How To Save Money On Kitchen Oil

Whether in a home kitchen or a commercial-grade kitchen, oil is one of the primary ingredients to cook any dish. It adds crispiness to your veggies, smoothens your meat and adds a bit of shine to your meals. You can’t imagine having delicious food prepared for every meal without oil.

However, with oil prices skyrocketing, it’s essential for you to know to use it consciously. From decreasing the oil content in your meals and filtering the used oil properly, you can save money on kitchen oil in several ways. The tips will especially help you if you prepare food in large quantities.

Additionally, using less oil is associated with decreased heart diseases, increased energy levels and less production of sebum on your skin.

Let’s see the great ways to save money on kitchen oil.

Choose the right oil

You can see different types of oils in the market – sunflower, olive, coconut, groundnut, sesame, vegetable, canola, etc. All of them are suitable for cooking, however, each one has a different smoke point, flavour and fry life.

What food you are preparing should determine the oil you have to use. For instance, if you are frying coated chips or floury foods, they will contaminate the oil after a single use. You may not be able to use it for other cooking items. So, it’s best to look for a cost-effective oil option if you fry a lot.

If you prepare items like sauteed veggies, air fryer recipes, then you can use olive or sunflower oils as they need less oil.

Cook at the right temperature

Each oil has a different cooking temperature. Accordingly, you need to adjust the thermostat in your kitchen. For instance, Soybean oil fries best at 230-240 degrees and for animal fats, you need the temperature at 190-200 degrees. And if the fryer is too low, it absorbs more oil and you need to buy more oil. If you are not observing these things, you might end up spending a lot on oil buying.

As a rule, check the optimum temperature each time you change the oil. It allows you to avoid this unnecessary spending and lets you save money on kitchen oil.

Service and clean your fryer regularly

If you prepare a lot of fried items, then you need to clean your fryer regularly, especially in large kitchens. Though it sounds like an investment to service your fryer, it’s imperative as it allows optimal use of oil. You don’t see extra oil sticking to the walls or contaminating the next batch of oil. You also need to calibrate the thermometer annually so that the order is fried at the right temperature. 

Filter and top up the oil

Always use a cooking oil filter to reuse the oil after a single use. Activities like skimming and filtering will extend the shelf life of oil, allowing you to use it for many days. Also, understand the carbon content that each oil has. The more the carbon content, the faster the oil destroys, so if you know the value, you can accordingly discard or reuse the oil.

Additionally, when you are frying, always fill the oil to the optimum level. It helps the food to cook faster and less absorption of oil. You also need to check the oil level and refill it whenever needed.

Recycle used oil

You may no longer use the oil in the fryer for another purpose as it has lost all its nourishing content, however, it doesn’t mean that you should throw it away. Experimentations are running on how to convert the used oil into renewable fuels. If you collect the used oil and give it to an oil management and processing company, they will put good use to the oil. In return, you will get paid for the amount of oil you are giving away. It’s a trend that you can follow to effectively save money on kitchen oil.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right oil and using it in the right way are the best rules to save money on oil buying. Be conscious and learn new techniques of cooking each time you change the oil. Use oil filters to clean the used oil and use it for different purposes so that each drop of oil is put to good use.

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