5 Easy Ways To Properly Melt Butter

When you're working with that rich dairy staple known as butter, proper techniques make all the difference. From grating butter without any mess to knowing when you should use salted versus unsalted butter, the right approach can significantly improve the cooking process and greatly impact your final results. When you need to incorporate melted butter into a recipe — for instance, making an oil swap to turn boxed cake mix into a bakery-worthy creation — what's the best way to do it?

For some expert ideas, Food Republic reached out to Rena Awada, owner and head chef at Healthy Fitness Meals LLC. The chef suggested five ideal ways to liquify the ingredient without burning or overheating it.

Whether you need melted butter for a baked good recipe, preparing a sauce, or simply topping bread or popcorn, its easy to get it to the perfect consistency without special equipment or a lot of fuss. All you need is what you already have in your home kitchen.

Using a microwave is one of the easiest ways to melt butter. Awada suggested cutting it into small pieces before placing it in a microwave-safe dish. This helps ensure quicker and more even melting, whereas microwaving the entire stick can lead to splatter, as the surface melts and overheats while the bulk of the cube is still solid. The butter should be nuked in 10- to 15-second bursts, stopping to stir each time to avoid overheating. "[Stop] heating once most of the butter is melted — residual heat will take care of the rest," Awada advised.

Another quick and easy butter-melting method is on your stovetop. "Just place the butter in a small saucepan over low heat and let it melt slowly — stirring occasionally to keep it from burning," Awada instructed. "Keep the heat low and remove it from the stove as soon as it's mostly melted — again, residual heat will do the rest, and this prevents it from browning too soon." Chopping the butter into small pieces before applying heat can, once again, help with faster and more even melting when using this method.

Taking a double boiler approach is another way to get evenly melted butter. It's a bit more involved than the previous methods, but it safeguards against burning the ingredient. "Set a heatproof bowl on top of a pot of simmering water — making sure the water doesn't touch the bowl — and let the steam slowly melt the butter," Awada explained. "This method uses residual heat from the steam, so there's less chance of the butter burning, and it melts evenly/gently."

When you're baking, multitasking can help you stay efficient. To execute this time-saving method, simply pop your butter into an oven-safe dish and set it inside your preheating oven. As the appliance heats up, the climbing temperature will also break down your butter. "The gentle heat will slowly melt the butter without scorching it," Awada explained, "and since the oven is already on, it's an easy, hands-off way to get it done. Just keep an eye on it and take it out once it's mostly melted — the residual heat will do the rest."

Another low-maintenance way to melt butter is to let the temperature of your kitchen do the job for you. "Simply leave the butter out for a little while until it softens or fully melts on its own," Awada suggested. "This works best if you're not in a hurry, but it's a hands-off method that avoids any risk of overheating or burning." Unlike other dairy products, which must refrigerated for safety, real, butter that has been pasteurized can safely sit out for up to two days. So, this method can be executed a day or two ahead, if needed.