Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Veggie Oil Ratings

See post below to know why I am reposting from our MSM blog.

Originally posted on September 28th, 2008:

So I'm not sure if anyone has noticed, but a while back we added a segment on the left hand column of our website called "currently running our RVs on vegetable oil from . . . " Next to the name of the restaurant we pumped the grease from is a number in parentheses. Tim and I have a rating system we use when discussing grease. Usually when we pull up behind a restaurant to look in the grease bin, only one of us gets out to look inside. When the lone scout returns the discussion usually goes a little something like this: "It looks like around a 7, about 50 gallons. Do you want to go in and ask or do you want me to?" Our rating system goes as follows:

1 - straight fat, usually makes Tim dry heave

2 - some grease, some fat, probably smells terrible and stays with you for a while

3 - possibly garbage or something else (we saw a dead bird in one grease bin)

4 - some grease, but a fatty sludge floating in it as well

5 - this is the lowest rating that we actually use. A 5 is not fatty, but very dark. The managers of these restaurants get the most out of their grease, but hey, it still drives.

6 - slightly lighter, and no fat

7 - an amber color, looks a little closer to what fuel should look like

8 - similar to a nice pale ale, but I wouldn't drink it

9 - we call a "9" -- Qdoba grease. This stuff looks like honey, and drives just as smooth

10 - SVO or straight vegetable oil -- we've never gotten this stuff for free.


Not all nationwide chains have the same rating. For example, we looked in Sonic grease bins a dozen times and didn't want anything to do with it, but the Sonic in Rock Springs, WY, was an 8. One nationwide chain has continually received the same low rating - Outback Steakhouse. Take it from us, beware of the bloomin' onion.

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