Understanding Cooking Oils: Which Oil to Use and When

Walk down the oil aisle at any grocery store and you will find dozens of options — olive oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, and more. Each one has different properties that make it suited for different cooking methods. Understanding these differences will help you choose the right oil for every dish and improve your cooking significantly.

The most important property of a cooking oil is its smoke point — the temperature at which it begins to break down and produce smoke. When oil exceeds its smoke point, it develops a bitter, burnt flavor and releases harmful compounds. For high-heat cooking like searing, stir-frying, and deep-frying, you need an oil with a high smoke point. For low-heat cooking and finishing, a flavorful oil with a lower smoke point is perfectly fine.

Extra virgin olive oil is the most misunderstood oil in the kitchen. Many people believe you should never cook with it because of its relatively low smoke point (around 375 degrees). In reality, extra virgin olive oil is perfectly fine for sauteing, roasting, and most everyday cooking. You only need to avoid using it for very high-heat applications like deep frying or wok cooking.

For high-heat cooking, avocado oil is the gold standard. With a smoke point of around 520 degrees, it can handle any cooking method you throw at it. It has a neutral flavor that will not compete with your food, and it is relatively healthy with a good ratio of monounsaturated fats. If you are searing a steak or stir-frying vegetables, avocado oil is your best choice.

Vegetable oil and canola oil are affordable, neutral-flavored oils with moderately high smoke points (around 400-450 degrees). They work well for frying, baking, and any application where you do not want the oil to contribute flavor. They are also the most economical choice for deep frying, where you need a large volume of oil.

Coconut oil has become trendy in recent years, but it has specific characteristics that make it better suited for some applications than others. Refined coconut oil has a high smoke point and neutral flavor, making it good for frying. Unrefined (virgin) coconut oil has a lower smoke point and distinct coconut flavor that works well in Asian-inspired dishes and baking.

Sesame oil comes in two varieties. Light sesame oil has a high smoke point and mild flavor, suitable for cooking. Dark (toasted) sesame oil has an intense, nutty flavor and low smoke point — it is best used as a finishing oil, drizzled over completed dishes for flavor. A small amount of toasted sesame oil goes a long way in Asian-inspired dishes.

Butter is technically a fat, not an oil, but it deserves mention because it is used so extensively in cooking. Butter has a low smoke point (around 350 degrees) because of its milk solids, which burn easily. Clarified butter (ghee) has had the milk solids removed, raising its smoke point to around 450 degrees and making it excellent for high-heat cooking while retaining that buttery flavor.

For salad dressings and finishing, flavor is king. This is where high-quality extra virgin olive oil, walnut oil, and specialty oils like truffle oil or chili oil really shine. These oils should not be heated — their complex flavors are best appreciated at room temperature, drizzled over finished dishes, whisked into vinaigrettes, or used for dipping bread.

Store your oils properly to maintain their quality. Most oils should be kept in a cool, dark place away from the stove. Heat, light, and air all cause oils to go rancid. Delicate nut oils and unrefined oils should be refrigerated after opening. Always check for off smells before using an oil — rancid oil has a distinctly unpleasant, paint-like odor and will ruin your food.

A well-stocked home kitchen really only needs three oils: extra virgin olive oil for everyday cooking and finishing, avocado or vegetable oil for high-heat applications, and toasted sesame oil for Asian-inspired dishes. With these three, you can handle virtually any recipe that comes your way.