Olive oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, grapeseed oil… Those are just a few of the different cooking oils available for you to use. And if you are like many people, you are not sure which going oil you should use when. Well, we are going to offer a little assistance to make all your cooking oil adventures amazing!
The Best Ways to Use Different Types of Cooking Oils
Vegetable, Canola, and Corn Oils
All three of these cooking oils are best used when you want to fry, and even deep fry, certain foods. Each one of these oils has a smoke point that is between 400- and 450-degrees Fahrenheit. The neutral flavor of these three cooking oils is the reason they are considered the best for this method of cooking.
Sunflower Oil
Sunflower oil is one of the healthier cooking oils, especially if you are looking to add more vitamin E to your diet. This oil contains 28% of the recommended daily value of vitamin E in just one tablespoon. We recommend using this cooking oil for frying foods, but you can also use it for baking and making salad dressings.
Sesame Oil
Sesame oil is another oil with a neutral flavor. It has a smoke point of 410 degrees. While this is considered an all-purpose cooking oil, we find it is best used for preparing Mediterranean, Asian, and Middle Eastern cuisine.
Peanut Oil
The mild nutty flavor of peanut oil has a smoke point between 448 and 475 degrees. This high snoke point means this cooking oil is perfect for deep-frying and so much more. We recommend using peanut oil for frying, as well as grilling and roasting. There is a downside to peanut oil though and that is the fact anyone who is allergic to peanuts should not ingest this cooking oil.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has grown in popularity over the last few years. This cooking oil is solid when it is at room temperature, so it is easy to scoop out and use exactly the right amount. Coconut oil does have a low smoke point, which means it doesn’t work well for deep frying. However, basic frying and sauteing can easily be accomplished with coconut oil. You can also use coconut oil for baking.
Grapeseed Oil
Grapeseed oil is very versatile and has a smoke point of 390 degrees. This type of cooking oil is actually a by-product of winemaking, which is why so many people use it to make salad dressings. We have discovered that you can successfully bake and sauté with grapeseed oil as well.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
There are many different types of olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is the one most commonly found in kitchens. You can use this cooking oil for sauteing, but we prefer to use it to make salad dressings. We recommend tasting different extra virgin olive oils to find your personal favorite.
These are the best ways to use different types of cooking oils when you are cooking or baking. While you don’t need to have all these different cooking oils in your kitchen, you may want to have a couple varieties, so you always have the one you need for the task at hand.
