Difference between Refined and Unrefined coconut oil?

[Nancysgoingraw]

What is the difference? I'm getting back to eating raw and really wanted to make some almond cookies and the store only had "refined" coconut oil so I bought it but am disappointed that it has no taste or that lovely coconut scent. It's just blah. I remember buying unrefined last time, and it smells wonderful. Is refined processed using heat?

[raweater]

I normally see it labeled as "virgin" or not, I don't know if it's the same as unrefined or not, but I know that if it's not virgin it has either no taste at all, or smells like paint thinner (the cheap non organic ones that are chemically extracted). I'm not exactly sure what the differences are in processing between organic non virgin and organic virgin, but non organic non virgin is normally chemically extracted.

For consuming I only buy virgin coconut oil, I get the non virgin for making soap.

[GoodCat]

The ones we sell are either "virgin" or "refined"... The virgin is cold press and raw, whereas the refined is a press of the coconut chips and is not considered raw. The word refined does usually indicate that the food or item has been process and would most like not be raw.

Cathy

[raweater]

It's never better to use refined. Refined is stripped of the nutritional benefits and often contaminated with toxic chemicals.

There are no germs in virgin unrefined coconut oil and in any case germs are essential for health as they train your immune system and keep it healthy.