Bulk Cooking Oil for Restaurants: Palm Olein, Sunflower, Canola or Olive?

For a restaurant, takeaway or caterer, cooking oil is one of the few ingredients bought every week without much thought. It is also one of the easiest costs to reduce, because the cheapest oil per litre is not always the cheapest oil per week. How long an oil lasts in the fryer, how it handles high heat and how it is packed all affect what you actually spend. This guide compares the oils most food businesses buy in bulk and the practical points on packing, storage and fryer management.

The main oils compared

Oil	Frying stability	Flavour	Typical use
Refined palm olein	High	Neutral	Deep frying in takeaways and food manufacturing
High-oleic sunflower	High	Neutral	Deep frying where a liquid, non-palm oil is preferred
Standard refined sunflower	Moderate	Neutral	Shallow frying, general cooking, dressings
Refined rapeseed (canola)	Moderate to good	Neutral	General cooking, frying, baking
Refined olive oil (“pure” olive oil)	Good	Mild	Mediterranean cooking and sautéing
Extra virgin olive oil	Good, but costly for frying	Distinctive	Finishing, dressings, menu items where flavour matters

Frying stability mainly depends on how saturated or monounsaturated the oil is. Oils rich in polyunsaturated fat, such as standard sunflower, break down faster at frying temperatures than palm olein or high-oleic oils. That is why a standard sunflower oil that looks cheaper per litre can cost more over a month of deep frying.

If you are considering palm olein, our guide to RBD palm olein grades explains CP10, CP8 and CP6 and which suits your storage conditions.

Work out cost per week, not per litre

To compare two frying oils fairly, run each for a couple of weeks and record how many litres you add and how often you change the fryer. Then compare cost per week or per portion. A more stable oil that lasts longer between changes often wins even at a higher price per litre.

Knowing when to change fryer oil

Changing oil by the calendar either wastes oil or leaves degraded oil in use. The more reliable measure is total polar materials (TPM), which a handheld cooking oil tester reads in seconds. Several European countries set or recommend discard limits of around 24 to 27% TPM. Filtering oil daily, skimming debris, lowering the temperature when the fryer is idle and not salting food over the fryer all extend oil life.

Pack sizes

Format	Suits
5L bottles	Small kitchens and cafés
10L and 20L jerry cans or bag-in-box	Takeaways and restaurants with fryers
18L tins	Kitchens that want better protection from light and damage
Drums and IBCs	Central kitchens and food manufacturers with pumps

Larger formats cut the price per litre but need handling equipment and storage space, and an opened large container is exposed to air for longer. Our guide to wholesale and retail pricing explains how unit prices change with pack size.

Storage

Keep oil in a cool, dark place, away from ovens and direct sunlight. Heat and light speed up oxidation, which produces stale flavours before the oil reaches the fryer. Use stock in date order and keep containers closed.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best oil for deep frying in a restaurant?

Oils with good frying stability, such as refined palm olein or high-oleic sunflower oil, usually last longest in a busy fryer. The best choice also depends on price, flavour and whether you want to avoid palm oil.

Can I deep fry with olive oil?

Yes. Refined olive oil fries well. Extra virgin olive oil also fries safely, but its cost makes it hard to justify for high-volume deep frying.

How often should fryer oil be changed?

Change it when it reaches your discard limit measured with a TPM tester, rather than on a fixed schedule. Usage, food type and filtering all change how quickly oil degrades.

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The refined cooking oil range includes sunflower oil, canola oil, refined olive oil and palm olein. Tell us the oil, pack size, monthly volume and delivery location.