There is definitely a difference. Refined coconut oil has no scent or flavor left. Unrefined coconut oil smells and tastes like fresh coconut. My husband, trying to be helpful, bought a large jar of coconut oil from our grocery store. The jar said it was unrefined, but it didn't have the smell or taste of our regular brand (Spectrum) and it didn't even look the same, so apparently some that say they're unrefined really aren't.

http://www.spectrumorganics.com/index.php?id=247

 

The quality coconut oils will be cold pressed, like quality olive oils. The coconut oils marked extra virgin or virgin have a higher flash point and usually retails about $15 a small jar, or you can get it in bulk some places although I have yet to find it in bulk locally. You want to be using the coconut oil marked extra virgin or virgin for your frying or high heat cooking. Coconut oil not marked virgin can be used for medium heat cooking like baking.

 

I wondered too b/c I have a kind that I cook with spectrum) and a kind that I put in my hair that I got in the health and beauty area... (my dog apparently doesn't know the difference as he ate 16 oz of the hair stuff as a pup...ew

 

Thank you! good info.

Okay, the stuff I got at the Indian grocery said it was deorderized, and indeed it didn't smell like coconut at all. I bought Spectrum (normalling trusting this brand) at the grocery, and it also doesn't smell like coconut. It actually says on it "refined for medium heat cooking". DH bought it. I wouldn't have purchased anything that actually advirtised it's being refined. Spectrum must also sell an unrefined product? I'll have to keep looking. Thanks!

 

Try this The less expensive oils use hexane in their processing which is not health supporting. You can often get Nutiva at the HFS or you can order online.

 

Not to hijack, but I bought some coconut oil from the indian store and there still is a light smell of coconut in it. It's manufactured in Sri Lanka and only says 100% pure. Nothing about how it's manufactured. How do I tell if it's ok or not.

 

Hello,

I don't really have any knowledge on coconut oil really---but I bought one kind and it was horrible.
I can't for the life of me remember the brand, only it wasn't Spectrum.
Anyways, I was at the health food store the other day and they were sampling a brand of extra virgin direct micro expelling coconut oil.
It was AMAZING. It actually tasted like coconut and smelled delicious.
The brand name is Alpha.
Its certified organic and was $23 CDN for about 500ml.
Huge money but its so yummy. I've been giving it to my toddler on brown rice and on bread and she loves it.

Just wanted to share.

 

Yes, Spectrum sells a "refined" and an "unrefined" product.

I've been buying the unrefined, but next time I do a big shopping I'll buy both kinds. DD has been complaining that all the baked goods taste like coconut, so I plan to get the refined oil for baking sweets (basically a margarine substitute) and the unrefined for everything else.