America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo
Question of the Day

Can I Reuse Frying Oil? [VIDEO]

Yes—but here’s how to prevent your doughnuts from tasting like fried fish.
By

Published Oct. 5, 2018.

Can I Reuse Frying Oil? [VIDEO]

In the test kitchen, we’re always working on some new frying recipe, which means we go through a lot of vegetable oil (our oil preference when frying). If you’re like us, you think it seems wasteful to throw out a quart of oil after every fry. So can you reuse frying oil? Cook’s Illustrated executive food editor Keith Dresser and tasting lab expert Jack Bishop answer that very question in today’s video.

The Best Equipment for Saving Oil

Prepworks Thinstore Collapsible Funnel

If you want to transfer cooled, used oil to a container with a small opening, this funnel has a nice long spout for good stability and a medium-wide nozzle that allows the tidy transfer of liquids with relative ease. And it collapses for easy storage.  
Buy on Amazon

Ziploc Brand Freezer Bags with Easy Open Tabs

This bag protected food from freezer burn and ice crystals for more than two months, and it stayed intact when filled with tomato sauce and dropped.  
Buy on Amazon

Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage Container, Large, 9.6 Cup

Our new favorite passed every test and looked good doing it. Its clear, lightweight Tritan plastic material stayed as clear and stain-free as glass, and its audibly snug seal didn't leak, even when we turned the container upside down and shook it hard.  
Buy on Amazon

OXO Good Grips 8 Cup Smart Seal Rectangle Container

With a plastic lid that latched easily and securely and an airtight, leakproof seal that didn't drip or let moisture in, this container is our top choice for glass storage.  
Buy on Amazon

What are your oil-saving tips? For more information on reserving and discarding oil, check out these articles:

This is a members' feature.