Which Coconut Oil To Use And Why

In the past almost 4 years of blogging, I have racked up a lot of emails with questions from my readers. Coconut oil is the #1 topic I get asked about and while I have addressed some of my most popular questions in past blog posts, there is one question I have yet to address publicly.

Which Coconut Oil To Use and Why

I chuckled when I realized that I never really told you what brands I use and love.

I have vetted over two dozen different brands of coconut oil and while there are other brands that are “good” there are truly only four brands of coconut oil that I completely love and use and am willing to recommend. (Affiliate links ahead!) Please don’t take this to mean that brands like Nutiva, Carrington Farms, or Spectrum are ‘bad.’ Far from it. I just happen to prefer the taste, aroma, and results I have personally experienced with the brands I am sharing with you today.

In no particular order, my trusted sources of coconut oil are Tropical Traditions, Barlean’s, and Kelapo. These are the brands of coconut oil to use. Here’s why.

These all happen be affiliate partners. Thanks for the support!

This was the first coconut oil I ever tried and I knew immediately that it was an incredible oil. The company itself is pretty amazing thanks to the dedication of the owners and the staff. They have a commitment to fair trade practices. I have had nothing but positive experiences with them time and time again! Plus they offer a ton of other coconut products.

Aside from the fact that Tropical Traditions offers one of the highest quality coconut oils available in the form of their Gold Label Coconut Oil (which is hand-pressed in small batches), there are a whole host of reasons why you should do business with them. Here are just a few highlights:

• They offer 3 different kinds of coconut oil (Gold Label Coconut Oil, Green Label Coconut Oil, and Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil) so you can always have a variety available in your home for the various uses;
• Tropical Traditions Gold Label coconut oil is a truly unrefined coconut oil;
• Their coconut oil is made from organic coconuts;
• Coconuts are used fresh (within 24-48 hours of harvest) from small family farms on Mt. Banahaw and other rural places in Quezon Province, the coconut capital of the Philippines;
• Only the highest quality coconuts are hand-picked from each harvest. The volcanic soil of Mt. Banahaw makes these organic coconuts some of the most nutritionally rich coconuts in the world;
• The fresh coconut meat is shredded (wet milled), and then cold-pressed using the water from inside the coconuts to make coconut milk. The milk is then allowed to sit for about half a day, while the oil naturally separates from the heavier water. The oil is then filtered from the curds (coconut solids);
• Tropical Traditions DOES NOT mass produce this oil. It is made by families who are coconut farmers using old-fashioned traditional methods that have been used in the Philippines for hundreds of years. The families who produce the oil are also trained according to GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standards and re-certified each year;
• You can purchase a five gallon pail of any of their coconut oils which makes it very affordable!
• First time customers get a free book all about coconut oil if you order through this link.

I was very familiar with the Barlean’s line of products having used their Omega and Flax oils for a couple of years. When I had the opportunity to try their coconut oil, I was thrilled. Not only is this my favorite coconut oil to eat straight off the spoon, it is the coconut oil that my daughter literally begs for!

Another company that offers one of the highest quality coconut oils available, there are a whole host of reasons why you should do business with Barlean’s. Here are just a few highlights:

• The coconuts used to produce the coconut oil are island fresh from the province of Quezon in the Philippians;
• The coconut oil itself has an exceptional coconut flavor and aroma;
• It is superior to other brands in that the coconuts are hand selected then harvested at the peak of flavor & nutritional value;
• The oil is cold pressed from fresh coconut meat on demand;
• The coconut oil is bottled on demand, not mass produced and stored;
• It is solvent and chemical free;
• Barlean’s coconut oil is certified organic by the USDA;
• It is packed in black, opaque plastic bottles made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). HDPE is fully approved by the US and Canadian governments for vegetable oils and has an untarnished record of health and safety.

This company has been such a joy to work with. Their customer service is simply incredible. I love that this is a woman-owned small business and from everything I can discern, a very reputable one at that.

Kelapo offers one of the highest quality unrefined organic coconut oils available and there are a whole host of reasons why you should do business with them. Here are just a few highlights:

• The coconut oil is harvested from organically cultivated coconut palms, grown exclusively on Fair Trade farms on the island of Sri Lanka;
• The practices of the farmers they source from include the use of non-chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. They also include maintenance and improvement of soil fertility, weed control and pest control by natural means;
• The coconut oil is extracted from fresh coconut meat using the cold pressed method;
• Kelapo incorporates eco-friendly practices to protect and preserve the planet’s natural resources;
• The coconut oil has a smooth flavor with a light hint of coconut that is not overpowering;
• The coconut oil is packaged in amber colored glass jars which help reduce light to the coconut oil and increase the shelf life;
• They offer their coconut oil in a one gallon bulk jug as well.

I also like that Kelapo offers coconut oil cooking spray as well as little travel on-the-go pouches of coconut oil.

Your turn! What brand of coconut oil is your favorite and why?

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