Rant: Is peanut oil worth the hype or just a waste of cash?

So I was at a state fair in Des Moines last weekend and watched two food vendors frying the same thing right next to each other. One bragged about using peanut oil at $28 a gallon, the other used regular vegetable oil for like $12. Honestly I couldn't tell the difference in taste, but the peanut oil guy had way less smoke going. Is it really better for your fryer or are we all just buying marketing? What do you all think?

2 comments

2 Comments

emma_clark10d ago

You ever burn popcorn in the microwave so bad it sets off the smoke alarm? That was me last Tuesday. Anyway, I get what you mean about peanut oil. My aunt used it once for her fried chicken and the kitchen smelled like a fancy restaurant, but the chicken itself just tasted like chicken. Maybe the no-smoke thing is worth it if you fry a lot, but for most folks that extra cash seems like a waste unless you're running a diner.

samjohnson8d ago

...and honestly the smoke factor is the only reason I switched. I used to fry fish in vegetable oil and the whole house would smell like a fast food joint for three days. Switched to peanut oil a couple years back and it really does smoke less. My kitchen doesn't get that greasy film on everything anymore. The taste is basically the same, so if you're not frying a ton it's probably not worth it. But if you fry fish or chicken every other week like I do, the extra cost is worth not having to air out the house for hours.