What Oil to Use When

If you’re like most people, you’ve accumulated a lot of different oils in your pantry over time. I thought it might be helpful to go over which oil I use for what purposes. I also have college-age kids who are setting up their first kitchens away from home, so this information is for them too. In terms of healthy and unhealthy oils, steer away from any oil that says “partially hydrogenated” on its ingredient list. Your best healthy bets are EVOO, avocado, grapeseed, and walnut oils.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO): Probably most of you have this heart-healthy oil in your pantry. The designation EVOO represents the highest grade of olive oil. Oil is called “extra virgin” when it’s extracted during the first press of the olives. EVOO boasts maximum flavor and health benefits, but it’s more expensive. I buy extra virgin olive oil exclusively, usually the organic from Costco. However, don’t crank up the heat when using this oil for cooking. It’s smoke point (the temperature at which it begins to smoke, imparting a nasty flavor) is lower, at around 350 degrees, than some other oils better suited to high heat, like grapeseed, avocado, and peanut. Medium-high heat sautés are fine though.

Keep EVOO in the dark, in a pantry or cabinet; heat, light, and air all affect olive oil in a bad way. Keeping it next to the stove, except in small quantities, is not advised. (I also like to have a fancier (read more expensive) single varietal EVOO for finishing and salads. I particularly like arbequina and arbosana olives which produce fruity oils with strong, distinctive flavors that I love). Uses: baking, salad dressings, marinades, finishing oil, medium-high heat cooking Olive Oil: Regular olive oil (not extra virgin) is made from a blend of processed oils and is a lower grade form of olive oil. It’s less expensive and has a higher smoke point than EVOO so some cooks keep it on hand for sautéing.

Uses: sautéing, high-heat cooking

Avocado Oil: A heart-healthy, monounsaturated fat, avocado oil can help reduce “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and maintain “good” cholesterol (HDL). It also has a high smoke point, so you can use it to sear at high temperatures. I consider it a neutral oil, meaning it doesn’t have a pronounced flavor, like olive oil does. It is a bit pricey, so most cooks use peanut oil for deep-frying. Some cooks refrigerate this oil to keep the flavor bright, but I don’t.

Uses: salad dressings, marinades, sautéing, smoothies, finishing oil, high-heat cooking

Coconut Oil: A stable oil (doesn’t go rancid easily) that can be used for cooking at medium-high temperatures. It does have a pronounced coconut flavor, so it’s not considered a neutral oil, but many cooks like its natural sweetness in baked goods. The jury is out on whether it is healthy or not. A couple years ago, it was touted as being super-healthy. Now many nutritionists have dialed that back. Half of coconut oils saturated fat comes from medium-chain fatty acids (MCTs) which have the ability to increase good cholesterol (HDL). However, the other half are long-chain fatty acids that can raise bad cholesterol levels (LDL). I use it sparingly in some dishes, smoothies, and baking. However, I do use MCT oil (meaning they’ve extracted out those long-chain fatty acids) in smoothies and my morning bullet-proof coffee.

Uses: baking, sautéing, stir fry, medium-heat cooking, smoothies

Grapeseed Oil: This oil is a by-product of the wine-making process, pressed from grape seeds. It has a high smoke point and a neutral flavor which make it a great alternative to vegetable oils when sautéing. It’s also a healthy option, high in polyunsaturated fats and vitamin E.

Uses: salad dressings, marinades, sautéing, smoothies, finishing oil, high-heat cooking

Specialty Nut Oils: Walnut, Hazelnut, Pistachio, Almond: These are finishing oils and are sometimes used for salad dressings as well. Expensive, fragile, and bursting with nutty flavor, they need to be refrigerated once opened. Try walnut oil on your next salad with some toasted walnuts, so good!

Uses: finishing oil, salad dressing

Peanut Oil: This oil is primarily used for frying and sautéing at high temperatures as it has a high smoke point. It has a light, mild flavor and is considered a neutral oil. I reach for this if I’m frying chicken (rarely, but it happens!).

Uses: deep frying, high-heat sautéing

Sesame Oil: This relatively expensive oil is sold in small bottles and is commonly used in Asian cooking and has a pronounced sesame flavor. It’s used in moderation, more as a finishing oil than anything else, and adds a ton of flavor. Keep this oil refrigerated once opened as it goes rancid quickly otherwise.

Uses: marinades, stir frys, sauces, finishing oil

Canola Oil: Also a very common oil in many pantries. It’s inexpensive, neutral, and is stable for high-heat cooking. It’s low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat so generally consider a healthy choice. However, in the US and Canada, canola oil comes from a crossbred plant (a variant of rapeseed) and most canola oil is produced from GMO plants, if that is a concern to you. Look for non-GMO (more expensive and hard to find) expeller pressed canola oil (most GMO canola oil uses a solvent, yuck, to separate the seed from the oil) if you like using this oil. I have it on hand just in case, but prefer using avocado oil instead when I need a neutral oil in salad dressings or baking.

Uses: salad dressings, sautéing, high-heat cooking

Vegetable Oil: This is an inexpensive blended oil with a neutral flavor. The problem is, you’re less likely to know what’s in it (usually a blend of corn, soy, safflower, sunflower, etc) so you have less control over the fats you’re ingesting. I don’t buy vegetable oil because of the presence of trans fats. It’s not a particularly healthy oil and there are better options out there.

Uses: all-purpose

Corn Oil: Considered one of the most unhealthy of oils, it’s high in saturated fats and low in good fats. Fast food chains use it for deep-frying French fries and it’s used to make margarine. I don’t buy it, steer clear.

Uses: deep-frying, margarine

Bottomline: I advise my kids to buy EVOO for salads and medium-heat sautés, avocado or grapeseed oil for salads and cooking, peanut if they do any frying, and sesame because they all like Asian dishes. Almost all of these are available at Trader Joes and your local supermarket. Also, for longest shelf life, keep all oils (except those that need to be refrigerated) in a cool, dry place away from light! Happy cooking!