You can always use it as a moisturizer for your skin and a deep conditioner for your hair, if nothing else!

I used that brand from Walmart once and I don't see what's wrong with it. I used it for cooking and also ate it straight.

That tropical traditions page has some good info, exlaining how expeller pressed stuff is good. Expeller pressed coconut oil also has less odour and taste but some.

This page explains it's still okay: http://180degreehealth.com/2010/11/refined-coconut-oil Due to the stability of the oil it isn't much damaged in processing.

Also, the Tropical Traditions page itself states that they found more antioxidants in coconut oil processed with heat than not. Apparently a traditional way of making it (which they do not use) was to boil coconut milk until the oil separated.

RBD coconut oil is made from copra which has mould and bacteria. The processing can involve heat, and then due to the mould and bacteria it has to go through filtering with solvents. But this isn't necessarily bad again. That's explained here: http://www.coconut-oil-central.com/rbd-coconut-oil.html under the title 'Still Healthy.'

Fractionated coconut oil apparently has a longer shelf life than other coconut oil. I can't comment on residue from solvents, but if it were damaged by heat in processing it should go rancid, rather than be the most stable of oils. Also, having no taste or odour, it can be convenient for some uses. Fractionated is when they get RBD and separate the oil without solvents, leaving only medium chain fatty acids. Medium chain are better for you, and the oil is liquid at room temperature, very thin. It is used as a massage oil.

i was also using an expensive brand that cost 3-4x as much. then my brother's girlfriend brought over the wm brand and honestly, i can't tell the difference between the two. maybe somebody more suited than me can answer if it's so biochemically different from the extra virgin organic stuff that it doesn't have the same effects but if it's not, i'll be using this stuff...

Cheap coconut oil is usually refined/chemically treated/bleached from the really crappy coconut left overs.

Tropical Traditions lists out the common ways Coconut Oil is made on this page:

http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/what_is_virgin_coconut_oil.htm

Try to use it as a deep skin moisturizer and for oil pulling

This is an interesting dispute, and for a while I was totally down with the raw/virgin/ everything in the most natural state possible, but I think may be allergic to coconut oil, and the prime culprit isn't the fat, but certain proteins that are in the expensive virgin stuff, not in the cheap processed stuff. I used that brand before and it's okay to eat it. It doesn't taste as strongly of coconut so you may be able to fry with it in situations where you would find the expensive stuff too overpowering.

In a moment of excessive broke-ness, I bought this stuff too. One of the main differences I've noticed is the stuff melts a lot quicker. If I leave my A/C on 80 during the day (summer in Texas), it's completely melted by the time I come home. This doesn't happen with the more expensive stuff.

So several times the stuff has been melted and hardened. Not sure if this has any negative effect on it.

As for taste, I haven't noticed any difference really.

Burn it in an oil lamp.

As a nurse, I can tell you that you are correct about the protein that you are most likely allergic to. Allergies are almost exclusively caused by proteins. I saw solid coconut oil being sold in a bulk box of 35lbs for like $45 at The Web Restaurant Store for use with popcorn. They had both solid and solid white. But even with googling it, I couldn't find out whether you could use it for other cooking. Is there a difference with this type of coconut oil that makes it only for popcorn? It's a great price, otherwise.