Nutiva's Organic coconut oil is the best I've found. I've tried several brands, but nothing tastes as clean and pure as this. There is a definite undertone of coconut, but I like the flavor, even when frying eggs or eating it on cinnamon raisin toast. I recently had bloodwork done and my HDL (the good cholesterol) was an impressive 77---anything over 39 is considered in range; over 50 is heart protective). I attribute this great HDL number to using only coconut oil, butter, and olive oil in my cooking & drinking green tea.
Amazon's Subscribe & Save offer is a great deal; I really like the 2 pack of these smaller (15 oz) jars. We're a small household and I like keeping one jar sealed while using the other. Keep in mind that coconut oil is different than other oils--it is solid at temperatures under 72, so it will look something like shortening in the wintertime. Still tastes great and is wonderful to use in all kinds of cooking.
One more important detail: this is an organic, COLD PRESSED coconut oil. Others may be organically grown, but I've found some brands are hydrogenated to make them solid at room temperature (I won't go into all the reasons this is not a "good thing"). Suffice it to say that any coconut oil you buy should be cold pressed (and that goes for your olive oil, as well). Google to find out why...
Happy eating!
This is a marvelous product with some interesting health benefits (google it up). You can use it in baking, frying, in sauces, for vegan raw pies, mix with chocolate for puddings, moisturize your hair or skin, soothe rough elbows, etc.
This melts really fast in a pan, so you don't need a high heat. I fry eggs in it, and the coconut taste is subtle. Any ethnic dish that requires sauteeing or saucing and can benefit from a fresh coconut flavor, this is useful. I've cooked meats in it, as well. If you hate the smell/taste of coconut, obviously, this is not for you.
This brand, Nutiva, is organic and virgin. It smells so good. And I have an old jar that I never finished (really big one), and nearly two years later, after sitting right by the stove, it still smells fresh, like Cuban coconut candy my mom used to make. Yes, solid and fresh and white and fragrant TWO YEARS LATER. This is a very stable product.
Recommended.
First things first: the flavour of this coconut oil is wonderful. Very clean on the tongue with just a slight back hint of coconut flavour. YES, this WILL slightly flavour some of your dishes to taste faintly of coconut if the dish is not heavily spiced. When I use coconut oil in place of butter for many Ethiopian and Indian dishes, I don't really notice any coconut flavour--but these are heavily spiced cuisines and so the sheer level of spice involved will cover up the delicate coconut flavour of this oil. In baking, however, there is a wonderful little hint of it. When I've made cookies and cakes using this in place of shortening or butter, many people have commented that something felt different about the dessert, but they couldn't put their finger on it right away until I would suggest coconut. I say all of this, though, in case someone who absolutely HATES coconut is considering using coconut oil as a part of their diet. While it has many great health benefits, if you cannot stand the flavour of coconut in any shape or form, you probably will not enjoy this product. I personally enjoy the added depth and dimension is gives my food, as well as the fact it's cholesterol free.
If you're thinking this wouldn't taste like anything, then you're thinking of what is called "RBD coconut oil", that is to say, coconut oil which has been refined, bleached, and deodorised. This is not that product, and in my opinion, is far superior to any RBD coconut oil you could find.
Now, the health benefits. Coconut gets props for being cholesterol free. Many people want to downplay its wonderfulness by pointing out that it is loaded in saturated fats. However! The saturated fats found in coconut oil are mostly medium-chain fatty acids, which bind together to form medium-chain triglycerides. Medium-chain triglycerides, or MCTs, are much easier for the body to break down and process than long-chain triglycerides, which are the saturated fats that are usually predominant in our diets. Because MCTs are so easily broken down in the body, they don't put a great strain on your pancreas or digestive system. Coconut oil is not a cure-all, however. It's not some miracle food (IMO), but I do think it should be seen as a healthy, viable alternative to butter and some cooking oils. Should it replace these other oils and butter outright? No, I don't think so. But I think it deserves a place of respect alongside your butter and olive oil in the kitchen.
I've been using this brand for a couple of years now. It has a light coconut hint at times. I use it for popping corn and I can't taste any coconut, other items like meats or veggies sometimes have a hint of coconut...it's not necessarily a bad thing.
I thought I would save washing a spoon each time I used this and put in a clear, plastic spoon (Kirkland brand) into the jar so I could reuse it. DON'T KEEP PLASTIC IN YOUR COCONUT OIL!!! About 1 week later I went to make popcorn and I pulled out the handle of the spoon with no bottom of the spoon to be found!!! The acid in the coconut oil will eat away at certain plastics! Had to throw the 1/2 full jar away! Lesson learned! Just reordered and went on subscribe and save. - Body Care - Moisturizer - Coconut - Nutiva - Cooking - Good Fats'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
