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When I was young, after my mother fried chicken or other equally delectable morsels, she would wait for the oil to cool before pouring it into a glass jar, then she’d wrap the jar in layers of newspaper before throwing it out.
This disposal method stayed with me, until I found Kokubo’s oil hardener.
The box of three pouches, which I found at Marukai Wholesale Mart, is covered in Japanese writing, but a quick Google search uncovered an English description under “Kitchen Cooking Oil Waste Hardener” on the Simply Organized website.
HOW IT WORKS
Pour the powder into the oil in your pan right after you turn off the stove; stir until the powder dissolves. One packet hardens 2- to 2-1/2 cups of hot oil.
DOES IT WORK?
Yes, although on my first try — out of habit and because I couldn’t read the instructions — I waited until the oil cooled. Then I poured in the powder and watched it sink to the bottom of the pan and sit there, not even dissolving when I stirred the oil.
The second time I had too much oil for one packet, so while it looked hard, it actually had a jam-like consistency. I could still scoop it into the rubbish can.
Finally, on my third try I got it right. While the oil doesn’t turn rock hard, it’s firm enough to flip out of the pan after running a thin rubber spatula around the disc. This releases the edges without scratching your pan. It’s pretty cool.
PROS
Makes disposal of oil easy. Also, I wanted to see if the oil would melt if not tossed right away, so I left it overnight. The oil did melt a little, but for the most part remained hard.
CONS
It’s hard to tell exactly how much oil is left in a pan after deep-frying so I fall into the more-powder-is-better camp and use two or even three packets (the box comes with three), which means I may be wasting money.
COST AND AVAILABILITY
$2.99 at Don Quijote on Kaheka Street, $2.29 at Marukai Wholesale Mart and $3.49 at Simply Organized in Kahala Mall.
WORTH IT?
If you deep-fry a lot it may be good to have on hand.
Got a gadget that you love? Curious about one you’d like us to test? Email crave@staradvertiser.com or write Crave, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813.
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