Walking into the oil aisle of your favorite grocery store can feel overwhelming to the senses: neatly arranged shiny bottles, labels packed with information. In the past, the decision was made for you—vegetable oil or nothing—but today, choosing the right oil requires processing a large amount of information. Should you choose refined or unrefined oil? Olive oil or canola oil? And what about that tempting bottle of pistachio oil? So how do you choose the right oil for every dish?
Two Key Factors to Consider When Choosing Oil
There are two main elements to keep in mind when selecting cooking oil:
Flavor of the oil
The cooking temperature required
For frying, the basic rule is to choose an oil with a smoke point— the temperature at which oil begins to smoke—higher than the frying temperature required by the recipe.
What You Should Know Before Buying Oil
Before heading to the oil section, keep the following in mind:
Oil smoke points generally range between 200 and 400°F, depending on how the oil is extracted, filtered, and refined. Less processed oils tend to have lower smoke points, which makes refined oils generally more suitable for high-heat cooking.
Most foods are fried at temperatures between 350 and 400°F. Choosing oils with a smoke point above 400°F keeps you on the safe side.
Oil that starts smoking will eventually burn. Even if it doesn’t ignite, smoking oil loses both flavor and potential health benefits.
You don’t necessarily need a thermometer to judge oil temperature. As oil heats, it becomes fragrant, shiny, and thinner than when first poured. Once these signs appear, the oil is close to its smoke point and hot enough for cooking. Adding food lowers the oil’s temperature, preventing it from reaching that point.
Which Oil Is Best for Each Use?
For Drizzling and Dressings
Nut oils—such as walnut oil, dark sesame oil, toasted peanut oil, or specialty oils like pistachio, hazelnut, pumpkin seed, and pecan oils—are best used in cold dishes. Heat destroys their delicate and distinctive flavors.
Flavored or infused oils—such as wasabi, wild mushroom, lemon, or truffle oil—are generally expensive, but a small amount goes a long way.
For Low-Heat Cooking and Sauces
Olive oil has a relatively low smoke point, making it unsuitable for deep frying. Use it for salad dressings, finishing dishes, and gentle sautéing. It also works well in baking—granola and plum cake wouldn’t taste the same without it.
Sesame oil comes in two types: light and dark. Light sesame oil has a mild nutty flavor and can be used for frying. Dark sesame oil is best for dressings, sauces, and seasoning, with a stronger flavor and lower smoke point, so it should be monitored closely when heated.
For Baking and Gentle Cooking
Coconut oil, solid at room temperature, can replace butter in vegan recipes. While butter isn’t technically an oil, it remains essential. To enjoy its flavor without risking burning, mix it with other oils like olive oil during cooking.
Vegetable oil, canola oil, safflower oil, and sunflower oil are commonly used in baked goods.
For High-Heat Cooking (Frying, Searing, Stir-Frying)
Neutral oils:
Vegetable oil: A general term for plant-derived oils, often soybean-based but sometimes made from cottonseed, sunflower, or safflower oil. Neutral in flavor, versatile, and ideal for baking and high-heat frying.
Safflower oil: Nearly flavorless with a very high smoke point (520°F). A good substitute for vegetable oil and excellent for salad dressings since it doesn’t solidify when chilled.
Canola oil: Made from a natural hybrid of rapeseed, inexpensive, widely used, and low in saturated fat. Its high smoke point (425–475°F) makes it ideal for high-temperature cooking.
Rice bran oil: More expensive than other neutral oils but increasingly popular for its health benefits, especially among chefs concerned about genetically modified crops. It outperforms canola oil at high temperatures.
Corn oil: Almost flavorless and able to withstand high heat without smoking, making it useful for general cooking. Unrefined corn oil has a more pronounced corn flavor.
Peanut oil: Unlike other nut oils, it has a mild flavor and high smoke point. Ideal for deep frying, pan frying, grilling, and roasting. Refined peanut oil is preferred for deep frying, while unrefined versions are more flavorful and unsuitable for high heat.
Avocado oil: Offers many of the same health benefits as olive oil but with a much higher smoke point (520°F), making it excellent for high-temperature cooking.
Apricot kernel oil: Best known for skincare and massage, but according to How to Cook Everything Vegan by Mark Bittman, it’s also excellent for roasting and high-heat cooking.
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