Butter dish temp reg brainstorming help

[jkraai]

My lovely wife would like a butter dish that has spreadable butter in it year round.

Design constraints

1. Cheap power: a modern switching wall wart?

2. Temperature control and feedback: Arduino nano on a very slow loop with what of sensor?

3. Heat exchanger must fit in bottom of this: http://www.pfaltzgraff.com/heritage/covered-butter-dish/5134692.html The bottom is a continuous rectangular 'ring' that I can remove material from.

Can I cut a Peltier module down to size to fit on the bottom? :-) The ones I'm finding online are 40mm^2, which is too large and doesn't fit the shape well.

Other approach ideas are welcome.

Thanks,

--jim

[eric christiansen]

does the temp in your home lower to the point of solidifying the butter?  as far as i know, butter, in a container, can be left out hella long...

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[Jeffrey Ollie]

http://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/36/is-it-safe-to-leave-butter-at-room-temperature

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Jeff Ollie

[jim kraai]

Good question. Yes it solidifies during winter and slumps/nearly melts in the summer. I'm miserly on the utility bills.

[jim kraai]

It definitely doesn't ever have enough time to go rancid.

[David Champion]

Here you go...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2014/08/22/the-best-butter-knife-ever-and-9-other-simple-redesigns-that-will-change-your-life/?tid=sm_fb

-dc

[jim kraai]

that is nifty, but it's not "a butter dish that has spreadable butter in it year round"

[Nabil Hanke]

You could also try an evaporative cooler system. Use a dual wall setup with a wick between. 

Thank you,

Nabíl

[jim kraai]

I like that idea!

[jim kraai]

Side topic on storing butter https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/36/is-it-safe-to-leave-butter-at-room-temperature

My takeaway is that, vermine aside, if butter is protected from oxygen, it's almost shelf stable.

[Bailey Mader]

So how did people keep butter before refrigeration?

On Aug 24, 2014 11:40 AM, "jim kraai" <jimg...@gmail.com> wrote:

[jim kraai]

Short-term:  On the shelf.  In crocks or wrapped in waxed paper--anything that protected it from oxygen and vermine.  Best in a cool, dark, dry cellar.

Long term:  Clarified (google ghee)

[jim kraai]

I have no idea why vermin gets autocorrected to vermine

[Bailey Mader]

Zombie thread, go!

Maybe this would help your particular butter sitation, Jim? http://www.core77.com/posts/37204/A-Better-Way-to-Dispense-Butter-Whether-at-the-Stove-or-the-Table

Bailey Mader
runne...@gmail.com

[jim kraai]

Doesn't, but that's pretty neat! 

I'll back it at the level where we also get the 3D printer files.