From everything I've read, the best oil seems to consistently come from Asian restaurants. A few things to look for:
1) Look for a source that changes oil often - the longer they use it to fry food, the more food that gets in it. My source is a Japanese restaurant that changes twice a day.
2) Avoid hydrogenated oils - this is a process by which hydrogen is chemically injected into the oil to apparently stabilize it for easier shipment and storeage. Most fast-food franchises only use this kind of oil, and should therefore be avoided.
3) The best indication of oil quality is literally as simple as how it looks. If it looks clean, smooth, and transparent, then it has less junk in it. Avoid oil that has a lot of milky tallow or looks like a pint of guiness.
This is all based on what I've read as I am a newbie as well just starting to harvest my own supply.
Dana Linscott has an excellent "10-step program" that can explain this and other issues in more detail. Welcome and good luck! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]
Jonathan
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99' F250 PSD CC/SB 4x4 Lariat - AFE Stage II on order. Mag-Hytec Tranny pan.
FN74 parallel fuel system to run heated Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO) in the works! Getting out of the Army and embarking on an epic roadtrip December 1st. Moving on from defending our right to pump cheap OPEC oil to our right to use a domestic, renewable, and cleaner one.
