I spent $45 on a 'vintage' butter churn that never worked

Found this cute little glass butter churn at a flea market near my town and thought it'd be perfect for my kitchen counter. Got it home, cleaned it up, and tried churning cream for 2 hours straight - nothing happened but sore arms. Turns out the wooden paddle inside was warped and wouldn't spin right. Anyone else fall for old kitchen gadgets that look pretty but are totally useless?

2 comments

2 Comments

noahbaker7d ago

Man, that brings back memories of a beat-up ice cream maker I wasted a whole Saturday on.

wesleyburns7d ago

Did you try sanding that paddle down a bit? I've fixed a few old churns where the wood swelled up over the years and needed a light sanding on the edges to get it spinning free again. Also check if the little metal pin or clip is still holding the paddle tight to the handle shaft sometimes those rust and loosen up. Worth tinkering with before you toss it because when they work right they're honestly not bad for making small batches of butter. You might get lucky with a little elbow grease in the right spots.