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Even an occasional cook needs to have some type of cooking oil in the pantry. These plant-based oils are used for everything from frying to baking to making salad dressings. But there are so many different types of cooking oils on the supermarket shelves, you might be tempted to throw your hands up in confusion, and then go home with the familiar bottle of vegetable oil. But that's certainly not the healthiest choice, and there's no need to stick with only one type of oil.
Each type of cooking oil has its own flavor, level of fats, and smoke point, which is the temperature at which the oil will begin to smoke, indicating it is overheated and may lose health benefits. But why limit yourself to just one? A well-stocked pantry has a selection of flavorful cooking oils to choose from.
If you cook with any regularity, your pantry should contain at least a bottle of canola and a bottle of extra-virgin olive oil. Add a small bottle of peanut or sesame oil if you love to stir-fry, and one or two others for variety in salad dressings. Moderate amounts of healthy cooking oil add beneficial fats to your diet, helping to keep your cholesterol balanced and your circulatory system healthy.
If you're wondering which cooking oils are worth adding to your pantry, we've done the hard work for you, and assembled this guide to 10 healthy cooking oils worth trying.
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Colavita and Filippo Berio make delicious olive oil that's healthy for use in food preparation.
Olive oil is one of the healthiest oils you can cook with because it is very high in monounsaturated fat. It is lower in Omega-3 than some other oils, but it's still quite healthy.
Olive oil has a distinctive, strong flavor, and comes in several varieties. Extra-virgin, which is the highest quality type, is pressed from whole olives within a day of harvesting and has a low smoke point that makes it unsuitable for frying or sautéing at high heat. Pure olive oil has been refined to reduce the strong olive flavor and has a higher smoke point.
Our favorite extra virgin olive oil is made by Colavita. The oil is imported from Italy and made from olives that originate in Italy, Greece, Spain, or Portugal. It has a delicious flavor that's excellent for salad dressings and pasta sauce, as well as sautéing and grilling over low-to-medium heat.
Pure olive oil can be used for frying, sautéing, stir-frying, and oven cooking, especially in Italian or Mediterranean dishes. For that purpose, we recommend Filippo Berio Pure Olive Oil.
Pros: Healthy, nice flavor, great for pasta, versatile
Cons: Can be expensive, low smoke point
The best canola oil
Some people mistakenly think canola oil is the same as low-quality vegetable oil, but the 365 Everyday Value Organic Canola Oil is very healthy and great for cooking.
Made from hybridized rapeseed, canola oil is high in monounsaturated fat, and contains a high level of Omega-3 fatty acids. It has a very mild taste that works with any sort of recipe, and has a fairly high smoke point. Because just about all supermarket canola oil in the US is pressed from genetically modified rapeseed, however, it's best to choose an organic variety.
Used at moderate temperatures, this canola oil is excellent for baking, sautéing, stir-frying and as a base for dressings. Its mild taste makes it a good match for any dish that has stronger spices or flavors.
Pros: Versatile, lots of Omega-3, organic, works at moderate temperatures, affordable
With its peanutty flavor and high smoke point, La Tourangelle's peanut oil is excellent for deep-frying and stir-frying. It is lower in healthy fats than olive oil or canola oil, but does have a good level of Omega-6.
La Tourangelle's expeller-pressed roasted peanut oil isn't refined chemically, either, so it's extra healthy. Although refined peanut oil has the peanut allergen removed, it is still safest to avoid using this oil if you are cooking for anyone who might be allergic to peanuts.
Peanut oil is popular in Asian stir-fry recipes and is also a good choice for frying potatoes or even a whole turkey. La Tourangelle's peanut oil is absolutely delicious and quite healthy.
Pros: Delicious flavor, not refined chemically, great in stir-fry
Cons: Bad if you're allergic to peanuts, expensive
Though it has a moderately high smoke point, sesame oil is best used with low or medium heat. It contains a high level of healthy polyunsaturated fats. Sesame oil is processed into dark oil, which has a strong flavor, and light oil, which is milder, but still flavorful.
We love Ottogi's dark sesame oil for Asian cooking, and it's particularly good for a stir-fry. If you're ambitious, you can also use it to make your own sauces for tofu, pad thai, and other fun dishes.
Regardless of which one you buy, store your sesame oil in the refrigerator to keep it from going rancid.
Pros: Delicious flavor; great for stir-fry, Asian cooking, salad dressings, and more
Cons: Expensive, strong
The best sunflower oil
Mild in flavor and with a high smoke point, Sunvella's sunflower oil is useful for all sorts of medium-to-high-heat cooking techniques.
Low in saturated fat and high in Vitamin E, Sunvella's sunflower oil has a mild flavor. It's good for making French fries or other potato dishes, sautéing, or using as a base for salad dressing.
You might see sunflower oil labeled high oleic. This oil has been modified to have a higher level of oleic acid, which increases its level of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. We recommend Sunvella's oil because it's unrefined. Refining removes some of the oil's nutritious aspects.
If you want to expand the oil's use beyond the kitchen, it's also a good choice for use as a carrier oil for your favorite therapeutic essential oils, such as lavender, peppermint, or citrus, because sunflower oil has little odor and is quite lightweight and easy on the skin.
Pros: Mild, versatile, Vitamin E, unrefined, doubles as a beauty product
Cons: None
The best coconut oil
Viva Naturals' coconut oil is not just a boon in the kitchen, it's also a versatile beauty tool for your hair and skin.
Coconut oil is very unusual among plant oils because it's mostly saturated — not unsaturated — fat. That's why coconut oil turns solid at room temperature. However, instead of the long chain triglycerides found in animal fats, coconut oil mainly consists of medium chain triglycerides, which are far easier for the body to metabolize.
Viva Naturals' coconut oil is an excellent cooking oil that can be used in place of butter, lard, other cooking oils, or margarine. It works great for sautéing and baking, plus, it adds a hint of the delicious taste of coconut to your dishes.
Keep it over medium heat, however, as it doesn't have a very high smoke point. Coconut oil also works well as a substitute for butter or peanut butter on your morning toast.
You'll even find a multitude of uses for your coconut oil in your beauty routine. It's a great moisturizer for skin and hair. We love Viva Naturals' coconut oil in particular because it's organic, cold-pressed and extra virgin.
Pros: Good flavor, versatile, doubles as a beauty product, great for baking, butter substitute
Cons: Expensive
The best avocado oil
Loaded with monounsaturated fats, as well as Vitamin E and potassium, Bellas Vado's avocado oil has a mild flavor that's very versatile.
Avocado oil has more saturated fat than most other cooking oils, other than coconut oil, but it's loaded with healthy monounsaturated fats and several antioxidants. Bella Vado makes our favorite avocado oil.
It's organic and extra virgin, so you don't have to worry about additives and other issues.
Avocado oil has a high smoke point, so this is a great oil for frying, searing, sautéing, and roasting. The flavor is very mild, so don't worry that it will change the taste of your food.
It's also a great choice for salad dressing, drizzling on bread, or lightly flavoring cooked fish or chicken. On the downside, however, avocado oil tends to be expensive.
Pros: Antioxidants, mild, great for salad, extra virgin
Due to its very low smoke point, walnut oil isn't a good choice for cooking over heat, but it's a delicious addition to salad dressings, chicken or tuna salad, roasted vegetables, or even as a dip for your bread.
La Tourangelle's walnut oil is rich, delicious, and pure. It's made from California walnuts that have been hand roasted in cast iron kettles, expeller pressed, and lightly filtered to preserve the flavors.
Walnut oil boasts the perfect ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acids for heart health, and it's high in polyunsaturated fats. Walnut oil also has lots of Vitamin K, which is essential for healthy bones. It has a rich, nutty taste, but it isn't overwhelming.
This is another cooking oil that should be stored in the refrigerator once opened.
Pros: Great flavor, perfect for salad, rich in Vitamin K and Omega fatty acids
Cons: Expensive, doesn't work well with heat
The best flaxseed oil
If you hate fish oil capsules, Puritan Pride's flaxseed oil can provide all the Omega 3 you need, and add zest to your salad dressings, as well.
Super-high in ALA Omega 3 fatty acids, flaxseed oil is a super-star when it comes to heart health.
Puritan's Pride flaxseed oil is made from flaxseeds that are processed under strict light and climate control to ensure that you get the most out of the oil. The seeds are pressed at cold temperatures without solvents, so you can rest assured that this oil is clean.
Flaxseed oil isn't suitable for cooking over heat, however, due to its low smoke point. Instead, drizzle this slightly nutty, slightly sweet oil over salads and cooked veggies, whip it into your favorite salad dressing or dips, or mix it with a bit of balsamic vinegar for dipping your bread.
Flaxseed oil does oxidize and turn rancid quickly and easily, however, so be sure to store it in the fridge once opened. You'll know it has gone bad if the taste is sour or bitter, and the smell is "off."
Pros: Omega-3, great for salads, nice flavor
Cons: Expensive, not for heating
A note on fat in cooking oil and how to store it
But what about fat?
Oils are liquid fat, and many people are concerned about fat in their diet. Cooking oils are generally healthy fats, however. They aren't the unhealthy saturated fat that is mostly found in animal products or trans-fat, which is usually made by processing unsaturated fat into a solid form with a longer shelf life. You can usually tell the more unhealthy forms of fat because they are solid at room temperature.
Plant oils, which are unsaturated fats, (coconut oil is an exception here) tend to remain liquid at room temperature. The two main forms of unsaturated fats are:
Monounsaturated fats, which can reduce "bad" cholesterol (LDL), increase "good" cholesterol (HDL), lower blood pressure, and reduce risk of heart disease, are plentiful in nuts, olives, and avocados.
Polyunsaturated fat includes the Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, both of which are essential for good health.
Storing cooking oils
Other than the few cooking oils that belong in the refrigerator, keep your cooking oils in a closed cupboard, and away from excessive heat or moisture. Oils will go stale or rancid if kept for too long once opened.
Generally, you can expect olive oil to last for around a year, other oils for 6 to 8 months. Purchase small bottles of specialty oils, and mid-size bottles of those you use frequently, such as olive oil.
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