what size is a standard stick of butter

A standard stick of butter weighs approximately 113 grams (4 ounces, as Kat correctly points out). If you don’t have a scale, it is a block of butter that measures approximately 1.5 inches in width by 1.5 inches in height by 3.25 inches in length.

A nation divided… by butter stick style By

Ever had a butter dish that didnt fit your butter? Not to put too fine a point on it, but it might be a territorial thing. East coast butter sticks are long and thin and West coast sticks are thick and stout. They each clock in at 4oz., but the dimensional difference is real and noticeable. Beyond the obvious fact that east coasters are tall and neurotic while the left coast leans thick and athletic, theres a slightly silly reason why.

At the turn of the 20th century, before our country had gone fully packaging bonkers, a very simple invention changed how we visualize and buy a lot of our food. It was created by designer, Frank Peters, and first showed up in his packaging for Uneeda brand crackers back in the 1880s. The game changing “Peters Package” technology was the idea of wrapping a food in a sealed container, and then putting that container inside another cardboard carton. Sounds obvious now, but it was revolutionary. Suddenly, freshness lasted longer, delicate foods could be stacked and food portions became regularized.

Butter had previously been distributed in large wooden tubs, portioned off and sold to the customer in one pound lumps, wrapped in wet cheesecloth. Yum! A huge butter lump may have had its benefits (I bet it would be a real game changer in snowball fights), but after a Louisiana restaurant magnate asked his distributor to Peters package his butter, the idea caught on like wildfire. A package of four quarter-pound sticks became the norm as the public became endeared with the cleaner and more easily measured units.

By the middle of the 20th century, the leftward side of the country was lagging behind national average on dairy byproduct production. The western market was booming to the point where there was hardly any milk left for cheese and butter after drinkable, pourable milk was portioned out. Maybe it was all our surfing, hiking and fad dieting that drove us to drink up all our milk, but dairy production was hurting. By the 60s, the state of California had stepped up its production aggressively. Its far newer machinery differed in several ways to the older tech, resulting in “butter printers” that made a shorter and stouter sticks. As the state acquired a majority stake in the butter scene, the thicker sticks became standard west of the Rocky Mountains.

Despite zero functional differences, the regional size divide remains today thanks to tradition, and some national manufacturers produce both sizes to meet both markets expectations. The eastern style sticks are known as “Elgins,” likely after Elgin Machine Co., the manufacturer behind the majority of butter processing equipment in early US, who also—naturally—specialized in watchmaking tools. And out west? We get the cute if less appetizing “West coast stubbies.”

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What’s a Stick of Butter?

FAQ

What is the measurement of 1 stick of butter?

Is 8oz of butter 1 stick?

Is a stick of butter 4 oz or 8 oz?

What size packaging is butter?

How much butter is in a stick?

Butter is typically sold in sticks, and the size of a stick may vary depending on where you live. In the United States, a standard stick of butter is 1/2 cup or 8 tablespoons. This is equivalent to 4 ounces or 113 grams. However, in some European countries, butter is sold in 250-gram blocks, which is approximately 1 cup or 16 tablespoons.

What type of fat is present in butter?

Butter, like other dairy products, contains a high amount of saturated fat, which raises blood cholesterol, and increases the risk for heart disease and stroke.

How many butter sticks are in a box?

It’s a common question, especially for those who love to cook and bake, as getting the measurement right is crucial for the success of a recipe. In the United States, a stick of butter is typically sold in one-pound boxes, with each box containing four sticks.

What is a butter stick equivalent?

If you ever come across a recipe that calls for a different measurement, here are some butter stick equivalents you should keep in mind: 1/4 cup of butter is half a stick, 1/8 cup is a quarter of a stick, and 1/2 teaspoon is equivalent to a pat of butter. There’s a standard measurement for a stick of butter that is commonly used in baking recipes.