# Coconut oil - where buy?



## MarinaB (Jul 3, 2020)

Dear soap making community! 
Where is the best and cheapest to order 76 Coconut oil? 35 lbs of coconut oil with delivery from BB costs 100$. Is it possible to get cheaper coconut oil somewhere? Please, share information if you know!


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## AliOop (Jul 3, 2020)

Some places to check are Costco, Big Lots, and Walmart. By signing up for the Big Lots website coupon, and then ordering online for in-person pickup, their price is usually lowest for me.

Some people have luck at local restaurant supply stores.The ones near me don’t carry it in stock, and their price to order it is pretty high. But it might be worth checking in your area.


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## Jersey Girl (Jul 3, 2020)

MarinaB said:


> Dear soap making community!
> Where is the best and cheapest to order 76 Coconut oil? 35 lbs of coconut oil with delivery from BB costs 100$. Is it possible to get cheaper coconut oil somewhere? Please, share information if you know!


I bought a 50lb bucket from Soapers Choice. It ended up costing $95 with the shipping. In all my research it was the best price I could find. I envy anyone who lives close enough to pick up from that place.


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## sarahmarah (Jul 3, 2020)

I get mine from Jedwards because I can pick up from them (when not in pandemic mode). I don’t know if it’s the most cost effective but I absolutely love the quality of their products.


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## MarinaB (Jul 3, 2020)

Jersey girl, thank you very much, I will order there!!!!!! Wow!!!


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## Cal43 (Jul 3, 2020)

I got 6 102 oz for 60 from big lots with a 15% coupon. That’s where I get mine from.


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## TheGecko (Jul 3, 2020)

Costco.  It's pretty much the same price as BrambleBerry, but without the added shipping cost since Costco is only 2 miles from my house.  I also purchase my Olive Oil and Avocado Oil from them.

And I just found a local supplier about a half hour from my work for my other ingredients, but their business hours are the same as mine so I will either have to go to work early or stay late to make up the time lost or factor the time into my costs.  I will be purchasing from them for the first time come Monday.  Usually I purchase a minimal amount the first time from a new supplier, but since they have an actual storefront and will provide sample that you can touch, taste and smell...that is what I will be doing.  And if I like what I sample, I can go ahead and purchase larger quantities.


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## Cal43 (Jul 3, 2020)

TheGecko said:


> Costco.  It's pretty much the same price as BrambleBerry, but without the added shipping cost since Costco is only 2 miles from my house.  I also purchase my Olive Oil and Avocado Oil from them.
> 
> And I just found a local supplier about a half hour from my work for my other ingredients, but their business hours are the same as mine so I will either have to go to work early or stay late to make up the time lost or factor the time into my costs.  I will be purchasing from them for the first time come Monday.  Usually I purchase a minimal amount the first time from a new supplier, but since they have an actual storefront and will provide sample that you can touch, taste and smell...that is what I will be doing.  And if I like what I sample, I can go ahead and purchase larger quantities.



I want avocado oil from Costco so bad, but it’s no where me. Being so far, it makes no sense to get another card.


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## Jersey Girl (Jul 3, 2020)

Cal43 said:


> I got 6 102 oz for 60 from big lots with a 15% coupon. That’s where I get mine from.


That’s a great price.


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## Cal43 (Jul 3, 2020)

Jersey Girl said:


> That’s a great price.


The jars are usually 12.00, there is a 20 % off coupon now. So you can give it a go. There is also sunflower and olive oil half gallon for 7.50. I’ve made soap with it before and I like it. I’m going to get some more with my 20% coupon.


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## MarinaB (Jul 3, 2020)

Ladies, I ordered coconut oil from soapersrs choice! Much cheaper! Thank you! Next time will go to Costco with a friend. I am not a member there.


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## Jersey Girl (Jul 3, 2020)

Cal43 said:


> The jars are usually 12.00, there is a 20 % off coupon now. So you can give it a go. There is also sunflower and olive oil half gallon for 7.50. I’ve made soap with it before and I like it. I’m going to get some more with my 20% coupon.


Yes, I did see that coupon in my email since I have the rewards card. I’ll check it out.  Thank you.


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## Kiti Williams (Jul 3, 2020)

MarinaB said:


> Dear soap making community!
> Where is the best and cheapest to order 76 Coconut oil? 35 lbs of coconut oil with delivery from BB costs 100$. Is it possible to get cheaper coconut oil somewhere? Please, share information if you know!




Bulk Apothecary has it for $59.25.


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## Catscankim (Jul 3, 2020)

bulk apothecary delivered within a few days. All other vendors took weeks


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## slspencer (Jul 4, 2020)

It looks like others have already said this but I will say it again, Bulk Apothecary.


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## Jersey Girl (Jul 4, 2020)

slspencer said:


> It looks like others have already said this but I will say it again, Bulk Apothecary.


Out of stock when I looked yesterday. I find this true every time I have tried to shop at BA so I gave up.


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## Kiti Williams (Jul 4, 2020)

Jersey Girl said:


> Out of stock when I looked yesterday. I find this true every time I have tried to shop at BA so I gave up.



They have been having trouble with getting stock in, much like when the whole lock down started and TP was at a premium.  I got my big bucket when they had a sale on it.

Until them, Big Lots does have a good CO in a 5 (?) pound jar.


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## MarinaB (Jul 16, 2020)

I got my coconut oil from soapers choice and I am not happy. It is 62 F at my house and oil is in liquid, not hard.. I ordered coconut oil 76. Also it smells like machinery and has bright yellow color. OMG... What I got? After BB it looks like a bucket of junk.


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## Kcryss (Jul 16, 2020)

I like the dollar tree CO. It comes in small plastic jars, but I wash and reuse them for other things ... like storing colorants etc. This is the jars they sell.


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## mtinetti61 (Jul 16, 2020)

This is a very small jar.  What does it sell for?


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## cmzaha (Jul 17, 2020)

MarinaB said:


> I got my coconut oil from soapers choice and I am not happy. It is 62 F at my house and oil is in liquid, not hard.. I ordered coconut oil 76. Also it smells like machinery and has bright yellow color. OMG... What I got? After BB it looks like a bucket of junk.


Your oil very well could have melted in transportation, since you are quite a distance from Soapers Choice. Sometimes during summer it is better to order the 92º CO so there is less chance of melting. When my CO melts in the summer in my 5lb buckets it will be quite yellow but white when solidified. Soapers Choice carries high-quality oils although I do not purchase CO from them. I am lucky to have a supplier within a reasonable driving distance but I do purchase other oils from Soapers Choice.


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## Catscankim (Jul 17, 2020)

I got mine from amazon. Its the second time i ordered it. Free shipping.


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## shunt2011 (Jul 17, 2020)

MarinaB said:


> I got my coconut oil from soapers choice and I am not happy. It is 62 F at my house and oil is in liquid, not hard.. I ordered coconut oil 76. Also it smells like machinery and has bright yellow color. OMG... What I got? After BB it looks like a bucket of junk.



Mine is yellowish when liquid.  I actually put my bucket outside when it's hot to melt it down when it's about half gone.  I then put it in smaller containers.  I've never noticed an off smell.  I would contact them.   I don't order my CO when it's hot out.  I generally order 50 lbs in the early late fall early spring though their buckets are well sealed.


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## Kcryss (Jul 17, 2020)

mtinetti61 said:


> This is a very small jar.  What does it sell for?


1 dollar 

Edit: Did the math, comes to .133 per oz


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## Claudette Carignan (Jul 17, 2020)

AliOop said:


> Some places to check are Costco, Big Lots, and Walmart. By signing up for the Big Lots website coupon, and then ordering online for in-person pickup, their price is usually lowest for me.
> 
> Some people have luck at local restaurant supply stores.The ones near me don’t carry it in stock, and their price to order it is pretty high. But it might be worth checking in your area.


I’ve bought my coconut oil at Costco.


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## MarinaB (Jul 17, 2020)

After I used my coconut oil I can say that it is junk  I do not remember who recommended this company to buy oil from please, do not recommend it to anyone. It is junk. After using BB oil I could see difference. I will return....


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## cmzaha (Jul 18, 2020)

MarinaB said:


> After I used my coconut oil I can say that it is junk  I do not remember who recommended this company to buy oil from please, do not recommend it to anyone. It is junk. After using BB oil I could see difference. I will return....


Please do not say Soapers Choice sells junk because they absolutely do not and I have to ask how long have you actually been making soap? Soapers Choice is a very reliable supplier of oils whose parent company is Columbus Vegetable Oils. So please do not bash them. Who knows they very well could supply Brambleberry since BB buys from wholesalers. Please consider who you are bashing. BB is no saint vendor, you can take that to the bank.


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## AliOop (Jul 18, 2020)

Catscankim said:


> I got mine from amazon. Its the second time i ordered it. Free shipping.


This is the one that Costco used to carry for $14.99. I moved across several states, so I don’t know if they quit carrying it altogether, or if it is only in certain Costcos. Fantastic price, and the empty buckets are great for soaping, too.


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## TheGecko (Jul 18, 2020)

MarinaB said:


> After I used my coconut oil I can say that it is junk  I do not remember who recommended this company to buy oil from please, do not recommend it to anyone. It is junk. After using BB oil I could see difference. I will return....



I agree with @cmzaha. I have quite a few products from Soaper's Choice and some of them have been around for over a year and are still of high quality. I have no doubt that it you took pictures of the Coconut Oil and contacted Customer Service, they would be more than happy to help you out.

It is NOT unreasonable given the temperatures and distance, that you CO would arrive melted and discolored. Even Cocoa Butter turns soft this time of year.

Also, did you purchase the Coconut Oil 76 or the Coconut Oil EV Organic?  I only asked because the 76 is refined, bleached, and deodorized and the EV Organic is not.


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## Jersey Girl (Jul 18, 2020)

I get several of my bulk oils from Soapers Choice including the 50lb bucket of CO I bought in March. I had no issues with the quality with about 1/3 left at this point. Also no issues soaping with any other oils or butters I have bought from them. It was solid when it arrived as it was cold where I live in March. Soapers Choice from my experience sells quality oils and has impeccable customer service.  Contact them and let them know your concerns.


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## TheGecko (Jul 18, 2020)

cmzaha said:


> BB is no saint vendor, you can take that to the bank.



I had great luck with BB when I first started ordering from them and the customer service was excellent.  And while I understand that CV-19 has affected a lot of folks, it's gotten to be extremely frustrating with their order processing/shipping times.  It used to be a week, now it's closer to three weeks.  I would be willing to make the 10 hour round-trip drive...I'll slow down with the trunk lid open and they can just toss it in.  LOL

I've already found alternative suppliers for all my base ingredients and a lot of my additives...now if I could just find suitable replacements for some of their fragrances that my customers adore...it would be okay.  But until that happens, if it does...I just know to watch my inventory levels closely.


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## gardengeek (Jul 18, 2020)

shunt2011 said:


> Mine is yellowish when liquid.  I actually put my bucket outside when it's hot to melt it down when it's about half gone.  I then put it in smaller containers.  I've never noticed an off smell.  I would contact them.   I don't order my CO when it's hot out.  I generally order 50 lbs in the early late fall early spring though their buckets are well sealed.



Shunt2011, Do you melt your CO before weighing for a recipe? I thought I was supposed to melt it like regular palm oil (not no-stir). Even after I decant to smaller containers, if they've solidified I remelt the smaller container before I measure what I need. I always wondered how people handle the bulk sizes.


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## xavalyss (Jul 18, 2020)

I usually get mine at Dillon's/Kroger or Walmart.


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## shunt2011 (Jul 18, 2020)

gardengeek said:


> Shunt2011, Do you melt your CO before weighing for a recipe? I thought I was supposed to melt it like regular palm oil (not no-stir). Even after I decant to smaller containers, if they've solidified I remelt the smaller container before I measure what I need. I always wondered how people handle the bulk sizes.


No, not generally.  Only when it’s down in the bucket and if it’s summer I’ll set it outside to melt to transfer t o something smaller.  Otherwise I just scoop and weigh.


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## Zany_in_CO (Jul 19, 2020)

MarinaB said:


> I got my coconut oil from soapers choice and I am not happy. It is 62 F at my house and oil is in liquid, not hard.. I ordered coconut oil 76. Also it smells like machinery and has bright yellow color. OMG... What I got? After BB it looks like a bucket of junk.


That's odd. Contact Soapers Choice. I've been buying from them for 15 years. Never had a problem. I'm sure they will do what they can to make it right.


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## TheGecko (Jul 19, 2020)

gardengeek said:


> Shunt2011, Do you melt your CO before weighing for a recipe? I thought I was supposed to melt it like regular palm oil (not no-stir). Even after I decant to smaller containers, if they've solidified I remelt the smaller container before I measure what I need. I always wondered how people handle the bulk sizes.



Not @shunt2011, but the reason for melting Palm Oil is because the Steric Acid settles to the bottom as it solidifies.  Fortunately with the warmer temps, my PO is more like a slurry so I just give it it a really good stir from the bottom up.  The only reason to melt Coconut Oil is if you can’t scoop it out of the container, like the bags that BB packages it in.  

As for bulk sizes...I had the nightmare of melting a 35 lb bucket. And it was a nightmare because I did it the hard way. What I should have done was 1) wrap the bucket in a heating pad, melt it to a slurry, stir and dispense into gallon freezer bags and/or smaller Dollar Store containers. Or 2) melt two pots of oil on the stove and then poured back into the bucket and let the residual heat melt the rest and then stir and dispense.

I just picked up a 5 lb bucket of ‘no-stir’ PO, going to test it tomorrow.


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## cmzaha (Jul 19, 2020)

I absolutely hate it during the summer when my 35# bucket of CO melts which it always does. It is just so messy to scoop out liquid CO, and I do not have the storage room nor the patience to repackage 5 gallons of CO into smaller containers, as it is I have to break down my 50# boxes of lard, palm shortening and tallow into 5 gallon buckets, that is enough breaking down for me.


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## TheGecko (Jul 19, 2020)

cmzaha said:


> I absolutely hate it during the summer when my 35# bucket of CO melts which it always does. It is just so messy to scoop out liquid CO, and I do not have the storage room nor the patience to repackage 5 gallons of CO into smaller containers, as it is I have to break down my 50# boxes of lard, palm shortening and tallow into 5 gallon buckets, that is enough breaking down for me.



Yeah...my PO and CO is like a slurry right now and no matter how careful I am at ladling out, it's still a mess.


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## gardengeek (Jul 19, 2020)

Thank you @shunt2011 and @TheGecko, this is such good news. All this time I've been melting and decanting the CO too. This is going to make life a lot easier! 
I haven't purchased a bulk size yet and I do imagine it's a pain to melt. The small bucket is bad enough. A couple of weeks ago, I made a master batch (just enough for a few loaves) and I had to melt the CO and the PO. I didn't think the PO was ever going to melt - even in the Florida heat! I made the mistake of putting the master batch in a container that wouldn't fit in my microwave so each time I made a batch of soap I had that to contend with all over again! It's so painful learning sometimes, but I guess the pain helps the lessons stick!


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## TheGecko (Jul 19, 2020)

gardengeek said:


> A couple of weeks ago, I made a master batch (just enough for a few loaves) and I had to melt the CO and the PO. I didn't think the PO was ever going to melt - even in the Florida heat! I made the mistake of putting the master batch in a container that wouldn't fit in my microwave so each time I made a batch of soap I had that to contend with all over again! It's so painful learning sometimes, but I guess the pain helps the lessons stick!



I'm master batching in Oregon and I haven't had to reheat and I'm using 60% hard oils (Coconut and Palm Oils, and Cocoa and Shea Butters). 

I've also taken to melting my hard oils on the stove instead of the microwave...I find that they melt a LOT faster. I start with a medium heat and then once the Cocoa Butter is halfway melts, I turn it off and the residual heat does the rest. I then pour into the 5 gallon bucket when I have already measured out my Olive and Castor Oils. Then when I'm ready to make soap, I have a long handled ladle and give the bucket a really good stir. I figured out that the ladle holds about 3.25 oz not quite full and simple scoops how many ladles I need then weigh the contents. We currently keep the house somewhere between 75-80F.

Winter time may prove more interesting as we keep it between 60-75F...may have to get 1 gallon buckets.


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## Kafayat Adebowale oyeniyi (Jul 19, 2020)

Jersey Girl said:


> I get several of my bulk oils from Soapers Choice including the 50lb bucket of CO I bought in March. I had no issues with the quality with about 1/3 left at this point. Also no issues soaping with any other oils or butters I have bought from them. It was solid when it arrived as it was cold where I live in March. Soapers Choice from my experience sells quality oils and has impeccable customer service.  Contact them and let them know your concerns.


I also use them for my bulk oils and I am happy with the quality of what I get from them


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## MarinaB (Jul 20, 2020)

I make soap for 5 years. Possibly I just got something not right. I send it back. I send to CS pictures how my soap turned out   Feel bad, FO were expensive.


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## cmzaha (Jul 20, 2020)

MarinaB said:


> I make soap for 5 years. Possibly I just got something not right. I send it back. I send to CS pictures how my soap turned out   Feel bad, FO were expensive.


So what happened to your soap? Almost any soap can be fixed.


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## shunt2011 (Jul 21, 2020)

MarinaB said:


> After I used my coconut oil I can say that it is junk  I do not remember who recommended this company to buy oil from please, do not recommend it to anyone. It is junk. After using BB oil I could see difference. I will return....



They are far from junk.  They are excellent and respond to customers with problems.  I've been using them for 9 years with no issues. Did you contact them?



MarinaB said:


> I make soap for 5 years. Possibly I just got something not right. I send it back. I send to CS pictures how my soap turned out   Feel bad, FO were expensive.



And why would you use it if you weren't satisfied with it when you opened it.   Should have contact them immediately.


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## MarinaB (Jul 21, 2020)

cmzaha said:


> So what happened to your soap? Almost any soap can be fixed.


I made white soap bars, it is mono color and it's color was not consistent. It has grey spots. If someone lives close by, I would be happy to just give this bucket to you. Soapers do not want it back.


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## SweetSoap (Jul 29, 2022)

MarinaB said:


> Dear soap making community!
> Where is the best and cheapest to order 76 Coconut oil? 35 lbs of coconut oil with delivery from BB costs 100$. Is it possible to get cheaper coconut oil somewhere? Please, share information if you know!


I get mine from Restaurant Depot $76 for 45 pounds.


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