If you’re simply guessing which oil to use for whatever’s on tonight’s menu, you might be sabotaging your own meal. And worse, you could be wasting expensive olive or walnut oil only to watch it burn up in the air fryer<\/span><\/a><\/span> or under the broiler’s fierce heat.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a> <\/figure>\n Not all oils are created equal. That expensive variety you drizzle over salad may not be built for searing, and it’s affecting your recipe’s final taste, along with your monthly food budget.\u00a0<\/p>\n High-heat cooking methods such as\u00a0frying or searing<\/a>\u00a0are best done with neutral oils that feature a higher smoke point — canola, avocado or grapeseed, to name a few. Olive oil and lower smoke point oils shine in dressings, slow cooking and sautes, where the rich flavor can stand out without burning and enhance the protein or vegetables.\u00a0<\/p>\n For baking, some oils also lend moisture, while others add nutrition or depth when left uncooked. To get the skinny on cooking oils, I asked culinary experts to share tips and advice on when to use each oil so you can get the most flavor, texture, and value from every meal you make.<\/p>\n <\/div> Smoke point and flavor are the two big considerations to make when choosing an oil.<\/p>\n <\/span> Maximilian Stock\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Guido Parrati, owner of Parla Come Mangi<\/a> in Rapallo, Italy, is no stranger to teaching others to cook. In addition to serving an impressively robust assortment of Italian delicacies in his iconic deli, Parrati also hosts seminars, tastings and showcases of local ingredients.\u00a0<\/p>\n Beyond flavor profile, Parrati said that the single most important aspect of an oil, at least when used for cooking, is its smoke point. A high smoke point indicates that the product can withstand higher temperatures before it begins to — you guessed it — smoke and break down.\u00a0<\/p>\n This is important to keep in mind for proteins such as red meat, which may require higher heat and longer cooking times to break through tough exteriors and more fibrous interiors. After all, if oil is the lubricant for a perfect sear and\/or crunch, you don’t want it to completely dissipate before the job’s done (or well <\/em>done, if that’s your preference).\u00a0<\/p>\n Here is a list of the most common oils used for cooking, detailed by Parrati (sans olive oil, which gets its own section after the jump).<\/p>\n <\/div> High smoke point oils like canola are good for seasoning cast-iron cookware.<\/p>\n <\/span> Tyler Lizenby\/CNET<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Best for:<\/strong>\u00a0Cooking, baking and frying<\/p>\n “Vegetable oil has a neutral, delicate flavor and a high smoke point, making it excellent for frying, saut\u00e9ing and high-temperature cooking.” These oils are also ideal for seasoning your cast-iron cookware<\/span><\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n <\/div> Sesame oil is ideal for finishing.<\/p>\n <\/span> Sungmin\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Best for: <\/strong>Finishing<\/p>\n “<\/em>Known for its strong, nutty flavor — especially when toasted — it’s great for finishing dishes to add depth and aroma, commonly used in Asian cuisine.”<\/p>\n <\/div> Coconut oil has a bold flavor and medium smoke point.<\/p>\n <\/span> Alina Bradford\/CNET<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Best for:<\/strong>\u00a0Cooking and baking<\/p>\n “<\/em>With its distinctive, sweet and tropical flavor, it has a medium smoke point, making it suitable for cooking and finishing, especially in desserts or Asian-inspired dishes.”<\/p>\n <\/div> Avocado oil boasts a high smoke point.<\/p>\n <\/span> Bristol Farms<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Best for:\u00a0<\/strong>Cooking, baking, and frying<\/p>\n “Delicate and buttery in taste, it has one of the highest smoke points, making it ideal for very high-heat cooking or frying. It’s also excellent raw as a finishing oil.<\/p>\n <\/div> A neutral flavor makes safflower oil good for frying.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/span> Oilver Farm<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Best for:\u00a0<\/strong>Cooking and frying<\/p>\n “<\/em>It has a neutral flavor and a high smoke point, making it suitable for high-temperature cooking and frying.”<\/p>\n <\/div> Like wine, olive oil flavor is subject to its terroir, climate and style of production.<\/p>\n <\/span> Graza<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Arguably the most popular and familiar of the bunch, olive oil can be treated a lot like wine<\/span><\/a><\/span> with its diversity of fruit, terroir, climate and pairings.\u00a0<\/p>\n New Zealand’s Allpress Olive Groves<\/a> offers tastings on its Waiheke Island property for guests to identify and appreciate the flavor nuances of each bottle. This also includes olive oil blends, much like wine, that can enhance or temper flavors to create an outcome unlike anything on the market.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Just like expertly blended wines or coffees, olive oil blends are crafted to offer a harmonious balance of flavors and aromas,” said Erin Butterworth, who oversees events and marketing for the brand. “Blending different olive varieties allows us to create oils that are rich in complexity, with tasting notes ranging from fruity and grassy to peppery and nutty.”<\/p>\n “This versatility makes them ideal for a variety of culinary applications, such as drizzling over salads, finishing dishes or enhancing baked goods. The art of blending ensures that each bottle delivers a consistent and delightful flavor profile, inviting creativity in the kitchen and elevating everyday meals,” she adds.\u00a0<\/p>\n Extra-virgin olive oil is the gold standard, but depending on your cooking needs, there are other, more affordable varieties and blends worth considering.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/table>\n <\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div> There are three distinct flavor dimensions found in most olive oils.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/span> Zoutina<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Fruity: <\/strong>“A delicate classic that everyone loves. Smooth and balanced, it gives an instant lift to any dish.”\u00a0 These oils are best used on salads and fresh vegetables as a finisher or part of a dressing<\/p>\n Nutty: “<\/strong>Creamy and nutty with a smooth finish. All the richness you crave — like butter, but better.” Choose nutty oils for baked goods, pastas, roasted vegetables, and grilled meats.<\/p>\n Peppery:<\/strong> “Intense and with a serious bite. It’s a bold oil that makes its presence known.” Try peppery oils for dipping bread or finishing cooked vegetables and meat.<\/p>\n <\/div> Checking the date on a bottle of olive oil before buying is a good practice.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/span> Oscar Wong\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n While most mass-market olive oils will get the job done, they don’t always provide an exceptional tasting or cooking experience. Instead, Butterworth advises shoppers to keep four characteristics in mind as they meander through grocery or gourmet food store aisles.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
Most common cooking oils and when to use them<\/h2>\n
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Canola or vegetable\u00a0<\/h3>\n
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Sesame oil\u00a0
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Coconut oil\u00a0<\/em><\/h3>\n
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Avocado oil\u00a0<\/h3>\n
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Sunflower or safflower oil<\/h3>\n
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Olive oil: A guide<\/h2>\n
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Types of olive oil<\/h2>\n
Olive oil compared<\/h2>\n
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\n \nType<\/th>\n What is it<\/th>\n Flavor<\/th>\n Smoke Point<\/th>\n Best Use<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n Extra Virgin<\/th>\n Highest quality. Made from cold-pressed olives with no chemical processing.<\/td>\n Bold, fruity<\/td>\n 375\u00b0F<\/td>\n Finishing, dipping, salads<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Virgin<\/th>\n Made by cold pressing, but with slightly higher acidity and less intense flavor than EVOO<\/td>\n Mild<\/td>\n 390\u00b0F<\/td>\n Light saut\u00e9ing, simple cooking<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Pure\/Classic<\/th>\n A blend of refined olive oil and a small amount of virgin or extra virgin olive oil<\/td>\n Neutral<\/td>\n 465\u00b0F<\/td>\n Frying, roasting<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Light\/Extra Light<\/th>\n Heavily refined oil with minimal flavor and color<\/td>\n Very neutral<\/td>\n 470\u00b0F<\/td>\n Baking, high-heat cooking<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n Olive oil flavor profile<\/h2>\n
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What to look for when buying olive oil <\/h2>\n
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