Stop Guessing Which Cooking Oil to Use. Experts Explain When to Use Each Type
If you’re just guessing about which oils to use in whatever is on tonight’s menu, you could be ruining your meal. Worse, you might waste expensive olive oil or walnuts just to look at it heat them in the air fryer or under intense heat of the deer.
Not all oils are created equal. Those expensive varieties you stumble across on a salad may not be designed to be burned, and they affect the final taste of your recipe, as well as your monthly food budget.
High-heat recipes like frying or grilling are best done with neutral oils that have a high smoke point — canola, avocado or grapeseed, to name a few. Olive oil and low smoke oil shine in dressings, slow cooking and sautes, where the rich flavor can stand out without burning and enhance proteins or vegetables.
In baking, some oils also lend moisture, while others add nutrition or depth when not cooked. To get the skinny on cooking oils, I asked culinary experts to share tips and advice on when to use oil to get the most flavor, texture, and value in every meal you make.
The most common cooking oils and when to use them
Smoke point and flavor are two big things to consider when choosing an oil.
Guido Parrati, owner of Parla Come Mangi in Rapallo, Italy, often teaches others how to cook. In addition to serving surprisingly robust Italian delicacies, Parrati also hosts seminars, tastings and demonstrations of local ingredients.
Besides the flavor profile, Parrati said the single most important characteristic of an oil, at least when used for cooking, is its smoke point. A high smoke point indicates that the product can withstand high temperatures before it starts to — you guessed it — smoke and deteriorate.
This is important to remember for proteins such as red meat, which can require high heat and long cooking times to break down the tough exterior and fibrous interior. After all, if the oil is a good search and/or wrap oil, you don’t want it to completely dissipate before the job is done (or well done, if that’s your preference).
Here’s a list of common cooking oils, detailed by Parrati (sans olive oil, which gets its own section after the jump).
Canola or vegetables
A high smoke point oil such as canola is ideal for filling cast iron cookware.
Suitable for: Cooking, baking and frying
“Vegetable oils have a neutral, mild flavor and a high smoke point, making them excellent for frying, frying and high-temperature cooking.” This oil is also suitable saving your metal cookware.
Sesame Oil
Sesame oil is good for finishing.
Suitable for: To finish
“Known for its strong, nutty flavor — especially when roasted — it’s great for finishing dishes to add depth and flavor, often used in Asian cuisine.”
Coconut oil
Coconut oil has a bold flavor and a medium smoke point.
Suitable for: Cooking and baking
“With its distinctive taste, sweet and spicy, it has a medium point, which makes it suitable for cooking and finishing, especially in desserts or Asian-inspired dishes.”
Avocado oil
Avocado oil has a high smoke point.
Suitable for: Cooking, baking, and frying
“Soft and buttery in taste, it has a high heat point, making it perfect for cooking or deep frying. It’s also great raw as a finishing oil.
Sunflower or safflower oil
The neutral flavor makes safflower oil ideal for frying.
Suitable for: Cooking and frying
“It has a neutral flavor and a high smoke point, making it suitable for high-temperature cooking and roasting.”
Olive oil: A guide
Like wine, the taste of olive oil is subject to its terroir, climate and production style.
Undoubtedly the most popular and most common, olive oil can be very therapeutic wine with its diversity of fruits, terroir, climate and each travel.
New Zealand’s Allpress Olive Groves offers tastings at its Waiheke Island location so visitors can see and appreciate the delicious nuances of each bottle. These include blends of olive oil, like wine, that can enhance or temper the flavor to create an effect unlike anything on the market.
“Like expertly blended wines or coffees, olive oil blends are designed to provide a harmonious balance of flavors and aromas,” says Erin Butterworth, who oversees the brand’s events and marketing. “Combining different types of olives allows us to create oils that are rich and complex, with flavor notes ranging from grassy fruit to pepper and nuts.”
“This versatility makes them suitable for various culinary uses, such as dressing on salads, finishing dishes or improving baked goods. The art of mixing ensures that each bottle delivers a consistent and pleasant flavor profile, inviting creativity in the kitchen and elevating everyday food,” he adds.
Types of olive oil
Extra-virgin olive oil is the gold standard, but depending on your cooking needs, there are other, more affordable brands and blends worth considering.
Olive oil in comparison
| Kind of | What’s going on | Taste | Smoke Point | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extra Virgin | High quality. It is made from cold pressed olives without chemical processing. | Courage, fruits | 375°F | Toppings, dips, salads |
| Virgin | Made with cold pressing, but with slightly higher acidity and less flavor than EVOO | Gentle | 390°F | Easy sautéing, easy cooking |
| Pure/Classic | A mixture of refined olive oil and a small amount of virgin or extra virgin olive oil | Neutrality | 465°F | Frying, roasting |
| Light/Additional Light | Highly refined oils have less flavor and color | Very neutral | 470°F | Baking, high heat cooking |
Olive oil flavor profile
There are three different flavors found in most olive oils.
Fruits: “It’s a delicate classic that everyone loves. Smooth and balanced, it gives an instant lift to any dish.” This oil is best used in salads and fresh vegetables as a finish or part of a dressing
Nutty: “Creamy and nutty with a smooth finish. All the richness you want — like butter, but better.” Choose nutty oils for baked goods, pastas, roasted vegetables, and grilled meats.
Peppery: “They are strong and very biting. Bold oils make their presence known.” Try peppery oil for dipping bread or finishing cooked vegetables and meats.
What to look for when buying olive oil
Checking the date on the bottle of olive oil before buying is a good practice.
Although most commercial olive oils will do the job, they don’t always provide a special taste or cooking experience. Instead, Butterworth advises shoppers to keep four factors in mind as they navigate the grocery store or deli aisle.
- Burning: “Think of olive oil like fruit juice — it’s best when fresh! Look for the vintage or ‘pressed’ date stamped on the bottle. Look for oil from the past 12-18 months and definitely within two years to get the full flavor and health benefits.”
- Free fatty acids (FFA): “The FFA mark indicates how well the olives were treated after harvest and the lower the better. According to international standards, extra-virgin olive oil must have an FFA content of less than 0.8%. Some top producers like us aim for less than 0.3% to show exceptional quality.”
- Taste: “Everyone’s palate is different so what oil is right for one person may not be right for another. Sample oils at the store (by tasting or small bottles) help you determine whether you prefer a bold, peppery variety or a smooth, fruity blend. It’s amazing how different they can taste.”
- Packaging quality: “Quality oils should be sold in dark glass, tin or translucent containers to protect from light, which reduces flavor and antioxidants. Beware of clear plastic bottles or large bulk containers unless you go through them very quickly at home.”
Read more: Pantry Staples and Other Foods That Perish Faster Than You Think
Creative uses of olive oil
Ceviche is one dish that puts olive oil front and center.
The use of olive oil is not limited to cooking, baking and finishing. Maichol Morandi, executive chef of Lake Como’s Grand Hotel Victoria, refers to his favorite Vanini product from Lenno as the main character of his cuisine. He combines all the dishes around its wide range of flavor profiles.
“In our kitchens, we use and test custom olive oil blends to create a new seasonal menu, perfect for achieving a certain balance between smoke point, flavor and texture,” he said.
A few of the chef’s favorites and recent preparations include:
Coriander-infused olive oil for sea bass ceviche: “This oil is produced using a cooling method that preserves its purity and beauty,” he said. “Fresh coriander leaves are rinsed for a few seconds in hot water, then cooled in ice water to set their color. Once pressed, the leaves are mixed with a mixture of sunflower oil (due to its neutrality) and olive oil.”
Dark chocolate desserts: “We add a drop of extra virgin olive oil infused with tonka bean to a dessert of dark chocolate with figs and Maldon salt. It brings warm, balsamic aromas and surprises the palate with a sensual contrast.”
Raviolo: “In a raviolo filled with scampi and lime, bergamot oil — made by infusing the zest — enhances the freshness of the orange without relying on strong acidity.”
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