion of an infomercial, I’ve thought to myself: “There’s gotta be a better way!” Well, according to the internet, there is a better way, so we tested to see if it was really up to snuff.

The test: Fill a large drinking glass with hot water. Let sit a couple minutes, then pour out water, then cover your stubbornly solid butter with the glass. Let a minute or two pass, then uncover the butter.

Photo credit: Lena Abraham
Photo credit: Lena Abraham

The verdict? It worked! Well, sort of. The whole piece of butter (we used about 3 tablespoons) wasn’t totally softened, but definitely enough to spread a good amount on your toast. Totally great in a pinch.

But how about a whole stick? This trick sure could come in handy when you decide to make cookies on a whim but don’t have the time to wait for your butter to soften. We tried the same method, but instead of a glass we used a large bowl. The results? Not as great. The butter was slightly softened on the outside, but the inside remained solid as ever. Stick to microwaving at 50% for more consistent results.

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