Containers and capacity

Butter churn

A butter churn is a vessel with a mechanism for agitating cream to produce butter, traditionally operated by hand.

Also known as: dasher churn

How big is it?

20 L in capacity

Also 5.283 US gal

Defined nominal capacity · defined specimen
Typical recorded range: 15 L to 30 L.

Scale illustration of Butter churn, calibrated to its defined nominal capacity measurement.
The marked defined nominal capacity represents 20 L.

A little perspective

About the same scale as 20 litre jerrycan.

20 litre jerrycan: A jerrycan is a sturdy container for storing and transporting liquids such as fuel or water.

True volume
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Butter churn20 LDefined nominal capacity
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These are equal-volume cubes. Edge lengths grow with the cube root of capacity; the cubes do not depict container exteriors.
Measurements, assumptions & sources +

Butter churn

A defined traditional 20 litre dasher churn, 80 cm tall and 10 kg empty. Construction and working fill vary.

Defined examples — our methodology

The marked defined nominal capacity is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.

20 litre jerrycan

Defined 20 litre capacity. Actual containers, servings and fills vary. Outer shape is not used to calculate capacity.

Defined examples — our methodology

The marked volume is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.

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Why this measurement?

Why we use 20 L

For comparison, this page uses defined nominal capacity. This is labelled defined specimen: an explicit comparison model rather than a claim that every example has the same value. The recorded range is 15 L to 30 L.

A defined traditional 20 litre dasher churn, 80 cm tall and 10 kg empty. Construction and working fill vary.

The identifying illustration and the numerical comparison remain separate. How calibrated comparisons work →

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Recorded properties

Butter churn dimensions and measurements

PropertySelected valueRecorded rangeBasis
20 L15 L to 30 Ldefined specimen
80 cm60 cm to 1 mdefined specimen
10 kg6 kg to 15 kgdefined specimen

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Sources and method

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