Game World!: can olive oil be used for cooking?

Which is the Best Cooking Oil in Indian Market?

How To Cook With Olive Oil

Olive oil helps carry the flavor of foods and spices, provides a pleasing feel in the mouth, and satisfies the appetite. Liberal use of it will enhance both savory and sweet dishes without guilt because of its wonderful health-boosting properties (although if you're trying to lose weight, you may not want to overdo it, because like all fats, it provides nine calories per gram).

Virgin and extra-virgin oils are best used uncooked or cooked at low to medium temperatures. Refined and olive oil grade oils are the choices for high-heat uses, such as frying.

An oil's smoke point is the temperature at which it smokes when heated. Any oil is ruined at its smoke point and is no longer good for you. If you heat an oil to its smoke point, carefully discard it and start over. Olive oil has a higher smoke point than most other oils (about 400 degrees Fahrenheit). Refined olive oils have a slightly higher smoke point (about 410 degrees Fahrenheit).

Tips for Cooking with Olive Oil

Although extra-virgin and virgin olive oils stand up to heat remarkably well, they do lose flavor as they're heated, so they are best for uncooked dishes. Use them to harmonize the spices in a dish, to enhance and build flavors, and to add body and depth.

Olive oil also balances the acidity in high-acid foods, such as tomatoes, vinegar, wine, and lemon juice. In general, treat your olive oils as you do your wines, carefully pairing their tastes with the flavors of the other ingredients in the dishes you are creating.

Here are some ways to use olive oil:

Drizzle it over salad or mix it into salad dressing.

Use in marinades or sauces for meat, fish, poultry, and vegetables. Oil penetrates nicely into the first few layers of the food being marinated.

Add at the end of cooking for a burst of flavor.

Drizzle over cooked pasta or vegetables.

Use instead of butter or margarine as a healthy dip for bread. Pour a little olive oil into a small side dish and add a few splashes of balsamic vinegar, which will pool in the middle and look very attractive.

For an easy appetizer, toast baguette slices under the broiler, rub them lightly with a cut clove of garlic, and add a little drizzle of olive oil.

Replace butter with olive oil in mashed potatoes or on baked potatoes. For the ultimate mashed potatoes, whip together cooked potatoes, roasted garlic, and olive oil; season to taste.

Make a tasty, heart-healthy dip by mixing cooked white beans, garlic, and olive oil in a food processor; season to taste with your favorite herbs.

Use olive oil in your sauces -- whisking will help emulsify, or blend, the watery ingredients with the oil in the sauce.

The Most Versatile Version

You can use multipurpose fine virgin olive oil in almost any recipe. It is moderately priced despite being close in flavor to more expensive extra-virgin olive oils. Plus, you can use it in high-heat applications, so feel free to grab fine virgin olive oil when you need to saute, panfry, or stir-fry.

Fine virgin olive oil is also the right choice when you want quality flavor but not that strong olive taste. Try these tips for fine virgin olive oil in your kitchen:

Brush it on meats before grilling or broiling to seal in the meat flavor and juices and create a crispy exterior.

Add to eggs and drizzle over toast.

Sprinkle on brown rice.

Before refrigerating homemade pesto, add a thin layer of fine virgin olive oil on top of the sauce after putting it in a jar so the pesto will keep its green color.

Baking with Olive Oil

Most people don't think of using olive oil when baking, but it's actually a great way to get more monounsaturated fat and polyphenolic compounds in your diet. Choose the lite, light, or mild type of olive oil for baking, especially savory breads and sweets such as cakes, cookies, and other desserts. Because of the filtration these types of oils have undergone, they withstand high-heat cooking methods.

Substituting olive oil for butter dramatically reduces the amount of fat -- especially saturated fat -- in your baked goods. And of course, olive oil does not contain any of butter's cholesterol. You'll also use less fat -- you can substitute three tablespoons of olive oil for a quarter-cup of butter. (Check your cookbook for substituting advice.)

The product still turns out as expected, but with 25 percent less fat, fewer calories, and more heart-healthy nutrients.

Olive oil can enhance the flavor of almost anything you eat. Now that you know how it gets to your table, you'll know how to get the most out of it.

Products Explained: Know Your Cooking Oils

To learn more about the topics covered in this article, check out the following links:

To learn about how olive oil can improve your health, read The Health Benefits of Olive Oil.

If you wanted to know how to grow and use garlic, try How to Plant and Store Garlic.

Natural Weight-Loss Food: Olive Oil, can tell you more about how olive oil can help you lose weight.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gayle Povis Alleman is a registered dietitian with a bachelor's degree in traditional nutrition from Western Washington University and a master's degree in alternative nutrition from Bastyr University. This varied background allows her to bring together the best of both approaches to offer research-based, holistic information about wholesome foods, nutrition, and health. As a writer, educator, and speaker, she encourages people to achieve optimum health through food, nutrients, and physical activity.

Olive Oil FAQ

How much does olive oil cost?

Many olive oil bottles cost between $15 and $30, but you can find prices lower and higher than this.

Which brand of olive oil is best?

The California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil was named best overall olive oil by The Strategist. It's affordable, versatile and available in different flavors.

Is extra virgin olive oil good for cooking?

Virgin and extra-virgin oils are best used uncooked or cooked at low to medium temperatures.

Is there a difference between olive oil and extra virgin olive oil?

Extra virgin olive oil has been made from pure, cold-pressed olives, while regular olive oil is a blend of cold-pressed and processed oils. EVOO should have an acidity level of no more than 0.8 to 1 percent.

What are the benefits of olive oil?

Olive oil helps carry the flavor of foods and spices, provides a pleasing feel in the mouth, and satisfies the appetite.

“We often get asked about whether you can cook with extra virgin olive oil. In fact, when we are out sampling our oil and talking to the public about the virtues of extra virgin olive oil, we’ve noticed that people often presume you shouldn’t cook with extra virgin olive oil.

“The truth is: of course you can cook with extra virgin olive oil. One needs to only look at the Mediterranean kitchen and its traditions in cooking to see part of the explanation. Greeks, Italians and Spanish have been cooking with extra virgin olive oil for centuries long and we don’t see any adverse effects arising from these Mediterranean kitchens – which Northern European countries are so fond of!

“What this really comes down to if you’re after a scientific explanation is the varying smoke point between different oils. The smoke point of an oil or fat is the temperature at which, under specific and defined conditions, an oil begins to produce a continuous bluish smoke that becomes clearly visible. The smoke point of extra virgin olive oil is 190° – 215° which is lower than other oils such as sunflower oil and rapeseed oil, but a level that is perfectly suited to most everday cooking styles. Making a base for a casserole or pasta sauce where you’ll be slow cooking your onions and garlic, the temperature point suits extra virgin olive oil perfectly and using a good oil, you’ll benefit from a more flavoursome dish.

“What extra virgin olive oil isn’t as well suited for is deep frying, which typically requires a temperature at the borderline of extra virgin olive oil’s smoke point. This is why sunflower oil, rapeseed oil and even vegetable oil are better suited for deep frying since they have higher smoke points, meaning that you won’t be carrying the food through the smoke point as it cooks during the frying process.

So in conclusion, extra virgin olive oil is perfectly acceptable to cook with – unless you wish to deep fry; but then why would you deep fry when the virtues of the Mediterranean diet have been researched and proven so extensively?!”

This is one of those enduring myths that just won’t go away. In fact it has become so engrained in the minds of many, that I have even heard top chefs repeating the fallacy that good extra virgin olive oil should only be used cold and never to cook with.

So let’s knock this on it’s head once and for all. Yes you can cook and indeed should cook with extra virgin olive oil. Here’s why.

A quick chemistry lesson

OK this is the science bit – you can skip it if you like and head straight to the conclusion, but to really bust this myth I need to convince you fully.

Oils are made up predominantly of fats called triglycerides. These are made up of three (hence the ‘tri’) fatty acids attached to a compound called glycerol.

Oils also contain a very small number of free fatty acids – in other words fatty acids that are not attached to glycerol and are ‘floating’ on their own. The level of free fatty acids varies between oils and varies with the quality of the oil. This is important, as we’ll discover.

The fatty acids present in the oil, either as part of a triglyceride or free, can be saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. These names come from the chemical structure of the fats and the number of what are called ‘double bonds’. Saturated fats have no double bonds, monounsaturated fats have one, and polyunsaturated fats, as the name suggests, have many.

You don’t need to know what these are – school chemistry may be a distant memory – but suffice to say that they are important because a double bond is the part of the fat that is prone to damage.

Damage (technically called oxidative damage) to double bonds is what creates trans fats – the most damaging to our health – and what makes a fat turn rancid. A rancid fat will not taste good, but it also contains potentially harmful compounds.

This damage to oils can happen with exposure to light, to air and to heat, especially very high heat and prolonged heat. This is why you are best to store any oil in a dark, cool pantry and to use it up before the best before date to ensure freshness. It is also why we need to take care with our choice of oils when cooking.

"This damage to oils can happen with exposure to light, to air and to heat, especially very high heat and prolonged heat."

Best Olive Oil for Cooking | Is Extra Virgin Olive Oil better than Olive Oil? | Benefits

Smoke points

The smoke point is a term used to describe the temperature at which you’ll see a bluish smoke rising continuously from the oil. (Note that extra virgin olive oil is a natural product and so contains a little water. This means that when you heat it in the pan you’ll often see steam rising well before the oil reaches its smoke point – don’t confuse this and think you are damaging the oil.) Heating the oil above its smoke point increases the likelihood of oxidative damage and the creation of potentially harmful compounds.

Since polyunsaturated fats have lots of double bonds these fats are the most fragile and prone to damage. In contrast, saturated fats with no double bonds are extremely stable, while monounsaturated fats with only double bond are also highly resistant to oxidative damage.

"Polyunsaturated fats have lots of double bonds these fats are the most fragile and prone to damage."

Free fatty acids are also more prone to oxidative damage and so oils with higher levels of free fatty acids are also more fragile, especially during cooking.

The smoke point is usually given as the definitive guide as to whether a type of oil can be used for cooking. However, it’s not the only important factor and it varies, even amongst one type of oil. This is where much of the confusion has come from.

Extra virgin olive oil

Looking just at olive oils you’ll find different smoke points given, depending on the source of the information. That’s because it depends on the quality of the oil, how fresh it is, how it has been stored, the levels of free fatty acids and the levels of protective antioxidants.

So here is the crux of the matter. Extra virgin olive oil has three key qualities that make it an excellent cooking oil: it contains predominantly stable monounsaturated fatty acids, it has a low level of free fatty acids and it has a high level of protective antioxidants.

If we look at the smoke points of extra virgin olive oils, these range from about 190-220°C. The best quality oils, including Cobram Estate extra virgin olive oils, come in at the higher end of the range.

How does this relate to cooking? Well sautéing on the stove equates to a temperature of around 120°C, deep-frying is usually in the range 160-180°C and roasting in the oven 180°C. It is not often you would cook at any temperature higher than this.

Importantly there is no further advantage to using an oil or fat with an even higher smoke point. In other words, if you are roasting your veggies in the oven at 180°C, your extra virgin olive oil is perfect as it has a smoke point above this. Choosing an oil with a smoke point higher than 220°C is not any safer.

"Extra virgin olive oil has three key qualities that make it an excellent cooking oil: it contains predominantly stable monounsaturated fatty acids, it has a low level of free fatty acids and it has a high level of protective antioxidants"

How to Use Olive Oil for Indian Cooking?

Why we should cook with extra virgin olive oil

Several good studies have confirmed the stability of extra virgin olive oil during cooking. Importantly these studies have really pushed the boat out to test the point at which various oils will break down. They repeatedly heat the oils, heat them for long periods of time and take them up to extremely high temperatures.

"Several good studies have confirmed the stability of extra virgin olive oil during cooking."

These conditions would almost never happen in home cooking so the fact that extra virgin olive oil stands up consistently well in these tests really does confirm the safety of using the oil at home. The same is not true of oils high in polyunsaturated fats such as sunflower or generic ‘vegetable’ oil.

Plus we have studies showing that when we cook veggies in extra virgin olive oil, the overall level of antioxidants and other beneficial compounds rises significantly. So we get a double whammy benefit of the good fats present and a greater availability of protective compounds.

Conclusion

Extra virgin olive oil has an unequaled body of research supporting its role as a protective, beneficial food in a healthy diet. It is extremely versatile and can be used cold in dressings and for drizzling, as well as in almost all cooking applications. In this regard it is not only safe but also beneficial to our health, not to mention delivering exceptional flavour! So do as the Mediterranean countries have traditionally done for hundreds of years and enjoy cooking with your extra virgin olive oil.

"I have been told it's not safe to fry and sear with olive oil. Is that true?"

Most of the time when I cook with high heat, such as searing meats or deep frying, I reach for neutral oils like canola or vegetable oil. I mostly do this out of habit, but if I were to give a reason, it'd be both because their neutral taste means they won't contribute unwanted flavors to the dish, and because they tend to be inexpensive.

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But recently I wrote a recipe for pan-seared steaks with a garlicky olive oil-and-butter sauce, and, since I was already calling for two fats—olive oil and butter—I decided to streamline things by searing the steaks in olive oil instead of requiring a third, neutral oil for that step. One recipe with three fats just seemed a little fussy for something that was supposed to be an easy weeknight dinner.

But then a commenter asked if I'd violated a basic oil rule: "Isn't EVOO not recommended for high temperature frying?"

This idea that it's not a good idea to cook over high heat with olive oil is fairly common. For a lot of people, the concern is one of health, specifically that olive oil, with its relatively low smoke point of 325 to 375°F (165 to 190°C), degrades more than other oils when exposed to high heat. For others, it's one of taste: Do you want the flavor of olive oil getting into whatever you cook, and is there a risk that the flavor will be bad if the oil has reached its smoke point?

I decided it was time to investigate.

Olive Oil and Heat: Bad for Health, or Just Bad Science?

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We don't normally address health questions here at Serious Eats: We know a lot about food, but we don't pretend to be nutritionists or health experts. And honestly, the way medical advice can change from one year to the next, it's often just as well for us not to get involved.

Because the health aspects of cooking with olive oil are such an integral part of this question, though, I'm going to wade in just a little bit. Up to my ankles anyway (definitely not up to my olives). After spending hours scouring the internet for studies that could help provide an answer, here's what I discovered: My head hurts.

My head hurts because there's a lot of conflicting information out there and it's very hard to reduce it into a simple, direct answer. Still, based on my reading, things are looking favorable for olive oil. For starters, I couldn't find a single scientific study clearly supporting the idea that exposing olive oil to high heat has worse health consequences than other oils used for high-heat cooking. I found a lot of websites making that claim, but none of the ones I saw back it up with evidence. Instead, they assume that a lower smoke point by definition means more toxins, and then sling around buzzwords like "free radicals" to scare us off from using EVOO for cooking.

I did find one study that compared emissions of potentially toxic volatile compounds of several oils at several temperatures, and it indicated that those compounds do increase significantly when an oil has reached its smoke point. That doesn't bode well for olive oil, since its smoke point is relatively low.

But of all the studies I found that specifically compared the heating of olive oil to other oils, the overall message was that olive oil performs decently well under high-heat conditions. There's this one from 2014 and published in the American Chemical Society's Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, which found that olive oil is more stable than certain seed oils for frying at temperatures between 320 and 374°F. There was this one from 2004, also in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that showed that olive oil—both extra-virgin and refined—produced fumes with fewer (apparently undesirable) volatile aldehydes than canola oil. Then in 2012, the journal Food Chemistry published this study, which found that olive oil held up much better and was much safer than sunflower oil after prolonged exposure to high heat. A lot of these studies looked at both extra-virgin olive oil and regular olive oil, and both performed well.

On and on, most scientific studies I read gave olive oil high marks for its ability to retain its nutritional properties and resist deterioration despite high heat. Apparently it's even good for the postprandial insulin response of obese, insulin-resistant women. Who knew?

How to Make the Perfect Olive Oil Scrambled Eggs

Granted, none of these studies are massive, comprehensive looks at every conceivable aspect of this topic. There may well be a reason why heating olive oil is worse than other oils, but if there is, I didn't find clear evidence for it.

If you want to take a deeper dive, start by looking at these three overviews of what is and isn't known about olive oil and high heat.

As for me, I'm satisfied that at the moment there's not much to indicate I should be any more worried about heating olive oil than any other oil out there.

Taste Tests

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So that leaves taste. Do we want to cook at high temperatures with olive oil? How does it affect flavor? To explore this, I tested three recipes using both extra-virgin olive oil and canola oil: a deep-frying recipe, a seared meat dish with a rich and creamy pan sauce, and a seared meat dish with a light and delicate pan sauce.

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Deep Frying: Roman-Jewish Artichokes

Given that it's now spring, I thought I'd whip up a deep-fried dish that celebrates the season: carciofi alla giudia ("Jewish-style" artichokes), a recipe that comes from the ancient Roman-Jewish community.

Traditionally, this dish is made by frying globe artichokes in olive oil; the artichokes are trimmed almost down to the heart, but some tender leaves are left attached to help create a flower-like appearance in the finished dish. Here, I used baby artichokes, and fried them in both canola oil and extra-virgin olive oil.

The frying in this recipe is a two-step process, first at a lower temperature, around 300°F or so, until the hearts are tender, and then at 350°F, right up in olive-oil smoke-point territory, to crisp and brown them.

Tasted side-by-side, the Serious Eats crew all agreed that the olive oil contributed a distinct flavor, whereas the canola oil-fried chokes tasted lighter. Preference mostly fell towards the olive oil ones, which makes some sense given the Mediterranean personality the dish is meant to have, but we all appreciated how clearly we could taste the artichokes in the canola batch.

The bottom line is deep-frying in olive oil adds flavor, which is desirable in some circumstances but also can obscure the pure flavor of the food being fried. Whether you deep fry in olive oil will depend on whether you want that flavor or not.

Seared Meat With a Rich Pan Sauce: Skirt Steaks With Mushroom-Cream Sauce

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So far we've seen that deep frying in olive oil changes the flavor of the food—a not entirely surprising finding. But what about searing meats in olive oil? Will that have an impact on the final flavor of the dish?

My first foray into this question was with skirt steaks, which I seared until browned in two pans, one with extra-virgin olive oil, the other with canola oil. Both oils reached their smoke point during the searing process.

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Once the steaks were done, I took them out of the skillets and made identical pan sauces in each one, in this case a rich pan sauce with sautéed mushrooms, shallots, garlic, white wine, chicken stock, and heavy cream.

Tasting them side by side, my colleagues and I were unable to detect any flavor difference between the olive oil and canola oil samples, which indicates that in the case of richly flavored foods, a couple tablespoons of olive oil for searing isn't enough to significantly alter the taste of the dish.

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Seared Meat With a Light and Delicate Pan Sauce: Pork Chops With Leek and White Wine Sauce

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What about a more delicate pan sauce, though? Would the olive oil make a difference there?

To find out, I cooked up some pork chops, once again in two skillets, one with EVOO, the other with canola oil (both oils once again hit their smoke points).

Once they were good and browned, I set the chops aside and made two identical pan sauces in each skillet, this time with leeks, white wine, a little chicken stock, garlic, and lemon zest.

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This time there was a very subtle difference between the two dishes, with the olive oil one tasting ever so slightly more rounded and less acidic than the canola oil one, but I can't stress enough how minor the difference was. If I had eaten them even five minutes apart, I would have said they were exactly the same; only a direct side-by-side comparison made it possible to detect the difference.

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In fact, the difference was so subtle, I can't conclude with certainty that the oil was the reason for it. It could have just as easily been due to slightly different rates of reduction or other variations that are difficult to control with total precision when making something like a pan sauce.

In short, searing in olive oil can possibly have an impact on more delicate dishes, but it's unlikely to be a major one, and in many cases may have no impact at all. For dishes like this, if olive oil is all you have, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

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Conclusion

Based on my research, cooking with olive oil using high heat isn't nearly as problematic as most of us imagine. On the health side, I was unable to find credible evidence that cooking olive oil with high heat being bad for health (and, in fact, it might be one of the more stable oils for high heat cooking).

And on the taste side, its impact is minimal to none when used to sear foods that are then served with other ingredients, like a sauce. For deep frying it does make a difference in taste, so you just have to follow your preference.

Is Cooking With Olive Oil Healthy?

Both Kenji and I have found that you can taste olive oil when using it to sweat vegetables for simple dishes like vegetable soup, but in that instance there's no high heat involved (certainly the oil never gets close to its smoke point), so once again, like deep frying, it's just a question of whether you want to taste the olive oil or not.

Of course olive oil is also more expensive than a lot of other oils, so that's a reason not to turn to it as often for these kinds of cooking tasks. Interestingly, as Harold McGee found in his own taste tests, the flavor differences between high-quality and lesser oils are erased with heating, so when cooking it makes sense to reach for a cheaper bottle, at least as far as flavor is concerned.

The bottom line, though, is that if all you have on hand is olive oil, or if you want to cook with it for flavor, I see no reason to avoid it.

Good for heart, cholesterol and digestive purposes, olive oil is slowly making inroads into the culinary circuit as one of the most loved oils. Apart from its umpteen health benefits, this Mediterranean wonder oil is also linked with cutting down depression and improving brain health for the decent amount of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids that it contains. Despite being deemed as one of the healthiest oils, it has raised many eyeballs for its use in cooking.Many believe that olive oil is unsuitable for cooking because of unsaturated fats. When exposed to high heat, the intrinsic properties of fats and oils may get altered. This is probably the reason why you may have heard many being weary of using olive oil for cooking. Turns out, you can indeed use olive oil for mild cooking, and cooking in olive oil may also provide many health benefits. However, it is best to take some caution. It is important to understand the grades of olive oil, and only then proceed to use this oil for cooking. The highest grade of olive oil is the extra virgin olive oil, followed by virgin oil, and finally refined oil. These grades are defined by their ways of extraction and further use of chemical solvents and processing.(Also Read: Olive Oil: Amazing Benefits of Olive Oil for Health, Hair, Skin & Its Wonderful Uses)

extra virgin olive oil

Olive oil is profuse with Mono-saturated fatty acids which is good for heart healthExtra virgin and the standard virgin olive oil are extracted directly from the olive fruit by grinding the olives, which preserves the natural taste, flavor, pungency and maximum amount of benefits. This method of extracting the oil directly from the fruit is called 'cold-pressing'. This helps the oil retain its flavor which it may lose when the oil is exposed to high temperatures. The oils that are further processed and undergo blending of chemical solvents, lose the original high grade quality of the extra virgin oil, and are clubbed in the 'refined' variants of olive oil.Extra virgin olive oil tends to have a subtle golden-green hue with a light peppery flavour. Because it is taken straight out of the fruit and is not refined it has a beautiful crude and pungent smell too. Macrobiotic Nutritionist Shilpa Arora ND says, "Always use a good quality extra virgin oil to get all its benefits. It does not have a very high heat point, therefore it is not quite recommended for frying and heavy cooking."Dr. Rupali Datta, advises, "It is better to use extra virgin olive oil only for raw or cold cooking. Indian cooking needs are not suited to substitute this oil for our regular vegetable oil. You can use it in salads, as dressings, for making breads and dips. Light sauteing can also be done using extra virgin olive oil."There is another variant of olive oil available in the market called the olive pomace oil. Once the typical, cold-pressed extraction of olive oil from the olive fruit is done with, about 5 to 8 percent of the oil still remains in the leftover olive pulp or the "pomace." This oil is called the pomace oil, and the extraction process used to extract this oil is called olive pomace oil extraction. It has a slightly better heating point than olive oil, hence used more for cooking related purposes. However, the olive oil that is most often used for cooking is pure olive oil. Pure olive oil may have the tag of 'pure' but it is often a blend of standard virgin oil and refined oil, which is used widely for cooking for its slightly higher burning point.Therefore, for its low heating point olive oil is definitely not recommended for deep frying, roasting, or stir- frying in a wok. However, here some tips to keep in mind when handling olive oil.1. For salads and pastas

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Olive oil balances the acidity in high-acid foods, such as tomatoes, vinegar, and lemon juice, and adds excellent depth to your salads. Drizzle it over salad or mix it into salad dressing and spruce up your greens and cooked pasta with oodles of health benefits.

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2. For Marinades You can also use it in marinades or sauces for meat, fish, poultry, and vegetables.3. Post cooking depth and flavourYou can drizzle some olive oil after you finish cooking for a burst of flavor.

Is Cooking With Olive Oil Bad For You?

olive oil

Olive oil can be used for adding depth to the dish after it is cooked 4. For your sides and appetizersMix some boiled beans, garlic, and olive oil in a food processor; top it with fresh herbs for a yummy and healthy dip. You can also toast your bread or baguette and rub them lightly with a half cut garlic clove, drizzle some olive oil on top and enjoy.

garlic breadSprinkle your toasted bread with some olive oil and witness a burst of flavours

5. For saucesGet a healthy blend of sauces with a dash of olive oil. It is flavourful and healthy, if the ingredients don't blend well, whisk thoroughly. Olive oil will help emulsify, or blend, the watery ingredients with the oil in the sauce.

green chili sauceOlive oil can add healthy flavours to sauces

Olive oil is packed with several health benefits. Bangalore-based Nutritionist Dr. Anju Sood says "It is good for your heart, hair, skin and veins." Macrobiotic Nutritionist and Health Practitioner Shilpa Arora ND adds to it, "Olive oil is loaded with heart-protective polephenols that lower cholesterol. It is also packed with anti-inflammatory properties. The mono-saturated fatty acids boost metabolism and aid weight loss." Therefore, there is no reason why you should refrain from the health benefits of the wonder oil.

Home cooks have plenty of options when it comes to choosing which type of oil to sauté, bake and drizzle with. Some, like olive oil, are well known, and others, like avocado or coconut oil, are less familiar.

Which oil is right for you? That depends largely on the type of cooking you’re doing. An oil’s smoke point, which is the point when oil starts burning and smoking, is one of the most important things to consider. If you heat oil past its smoke point, it not only harms the flavor, but many of the nutrients in the oil degrade—and the oil will release harmful compounds called free radicals.

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If you’re wondering which is the best cooking oil for your health—and which oils are not healthy—there’s some disagreement. TIME spoke to two cooking oil experts—Liz Weinandy, a registered dietitian at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, and Lisa Howard, author of The Big Book of Healthy Cooking Oils—about how to choose the best option.

Olive oil

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Nutrition and cooking experts agree that one of the most versatile and healthy oils to cook with and eat is olive oil, as long as it’s extra virgin. “You want an oil that is not refined and overly processed,” says Howard. An “extra virgin” label means that the olive oil is not refined, and therefore of high quality. Extra virgin olive oil contains a large amount of monounsaturated fats and some polyunsaturated fatty acids; many studies have linked it to better heart health. Olive oil has a relatively lower smoke point compared to other oils, so it’s best for low and medium-heat cooking.

It’s also one of the healthiest oils to use when baking. “As a dressing it’s great, too,” says Howard. “And I like to put it into my lattes.”

One thing to keep in mind, however, is that in the United States, sometimes olive oil that’s labeled “extra virgin” is not what it claims to be. In 2015, the National Consumers League tested 11 different olive oils and found that six of them failed to meet the standards that classify them as extra virgin. Here’s a list of extra virgin olive oils that did pass the test; they include widely available brands like California Olive Ranch, Colavita and Lucini.

Coconut oil

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Depending on who you ask, coconut oil should either be avoided or embraced in moderation. The main point of conflict is its high saturated fat content; unlike other plant-based oils, coconut oil is primarily a saturated fat. Not everyone agrees that such a concentrated source of saturated fat is a no-go for health, but some experts, including the American Heart Association, argue that replacing foods that are high in saturated fat with healthier options can lower blood cholesterol levels and improve lipid profiles. Still, science is starting to suggest that not all saturated fats are bad for you.

Olive Oil vs Vegetable Oil Which One You Should Cook With?

Generally speaking, there’s a lot of hype around coconut products that overall aren’t backed by sound science. That’s not to say this oil is going to make you sick, but don’t go overboard. “I am not anti-coconut oil,” says Weinandy. “Our bodies do need some saturated fat. But the industry has done a good job to make it seem like it’s a superfood. The research is definitely not there.”

That doesn’t mean it should be banned from the pantry. Saturated fats can be a healthier oil to use when you’re cooking at a very high temperature or frying food (something that definitely should be done in moderation), because they are more stable at high heat. This means that they are less likely to break down and smoke.

Vegetable oil

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The term “vegetable oil” is used to refer to any oil that comes from plant sources, and the healthfulness of a vegetable oil depends on its source and what it’s used for. Most vegetable oils on the market are a blend of canola, corn, soybean, safflower, palm and sunflower oils. “Generally I tell people to use olive oil whenever you can instead of a corn or a soybean oil,” says Weinandy. They’re not necessarily bad for you, she says, “but you can get so much more benefit from olive oil.”

Still, vegetable oils are refined and processed, which means they not only lack flavor, but also nutrients, Howard says. “Vegetable oil is guaranteed to be highly processed. It’s called ‘vegetable’ so that the manufacturers can substitute whatever commodity oil they want—soy, corn, cottonseed, canola—without having to print a new label,” she says. “Processed oils have been pushed past their heat tolerance and have become rancid in the processing.” Some of these oils, especially palm, are associated with more degradation of land for production, Howard says.

Canola oil

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Canola oil is derived from rapeseed, a flowering plant, and contains a good amount of monounsaturated fats and a decent amount of polyunsaturated fats. Of all vegetable oils, canola oil tends to have the least amount of saturated fats. It has a high smoke point, which means it can be helpful for high-heat cooking. That being said, in the United States, canola oil tends to be highly processed, which means fewer nutrients overall. “Cold-pressed” or unprocessed canola oil is available, but it can be difficult to find.

Avocado oil

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Avocado oil is a great choice. It’s unrefined like extra virgin olive oil, but it has a higher smoking point, which means it can be used to cook at higher heat and is great for stir-frys. It doesn’t have much flavor, which makes it a good option for cooking. “It’s just creamy, like an avocado,” says Howard. Avocado oil contains both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids (it has one of the highest monounsaturated fat contents among cooking oils) as well as vitamin E. One downside is that it tends to be more expensive.

Sunflower oil

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This oil is high in vitamin E; one tablespoon contains 28% of a person’s daily recommended intake of the nutrient. It has a high smoke point and doesn’t have a strong flavor, which means it won’t overwhelm a dish. However, sunflower oil contains a lot of omega-6 fatty acids. The body needs them, but omega-6s are thought to be pro-inflammatory, while omega-3s are anti-inflammatory. Consuming too many omega-6s without balancing with omega 3s, could lead to an excess inflammation in the body, so moderation is key.

Peanut oil

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Nut oils, like peanut, can be fun to experiment with in the kitchen, especially since there are so many different types. Peanut oil has one of the highest monounsaturated fat contents among cooking oils. It’s usually flavorful with a nutty taste and smell, and cooks well at high heat.

Walnut oil

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This oil has a low smoke point, so it’s not good for cooking, but it can be used in plenty of other ways. Howard drizzles the oil over pancakes, freshly cut fruit and ice cream. She also adds it to her frothed milk for coffee drinks. Walnut oil has a good ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids, which helps keep inflammation in check.

Flaxseed oil

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Flaxseed oil is high in omega 3s and has a very low smoke point, which means it also shouldn’t be used for cooking. “I use [flaxseed oil] for dressing,” says Weinandy. Make sure it’s stored at a low-temperature location, like in the refrigerator.

7 Cooking Oils Explained At Costco..The Good, Bad & Toxic!

Sesame oil

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This oil is often used for its potent flavor; a little goes a long way. It contains both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, though it’s not especially high in other nutrients. It has a higher smoke point and can be used for high-heat recipes.

Is it better to cook with olive oil or extra virgin olive oil?

At least 6,000 years before Crisco came on the scene, olive oil was the hottest commodity in a cook's (and baker's) cupboard. The unique characteristics of this natural oil allow for a variety of delicious applications, which is why it has not only been used to marinate, sauté, and preserve some of the most delicious foods in the world, but it is also a key component in various cakes and other baked goods (pairing especially well with a rich dark chocolate). But walk down the baking aisle, find the olive oils, and you'll be confronted with bottles ranging from $7 to $30 and covering the color spectrum from pale yellow to deep green.

Watch: How to Make Grilled Potato Salad

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What's the Difference?

Olive oil and extra-virgin olive oil taste different and do not react the same way to the heat of cooking. All olive oil comes from the fruit of the olive plant, but what accounts for the difference is how the oil is extracted and processed.

What Is The Best Olive Oil? Olive Oil Review!

Olive Oil

Any oil with this title (sometimes called "Pure Olive Oil" or "Light Olive Oil") is most likely lighter in color (pale yellow) and costs less than its extra-virgin counterpart. This oil is typically a blend of cold-pressed olive oil and olive oil that has been refined to remove any natural impurities in the oil. In order to do this, the oil has been treated either chemically or with heat. The resulting oil is lighter in color, almost neutral in flavor, and able to withstand a higher temperature than extra-virgin olive oil.

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Any olive oil that is certified as "extra-virgin" has not been exposed to a chemical or heat treatment, meaning the oil has been cold-pressed from the fruit. This leaves a higher-quality oil that is more flavorful and darker in color. There is a wide range in taste from one extra-virgin olive oil to another, from herbal and fruity to bitter and peppery, depending on the olives harvested. Because this oil highlights the flavor of the olives, the farmers and oil makers take extra care in picking the best olives for the extra-virgin oil. Also, since this oil has not been "refined," it has a lower smoke point (it burns at a lower temperature), requiring extra caution when cooking so you don't burn the oil and give your food an unpleasant taste.

Which Should I Buy?

Typically, olive oil is a safer bet when cooking because of the higher smoke point and neutral flavor, and extra-virgin olive oil is ideal for a flavorful dressing, a dip for bread, or a last minute pour over a cooked piece of meat. However, this is entirely a matter of preference. If you enjoy the taste of extra-virgin olive oil, use it for both cooking and finishing!

Does olive oil make food taste better?

The health benefits of olive oil make it an extremely attractive ingredient to use for cooking. Packed with polyphenols, amino acids and healthy monounsaturated fats, olive oil can be a key factor not only in establishing a balanced diet, but also for adding depth and flavor to food.

Most importantly, the main difference between using olive oil as opposed to refined vegetable oils is its aroma and taste. Olive oil is not just a cooking oil; it is an ingredient that can enhance the traditional tastes of the dishes you love. No other oil can match the organoleptic complexity of olive oil, especially considering the multitude of varieties that carry their own unique flavor characteristics.

Whenever we refer to olive oil, we always mean extra virgin. Every producer of the oils we carry has worked for years - in some cases, decades - to manage their crop and produce the highest quality olive oils on the planet. To them and us, it’s not worth it if it’s not extra virgin.

Frying With Olive Oil

Because heat is such an integral part of cooking, yet is also one of the factors that affects the quality of an olive oil, many people assume that applying heat to olive oil in cooking applications, such as shallow and deep frying, stir-frying or sauteing, is a practice that should be avoided.

This is a myth.

Heating an extra virgin olive oil to frying temperature does not hurt or substantially alter the chemical composition of the oil if kept below the smoke point, and is still very good for you due to its polyphenol content and high levels of oleic acid - a very stable compound that does not easily oxidize.

The alternatives - eg. canola, soybean and corn oils - are significantly less stable, contain little or no polyphenols, and can break down into dangerous, toxic by-products at high temperatures due to accelerated oxidation. Olive oil, coconut oil and palm oil are the most stable of all fats when heated.

The smoke point of a true extra virgin olive oil is 410°F, well above the 350-375°F that is required for most frying. If the olive oil is higher in acidity and/or contains impurities (often representative of lower grade, mass produced oils), the smoke point can be reduced by up to 50°F. That's why we recommend that you fry foods with a high-quality olive oil, and avoid mixing it with other types of oils.

Frying often? Consider shopping for high volume bottles and tins.

To properly fry with extra virgin olive oil without destabilization, first heat the oil in a heavy pot or pan to the suggested temperature by using an oil thermometer (sometimes called deep fry thermometer). Starting at the burner’s medium setting will allow you to raise it little-by-little until you achieve the right temperature. Adding the food to the pot or pan after the oil is fully heated will prevent the food from absorbing too much oil and becoming soggy.

Deep Frying tip: Though the added flavor will be best when frying the first time, reusing a large pot of olive oil 4-5 times is still safe and flavorful (and not to mention cost-effective) if doing so within a short timeframe and if properly strained after each use.

Frying with olive oil has been a standard practice in the Mediterranean diet for centuries. Try shallow frying eggs, sliced potatoes or fish in extra virgin olive oil and you will be amazed by the results.

Frying: Recipes

Broccoli Rabe

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Baking With Olive Oil

When a recipe calls for butter or margarine for frying or sauteing, olive oil makes a great substitute and is widely recognized as a much healthier alternative.

When baking, substituting extra virgin olive oil for butter is also a healthy option and can be surprisingly delicious. Because ingredient measurements are critical when baking, the index below will help you adjust your recipe appropriately.

Index For Substituting Butter / Margarine With Olive Oil

Butter / Margarine Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 teaspoon 3/4 teaspoon

1 tablespoon 2 1/4 teaspoon

2 tablespoons 1 1/2 tablespoons

1/4 cup 3 tablespoons

1/3 cup 1/4 cup

1/2 cup 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons

2/3 cup 1/2 cup

3/4 cup 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon

1 cup 3/4 cup

You're Buying Fake Olive Oil...Here's How To Avoid It!

All extra virgin olive oils range in strengths of intensity and pungency, so while some varieties work wonderfully with almost anything, others may prove too overpowering. For cakes, cookies and other baked desserts, choose a sweeter, more mild olive oil variety like Arbequina, Peranzana, Mission, Nocellara and the fruity Koroneiki. these varieties are less likely to overpower the flavors of a dessert when compared with more bitter, pungent varieties like Picual, Coratina and Moraiolo.

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Grilling with Olive Oil

When summer hits and the grills come out, so do all the wonderful marinades and sauces that make grilled foods so exceptional. Extra virgin olive oil has endless potential to boost the flavor of grilled foods and can neutralize harmful carcinogenic substances thanks to its high antioxidant levels.

A flavorful EVOO can also replace butter for grilled favorites like corn on the cob, portabella mushrooms, potatoes, onions and shrimp. As previously noted, Peranzana and Arbequina are the most similar olive oil varieties to butter with their sweeter, more delicate flavor profiles.

How is olive oil used in food?

Olive oil is a major component of the Mediterranean diet. It is rich in antioxidants. The main fat it contains is monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), which experts consider a healthful fat.

The antioxidants in olive oil may help protect the body from cellular damage that can lead to a range of health conditions and diseases. Extra virgin olive oil has a bitter flavor, but it contains more antioxidants than other types, as it undergoes the least processing.

In this article, find out more about the health benefits of olive oil and find some ideas on how to use it.

What is olive oil?

A person can use olive oil when cooking.

Olive oil comes from olives, the fruit of the olive tree. Olives are a traditional crop of the Mediterranean region. People make olive oil by pressing whole olives.

People use olive oil in cooking, cosmetics, medicine, soaps, and as a fuel for traditional lamps. Olive oil originally came from the Mediterranean, but today, it is popular around the world.

In the diet, people preserve olives in olive oil or salted water. They eat them whole or chopped and added to pizzas and other dishes.

They can use olive oil a dip for bread, for drizzling on pasta, in cooking, or as a salad dressing. Some people consume it by the spoonful for medicinal purposes.

Which are the most healthful oils? Find out here.

Benefits

Many studies have looked at the health benefits of olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil, which is the best quality oil available, is rich in antioxidants, which help prevent cellular damage caused by molecules called free radicals.

Free radicals are substancesTrusted Source that the body produces during metabolism and other processes. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals.

If too many free radicals build up, they can cause oxidative stress. This can lead to cell damage, and it may play a role in the development of certain diseases, including certain types of cancer.

Olive oil and the cardiovascular system

Olive oil is the main source of fat in the Mediterranean diet. People who consume this diet appear to have a higher life expectancy, including a lower chance of dying from cardiovascular diseases, compared with people who follow other diets. Some expertsTrusted Source call it “the standard in preventive medicine.”

A 2018 study compared the number of cardiovascular events among people who consumed a Mediterranean diet, either with olive oil or nuts, or a low-fat diet.

People who consumed the Mediterranean diet, whether with olive oil or nuts, had a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease than those on the low-fat diet.

According to the authors of one 2018 review, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Authority recommend consuming around 20 grams (g) or two tablespoons (tbs) of extra virgin olive oil each day to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and inflammation.

Results of a 2017 studyTrusted Source suggested that the polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil may offer protection from cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, stroke, brain dysfunction, and cancer. Polyphenols are a type of antioxidant.

What is pomace grade olive oil? Can olive pomace oil be used for cooking?

Metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a condition characterized by a group of risk factors that increase disease risk, including obesity, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar levels.

Authors of a 2019 meta-analysis concluded that olive oil in a Mediterranean diet might improve features of metabolic syndrome, such as inflammation, blood sugar, triglycerides (fats in the blood), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad” cholesterol. In contrast, it appears to increase levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol.

Which foods help lower blood pressure? Click here to find out.

Depression risk and olive oil

In 2013, a rodent studyTrusted Source suggested that ingredients in extra virgin olive oil may help protect the nervous system and could be useful for treating depression and anxiety.

Two years before, scientists had found evidenceTrusted Source that people who ate trans fats, which is an unhealthful fat that features in fast foods and premade baked goods, were more likely to have depression than those who consumed unsaturated fats, such as olive oil.

How can diet impact depression? Find out here.

Olive oil and cancer risk

Some studiesTrusted Source have suggested that substances in olive oil may help reduce the risk of breast cancer, but not all findings confirm this.

According to researchTrusted Source published in 2019, olive oil contains substances that may help prevent colorectal cancer. Lab tests have found evidence that antioxidants in olive oil may help protect the body from inflammation, oxidative damage, and epigenetic changes.

Can diet impact a person’s risk of cancer? Find out here.

Alzheimer’s disease

In 2016, some scientists suggested that including extra virgin olive oil in the diet may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease. This may be due to its protective impact on blood vessels in the brain.

Authors of a mouse study published in 2019 suggested that consuming oleocanthal-rich extra virgin olive oil could help slow or stop the progression of Alzheimer’s. Oleocanthal is a phenolic compound that occurs in extra virgin olive oil.

Olive oil and the liver

A 2018 review of laboratory studies found that molecules in extra virgin olive oil may help prevent or repair liver damage.

The oil’s MUFAs, which are mainly oleic acid, and its phenolic compounds appear to help prevent inflammation, oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and other changes that can result in liver damage.

Olive oil and inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) causes inflammation of the digestive tract. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are types of IBD.

A 2019 reviewTrusted Source found that phenols in olive oil may help boost intestinal immunity and gut health by changing the microbes in the gut. This could be useful for people with colitis and other types of IBD. The authors noted that more human studies are needed to confirm these results.

Find out more about the Mediterranean diet.

Nutrition

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)Trusted Source, 1 tbsp, or 13.5 grams (g) of olive oil, provides:

119 calories

13.5 g of fat, of which 1.86 g is saturated

1.9 milligrams (mg) of vitamin E

8.13 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin K

It also contains traces of calcium and potassium, as well asTrusted Source polyphenols, tocopherols, phytosterols, squalene, and terpenic acids and other antioxidants.

Dietary tips

When buying olive oil, it is best to choose an extra virgin olive oil, as this undergoes less processing and is more likely to retain its antioxidant content. Extra virgin olive oil has a high smoke point of 376 °F (191°C), so it is safe to use for most cooking methods.

The USDA grade olive oil depending on its flavor, odor, absence of defects, and acidity.

U.S. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO): This has an excellent flavor and odor, and a free fatty acid content of 0.8 g or less per 100g (0.8%).

U.S. Virgin Olive Oil: This has a reasonably good flavor and odor, and a free fatty acid content of 2g or less per 100g (less than 2%).

U.S. Virgin Olive Oil Not Fit For Human Consumption Without Further Processing: This is a virgin oil of poor flavor and odor. It is not intended for food use.

U.S. Olive Oil: This is an oil mix of both virgin and refined oils.

U.S. Refined Olive Oil: This is an oil made from refined oils with some restrictions on the processing.

Why cook with extra virgin olive oil?

These grades are voluntary. Producers do not have to label their products.

In many countries, including the U.S., manufacturers process “light” or “extra light” olive oils with heat and chemicals to take out impurities. The color and flavor are lighter compared to virgin olive oils. Producers may blend light olive oil with other oils.

Tips for use

Tips for using olive oil include:

drizzling it on a salad or adding it to a salad dressing

drizzling it on a freshly made bread

using it when making bread

using it instead of other fats when frying or sautéing

Try the following recipes:

Crisp rosemary and olive oil flatbread

Spaghetti with olive oil, chili, and garlic

Poor man’s potatoes

Frying in olive oil

According to a reviewTrusted Source published in 2017, frying food in olive oil may help maintain and even improve its nutritional value. This is because the food takes up antioxidants that transfer from the oil.

Olive oil is available for purchase in groceries and online.

I once heard that heating olive oil changes its chemical composition and makes it toxic. Is this true?

This is a common misconception. Research has shown that extra-virgin olive oil has a relatively high smoke point of 376°F (191°C), and is safe to use for most cooking methods, including frying.

However, when people fry in olive oil for a long time, this can lead to degradation of the fats and the production of toxic compounds, including acrolein. Acrolein is a highly reactive, toxic compound that may cause cellular damage when people swallow it. So, as long as you are using olive oil for sautéing or frying and not for prolonged frying methods, it’s perfectly healthy.

Some research has shown that pan-frying produce such as tomatoes, onions, and garlic in olive oil improves the bioavailability of protective plant compounds, such as carotenoids and polyphenol antioxidants. Therefore, cooking with olive oil may enhance the nutrition of your recipe.

Where can I use olive oil for cooking?

If you’re looking for just one oil to use in the kitchen, you couldn’t do better than olive oil; olive oil benefits your body, your brain, and your recipes, too. It’s definitely liquid gold.

olive oil in a small glass jar

Used for thousands of years, olive oil was considered to be partially responsible for the amazing longevity of the people who followed a Mediterranean diet, before any scientific studies could definitively prove that olive oil benefits health. More than any other grade, extra-virgin olive oil is made from the juice of fresh, ripe olives; it’s more likely to contain all the incredible nutrients that olive oil is famous for.

What culinary problem is this ingredient solving?

Olive oil is used to enhance the flavor of the food you cook, and it conducts higher temperatures allowing food to cook quickly no matter what method you use.

Cooking temperature

Different grades of olive oils differ in taste, use, and smoke point. The smoke point is really a temperature range (between 365-420°F), not an absolute number since many factors affect the chemical properties. The smoke point of oil varies with its quality. High quality extra-virgin olive oils (with low free fatty acids) have a higher smoke point, but they’re expensive to cook with.

Taste profile

Because of the wide range of olives used, olive oil can vary in flavor depending on where it comes from and how much refining it goes through before bottling. Grassy, tropical, fruity, green, are just some of the qualities olive oil can have.

Every oil is different—some are very mild, while others are intense and bold. When made from olives from single estates or specific growing regions, these high-quality artisan oils have more distinct flavors—and carry a higher price tag.

How it’s grown, harvested and processed

Spain is the leading producer of olive oil in the Mediterranean region, closely followed by Italy and Greece. In the United States, California produces the most olive oil. Olive trees thrive in arid regions with well-drained soil and lots of sun.

Olives, of which there are about 1,000 different varieties, are harvested from trees and washed. Then they’re pressed between stones or stainless steel blades and the paste is added to a centrifuge that separates the oil and water from the mash. Once the water is drawn out, olive oil is left behind. That’s just the beginning! Olive oil can go through many more refinements to get bottled and make its way to the shelf at the store.

Grades and standards

There’s a lot of debate and confusion about all the different varieties out there. To help clarify standards for the United States, in 2010, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) adopted chemical and sensory standards for olive oil grades similar to those established by the IOOC, the International Olive Oil Council. Here are the official guidelines:

Olive oil – obtained solely from the fruit of the olive tree (Olea europaea L.), to the exclusion of oils obtained using solvents or re-esterification processes and of any mixture with oils of other kinds.

Virgin olive oil – obtained from the fruit of the olive tree solely by mechanical or other physical means under conditions, including thermal conditions, that do not lead to alterations in the oil, and which have not undergone any treatment other than washing, decantation, centrifugation, and filtration. No additives of any kind are permitted.

Home Substitutions Using Olive Oils

Olive-pomace oil – obtained by treating olive pomace (the product remaining after the mechanical extraction of olive oil) with solvents or other physical treatments, to the exclusion of oils obtained by synthetic processes and mixture with oils of other kinds. Alpha-tocopherol is permitted to restore natural tocopherol lost in the refining process for refined olive pomace and olive-pomace oil.

three different types of olive oil

Types and Uses

Light olive oil – This is a marketing term that indicates highly refined olive oils with reduced calorie content.

Pure olive oil, or simply olive oil – These are below extra-virgin and virgin standards and are heavily processed to remove flavors. Though the oil is still a source of monounsaturated fats, it has been stripped of healthful polyphenols.

Cold-pressed – Cold-pressed means that no heat was used to extract the oil from the olives. Adding heat to the olives allows producers to extract more oil from the olives, but also destroys the delicate flavors and aromas valued in a good extra-virgin olive oil. It should be noted that cold-pressed means ‘at a temperature not to exceed 80.6°F.’

Extra-virgin olive oil – With its low acid content, it’s an excellent choice in everything you cook such as salad dressings, vegetables, pasta, bean dishes, and grilled fish. A drizzle or two adds wonderful richness and body in soups and sauces, too.

Pomace oil – Should be used with caution. It’s made of the last 5-8% of oil left in the mash after the higher grades of oil are removed in earlier pressings. Although the pomace oil that is extracted is still technically from olives, it’s removed using chemical solvents, and therefore should never be termed, directly or indirectly, as “olive oil.”

Transparency and concerns

Compared to other types of olive oils, however, extra-virgin olive oils are the most widely scrutinized. A helpful website to get up-to-the-minute studies, information, and facts about the olive oil you plan to buy is The Olive Oil Times, which is dedicated to rigorous testing and ingredient transparency in the olive oils sold around the world.

Furthermore, unregulated olive pomace oil sometimes contains harmful components known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) like benzopyrene, which research has shown to be highly carcinogenic and mutagenic.

Buying guide

Olive oil tastes best when it’s fresh. When you’re choosing, look for oils that have a clear “harvest date” within the last year on the label, or with at least a year to go before its “best by” date. If you can, ask the merchant for a sample of the oil, to see if you like the taste. Anything that smells stale, like cardboard or old walnuts, is likely rancid.

Also, consider the origin. Just because it says “made in Italy” on the label, doesn’t mean that the olives grew in Italy. The best olive oil tends to be grown, produced, and bottled from a single region.

Storing

Once you open the container, the oil begins to degrade quickly, losing its complex flavor profile. Never keep the oil on the kitchen counter, or next to the stove, as light and heat can accelerate this degradation.

Store in a dark green glass bottle to keep the light out, as sunlight can oxidize the chlorophyll in the oil and make it taste stale. Store your bottle tucked away in a pantry or cupboard. Use open bottles within a few months, but sealed bottles can last up to two years if stored in a cool, dark environment.

How to cook with it

There is some controversy, especially extra-virgin olive oil, but in fact, even extra-virgin olive oils can be heated in various cooking methods. With a smoke point of 410 degrees, extra-virgin olive oil is absolutely fine for most cooking applications, even deep-frying. However, most cooks don’t usually use olive oil for frying because it is not always economical to use in such large quantities.

No matter what you choose, remember that olive oil, especially compared to more neutral oils, carries a lot of flavor to the food, so choose one that you think will pair well with what you’re cooking, no matter how you’re cooking it.

Sautéing: Try a mild, buttery oil for a quick vegetable sauté.

Poaching: Use a mild fairly inexpensive oil for poaching delicate fish.

Frying: Use an economical oil that’s filtered for deep-frying, because you’ll need a fair amount of it.

Searing: A medium-bodied, fruity oil, as long as it’s not overheated and burned, is an excellent way to add yet another layer to a steak or chicken breast.

Baking: A buttery olive oil is the perfect butter substitute in cakes and breads.

Finishing: Use your fruitiest most robust oils for drizzling on the surface of soups, over roasted vegetables, or as the main ingredient in a homemade aioli or salad dressing.

Advantages vs disadvantages

Olive oil is a crucial part of the Mediterranean diet and is one of the most nutritious of all the vegetable oils out there. It’s easy to find, as long as you become adept at reading labels and doing some research on producers, and tastes excellent on almost anything.

Tasting Extra Virgin Olive Oil

But it can be confusing to find reputable brands that are what they say they are, and when you do, olive oil can cost more than a lot of other types of oil out there. Olive oil doesn’t have the best shelf life, either, so this can either be a good thing (you get to use a lot of it!) or a bad thing (hurry up and use that oil)!

Nutrition

Olive oil is an excellent and welcome addition to today’s diets. It’s used with Paleo, Whole30, and a low carb diet; they welcome healthy fats compared to the restricted fat diets popular a generation ago.

Nutritional profile per serving

One tablespoon of olive oil has 119 calories, 10g monounsaturated fat, 1.4g polyunsaturated fat, and 1.9g saturated fat.

Health benefits of olive oil

The health benefits have been the subject of numerous studies about heart disease, metabolism, depression, and cancer prevention. One study published found that the olive-derived compound oleuropein helps the body secrete more insulin, a central signaling molecule in the body that controls metabolism.

Olive oil supports one of the main pillars of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid: to eat more healthy fats and fewer saturated fats. Because olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, (healthy fats), and also high in antioxidants, it can be a powerful anti-inflammatory and protect cells against oxidization and free radicals.

It’s also been shown to help lower LDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer, including breast cancer.

The healthful fats in olive oil can act as a sustained source of energy; people who consumed olive oil can feel full longer, which can lead to weight loss. And as if that isn’t enough, adding olive oil to your diet can prevent cognitive decline; contribute to brain health, mood stability and proper hormone development.

Can we use olive oil for Indian cooking?

One ingredient that runs common in anything to everything that we Indians prepare is - Oil! But our trajectories are nothing better than based on tittle-tattle. Olive oil is good? Okay, we buy them. Coconut oil reduces weight? Oh, what’s better than an oil that aids weight reduction too. And how about saving some money by reusing the apparently clear oil? Why not when my mum also does it? And these are just three of the many blunders we commit due to our overly trusting selves of others, which follow suit. Blindly.

Though breaking this to you may not be a very pleasurable thing to do, but in the name of our health, let’s go ahead. Following are some of the oil fads and myths that need resting in peace as we should have gotten rid of them already.

Myth: Cooking in olive oil (and its variants) is healthy

Though olive oil is better than its virgin and extra virgin sisters for cooking purpose, none is a healthy choice for our high smoke cooking.

“Its (olive oil’s) variants such as extra virgin and virgin olive oil should be avoided in Indian preparations, which mostly require heating at high temperatures or deep frying since it has low smoke point. They can be used for cooking continental foods, preparation of salads, dressings etc.,” says Dr. Sandhya Pandey, Chief Clinical nutritionist, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon.

Olive oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, which can’t be denied its nutritional benefits, says Dr. Hemi Soneja, Consultant in Obesity and Diabetes department at Jaypee Hospital, but cooking it at high temperatures essentially rips it of them. Sprinkle the oil raw over anything you like, and that way, you are good to go.

Myth: Reusing oils is a happy way to save

Indians. Are. Obsessed. With. Saving. Money. (And I say it at the risk of being called a racist. But it’s all in good humour, well really?) We are known for this and though this might be concretizing as a stereotype, but haven’t we all seen it ourselves? Our own mothers would choose to keep seemingly clear oil to be used again and again, till it has visible features of being burnt dead.

“One thing that we should absolutely refrain from is reusing oils,” says Dr. Hemi. “Oil once heated (let’s say during deep frying) should not be reused as heating oil on high temperatures de-natures it. Oil once used for deep frying should be discarded or only requisite quantity should be used in the first place,” adds Dr. Sandhya. That’s a better way of being economical, after all.

Myth: Ghee is unhealthy

Despite every time we are proven wrong by not believing our daadis and naanis, we still do it. And just so you know before reading this, here’s another instance. Ghee is healthy even after the world telling us otherwise. It is more healthy for your heart than the new-in-town olive oil, and sunflower oil, and helps in reducing the risk of heart diseases and heart attacks.

But Dr. Hemi cautions an excessive use as she strictly believes in the idea of ‘moderation’. “Keeping oils in minimum quantity is something we can’t overlook. Quantifying oils is difficult as many foods have natural oils in them. So, keep the use bare minimum,” she said.

Dr. Nivedita, Chief Dietician, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Kochi, advises a 3 tablespoon per day rule for oils.

Myth: Extra virgin coconut oil reduces weight

“There has recently been a lot of emphasis laid on using extra virgin coconut oil, especially in weight reduction programs. However, coconut oil is high in saturated fats and no conclusive research or study has been done to show its positive benefits on weight loss,” says Dr. Sandhya. Though we all wish real hard that it did, it doesn’t. Thanks Dr. Sandhya (sigh).

And the opinion is seconded by Dr. Hemi and Dr. Nivedita who believe that one should concern about consuming a diet that is low in calories. For them, that is the bottom line to limiting one’s fat consumption.

Which oils to use and how

Apart from these myths and their debunking, Dr. Sandhya also shared what according to her are the best oils for cooking and frying. “Oils should be used in combinations to make sure one’s diet consists of a balance of monounsaturated fatty acids, omega 3 and omega 6 fats. However, while choosing an oil for deep frying, one must keep an account to avoid using oils with low smoke point since that changes the nature of oil when heated on high flame.”

How to store oils

Using oils in combinations is something that Dr. Hemi and Dr. Nivedita also advise. Besides ensuring a variety, one should also make sure that the oils are tinned or stored in dark-colored containers, as Dr Hemi warns that clear containers might oxidize the oil.

Canola oil and sunflower oil are rich in MUFA and have high quantities of omega-3 fatty acid and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) which are considered good components in food, added Dr. Sandhya. The higher the amount of oleic acid in Canola oil, the better it is, said Dr. Hemi. She added that if their availability is a concern, do not hesitate to opt for the pocket-friendly mustard oil for everyday use.

Hollywood’s weapon: Avocado oil

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Talking to TOI.com, Hollywood fitness trainer Ramona Braganza said, "Indians have so much variety of food. It is all about how they cook it. For me, avocado oil is a good choice of oil for cooking your dal or parantha. It has a myriad of health benefits and helps you stay away from piling unwanted calories."

Owing to its high levels of Vitamin E and micro-nutrients, Avocado is great for skin and hair. It also has a low level of UV protection and is good for maintaining cholesterol. And this one, for an exception, can also be reused for frying purpose.

Which oil is best for Indian cooking?

Our Top Picks

Best Overall - Dabur Cold Pressed Mustard Oil

With a healthy balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6, The Dabur Mustard Oil is prepared using the cold pressing technique using the best quality mustard seeds. Dabur is a reliable brand name and provides multiple benefits with its mustard oil which is suitable for multiple types of cooking purposes.

Best Budget - Fortune Premium Kachi Ghani Pure Mustard Oil

Fortune is India’s leading brand in cooking oil not just for its quality and range but also for making its products well within the budget of all. This mustard oil from Fortune is available for Rs. 171 per litre and has seen a very minimum number of complaints regarding the product quality or the goodness of the cooking oil.

Best Absorbency - Saffola Tasty Refined Cooking Oil

The LOSORBTMTechnology in Saffola Tasty results in up to 29% less oil absorption in food making your food healthier (as compared to other commonly consumed cooking oils, basis frying studies on potato, 2018).

Best Flavour - Figaro Olive Oil – All Cooking Healthy Olive Oil

Since oil is an essential ingredient of Indian cooking, its flavour matters a lot. Figaro Olive Oil is one of the oldest olive oil brands in the country and has a legacy of over 100 years. Its taste and aroma can enhance the taste of Indian food. This oil is processed keeping in mind the Indian delicacies and cooking types and hence can be used for all types of cooking. Alongside it is available in durable packaging which makes its storage more convenient.

Summary with Best Cooking Oil Price List

Cooking oil is an essential ingredient of food items in Indian food and is an important item in Indian kitchens. We understand your grocery lists have a budget attached to them. Here we have listed for you the 10 best oils for cooking along with their price per litre. This tabulated list will help you compare the best cooking oil brands in India based on their prices and make a choice that benefits your health and your pocket.

S.No.

Product

Price per Litre

Fortune Premium Kachi Ghani Pure Mustard Oil

Rs. 171

Saffola Tasty Refined Cooking Oil

Rs. 270

Figaro Olive Oil, – All Cooking Healthy Olive Oil

Rs. 628

Fortune Rice Bran Health Oil, Cooking Oil for Healthier Heart

Rs. 177.8

KLF Coconad Pure Coconut Cooking Oil

Rs. 300

Suyam Cold / Wood Pressed Groundnut Oil (Virgin, Wooden, Chekku / Ghani)

Rs. 299

Dabur Cold Pressed Mustard Oil: Healthy Cooking Oil with the Goodness of Omega 3 & 6

Rs. 250

Vedaka Cold Pressed Peanut (Groundnut) Oil

Rs. 340

Oleev Active, with Goodness of Olive Oil

Rs. 223

10.

Puvi Cold Pressed Groundnut/Peanut Oil (Virgin, Chekku/Ghani)

Rs. 315.80

The cooking oils mentioned in this list are from the top brands in India. We have kept in consideration your health concerns and the requirements of an Indian household while choosing the best oil for cooking.

How to Taste Olive Oil with Oleologist Nicholas Coleman

If you are always on the lookout for the best cooking oil for your household while shopping for groceries, chances are you are looking for oils that enhance the taste of your food, is great for heart health and cholesterol, and does not harm your health while it falls within your budget. To maintain good health, one looks for maximum health benefits in every food ingredient they purchase and the same is the case with cooking oils. The market offers different types of cooking oils with added goodness and benefits. These options can often be very confusing to choose from.

In this article, we will share with you the different types of cooking oils and their health benefits and their features. This will help you identify the type of cooking coil for your needs. We will also discuss the best cooking oils for frying for families that enjoy fried delicacies. We will also share with you a guide on how to choose the best oil for cooking. Further in this article, we have listed the goodness and benefits of the best cooking oils from top brands in India to assist you in making a choice.

Types of Cooking Oils

Indian food is well known for its lip-smacking flavour, aroma and finger-licking experience. One of the key factors of these qualities of Indian delicacies is the cooking oil used in them. The flavour and texture that is the soul of Indian food, is added to it by the cooking oil. Let us look at a few types of the best oil for cooking in India and their goodness and features.

Mustard Oil

Mustard oil is a treasure trove of health benefits. It has high digestive properties, helps in preventing cough and cold and has antibacterial properties. Mustard oil is one of the healthiest cooking oils.

Sunflower Oil

Sunflower oil has an abundance of vitamin E making it one of the most popular cooking oils in India. This oil can keep its nutritional value intact even at high temperatures.

Olive Oil

Olive oil is known for being full of antioxidants. Olive oil has a low smoking point and is good for low and medium heating food items. Its benefits include the maintenance of good heart health.

Rice Bran Oil

One of the most versatile cooking oils, rice bran oil can be used for both frying and baking because of its neutral taste. It has a high smoke point and health benefits like preventing heart problems and improving blood sugar.

Groundnut Oil

This is also known as peanut oil and is a good choice for Asian foods. This oil also has antioxidant properties for the skin.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is one of the top choices for high heating foods. It does not perish even on storing for months. The food cooked in coconut oil makes you feel fuller for longer durations. Coconut oil is also known for improving cognition.

Soybean Oil

One of the best types of oil for vegans is soybean oil. It can be used for a variety of purposes. Be it frying, roasting or baking, soybean oil is a great choice due to its high smoking point.

How to Choose the Best Oil for Cooking?

The usage of cooking oils cannot be completely eliminated from Indian kitchens. When we cook for our loved ones we wish to give them the best of flavours and the best of nutrition. Deciding the best cooking oil for your needs is a difficult decision because it is something that is consumed every day. In this section, we will be sharing the features of cooking oil to look for while making a choice.

You must make sure that the cooking oil of your choice does not get oxidised easily. Also, it must not change colour over some time. Another considerable factor is saturation. Cooking oils have saturated and unsaturated fats. You must look for the best cooking oil for your heart for the well being of your family. Cooking oil must be stored properly in airtight containers and away from sunlight.

Let us look at which type of oil should be used for which type of purposes.

For deep-fried snacks- Oil with a high smoking point.

For baking- Neutral flavoured oil.

For sauteing- Canola and Sunflower oil are ideal for this purpose

For salads- Pure and light oils with a natural aroma like virgin olive oil and extra-virgin coconut oil are a great choice for salads.

10 Best Oils for Cooking in India 2021

Now that we have an idea about the types of cooking oils and how to choose the best cooking oil for our requirements, let us dive into the list of the best oil for cooking. We have curated this list considering the various purposes of cooking oil, the average budget and the health benefits provided by each product.

1. Fortune Rice Bran Health Oil, Cooking Oil for Healthier Heart - Click here for Amazon deal

To begin our list of best cooking oil brands in India, we have India’s leading brand Fortune. Fortune Rice Bran Oil is available in the packaging of a 5-litre jar. This oil has a high smoke point and is highly suitable for frying.

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Pros

Cons

Cholesterol-lowering oil

Leakage from the packaging

Price per litre: Rs. 177.80

Rating: 4.4/5

Net Quantity: 5000.0 mL

Dimension: 29.6 x 23.7 x 13.6 cm

Weight: 4.77 kg

2. Saffola Tasty Refined Cooking Oil - Click here for Amazon deal

Saffola Tasty’s Dual Seed Technology gives you the goodness of 2 oils in 1. It ensures a good balance of MUFA and PUFA for better nutrition through fats, compared to single seed oils. Vitamin A which helps against night blindness & Vitamin D supports strong bones makes it a nutritious alternative. This vegetable oil brings alive the natural flavour of the food cooked & spices used, without altering any flavour, thus complementing your fitness goals as well.

Pros

Cons

It has a high smoke point which is ideal for all types of cooking

It is fairly expensive compared to other brands

It has a good balance of MUFA and PUFA

Not a prescribed choice for rich cooking

Price per litre: Rs. 270

Rating: 4.5/5

Net Quantity: 1 litre

Dimension: 13.1 x 7.8 x 21.8 cm

Weight: 1000 g

3. Figaro Olive Oil – All Cooking Healthy Olive Oil - Click here for Amazon deal

This Figaro product is available in durable 2-litre tin packaging which makes it safe and convenient for storing. Figaro is the oldest living olive oil brand in India. Olive oil boosts your health. It contains antioxidants. Olive oil is also one of the best cooking oils for the heart.

Pros

Cons

Suitable for all types of Indian Cooking

Price per litre: Rs. 628.00

Rating: 4.3/5

Net Quantity: 2000.0 mL

Dimension: 16.5 x 11 x 17.2 cm

Weight: 1.82 kg

4. Fortune Premium Kachi Ghani Pure Mustard Oil - Click here for Amazon deal

Another cooking oil from one of the best cooking oils brands in India, Fortune Mustard oil is a healthy and cholesterol-free option for cooking oil. This product is available in 1-Litre pouch packaging. It has a strong aroma and high pungency. This mustard oil is processed using the cold pressing technique.

Pros

Cons

Good for digestion

Price per litre: Rs. 171.00

Rating: 4.5/5

Net Quantity: 1000.0 mL

Dimension: 23.4 x 15.6 x 4.3 cm

Weight: 920 g

5. KLF Coconad Pure Coconut Cooking Oil - Click here for Amazon deal

Coconut oil has a lot of benefits. It can also be used for cooking. This coconut oil from KLF is unrefined and natural and has an authentic aroma of roasted coconuts.

Pros

Cons

Suitable for the keto diet

Not very highly flavourful

Price per litre: Rs. 315.00

Rating: 4.5/5

Net Quantity: 1000.0 mL

Dimension: 10.7 x 13 x 10.4 cm

Weight: 910 g

6. Suyam Cold / Wood Pressed Groundnut Oil (Virgin, Wooden, Chekku / Ghani) - Click here for Amazon deal

Cold pressing is a technique that helps extract pure coconut oil, unlike filtered and chemically treated oils. The Suyam Groundnut Oil has no added preservatives or colour. This is one of the best cooking oils for frying because it has a high smoking point.

Pros

Cons

Rich aroma and good flavour

Price per litre: Rs. 299

Rating: 4.7/5

Net Quantity: 1000.0 mL

Dimension: 10 x 10 x 30 cm

Weight: 910 g

7. Dabur Cold Pressed Mustard Oil - Click here for Amazon deal

One of the best cooking oils for frying, Dabur Mustard Oil is obtained using the cold pressing procedure. This mustard oil has a balanced ratio of omega-3 and omega-6. This product can be used for almost all types of purposes like everyday cooking, frying etc. This Dabur product is available in the packaging of a 1-litre bottle.

Pros

Cons

Facilitates digestion

Price per litre: Rs. 250

Rating: 4.4/5

Net Quantity: 1000.0 mL

Dimension: 8.9 x 6.7 x 28 cm

Weight: 990 g

8. Vedaka Cold Pressed Peanut (Groundnut) Oil - Click here for Amazon deal

Available in 500 mL bottle packaging, the Vedaka groundnut oil is tasty and flavourful. This oil is one of the best cooking oils for the heart since it helps in maintaining a good balance between taste and nutrition.

Pros

Cons

Anti-spill packaging

Price per litre: Rs. 400.00

Rating: 4.3/5

Net Quantity: 500.0 mL

Dimension: 26.7 x 5.9 x 4.7 cm

Weight: 480 g

9. Oleev Active, with Goodness of Olive Oil - Click here for Amazon deal

This olive oil gives less stickiness to the food it’s been cooked with due to its low absorbency. Oleev Active is beneficial for heart health and improves digestion. It also prevents a bunch of lifestyle diseases. This product available in 1-litre pouches also boosts immunity.

Pros

Cons

Protection against heart diseases

This is not pure olive oil. It is mixed with rice bran oil.

Price per litre: Rs. 223.00

Rating: 4.3/5

Net Quantity: 1000.0 mL

Dimension: 62.5 x 38.6 x 11.2 cm

Weight: 1 kg

10. Puvi Cold Pressed Groundnut/Peanut Oil (Virgin, Chekku/Ghani) - Click here for Amazon deal

Another cold-pressed oil, which is the best cooking oil for frying, is Puvi Peanut Oil. This peanut oil is great for Indian kitchens and a healthy substitute for refined and chemically processed cooking oils.

Pros

Cons

Flavour of the food isn’t altered

The aroma is not very strong

Price per litre: Rs. 315.80

Rating: 4.5/5

Net Quantity: 5000.0 mL

Dimension: 33.4 x 17.2 x 16.9 cm

Weight: 4.6 kg

How do we shortlist the best products?

As a person who loves cooking and takes care of every little aspect of the ingredients, the cooking requirements and the flavour, it must be fairly hard for you to choose the best oil for cooking when you consider the health benefits, the flavour, the texture and your budget while buying oil for cooking. You must also be wondering how we shortlist the best cooking oil brands in India, whether we keep in mind a budget or if we just go with the health benefits and the brand names. Read ahead to find answers to your questions.

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When we shortlist products for our list of the best cooking oils, we consider certain standards to make sure that you have a variety of the best products, within your budget and that is good for your health. Let us look at the criteria followed by us while curating this list.

1. Specifications And Features

Cooking oil is an essential part of every Indian Delicacy. It is not just used in deep frying Indian snacks but also an ingredient in everyday food items. When we shortlist the best oils for cooking for you, we consider the goodness of the ingredients of the oil, its health benefits for most types of people and the brand reliability. Since cooking oil is meant for consumption, we make sure that the products are reliable and safe for all.

2. Customer Reviews

Just like you, a lot of cooking and food enthusiasts have chosen and tried cooking oils from different top brands in India. Verified reviews from these existing users of a product can be quite useful in choosing the cooking oil suitable for you. We carefully analyse customer reviews to find out the products most liked by Indian consumers.

3. Complaints

Brands that address the issues of their existing customers are more likely to provide an improvised service and product. New customers are also more attracted to brands that solve consumers’ problems and bring up a solution. We have shortlisted the brands that have either the minimum number of complaints against their product or the brands that believe in resolving all customer issues and improving with feedback.

4. Pricing

Budget is a major aspect that requires consideration while shopping for groceries. Similarly cooking oil has an assigned budget for most of us. We have shortlisted products that are not only the best for your health but also good for your pocket. The products have been carefully chosen to provide value for your money.

Frequently Asked Questions About Best Oil for Cooking

We hope that all the skilled chefs reading this article have benefited from the product options mentioned in this list. We have discussed the cooking oils for frying and even the best cooking oils for the heart. After discussing the types of oils for cooking and how to choose the best cooking oil as per your requirement. In case you have any more questions or doubts, we have answered a few commonly asked questions about the best cooking oils in India.

1. Can Cooking Oil Be Reused?

Yes, cooking oil is safe for reuse. It just needs to be cleaned and stored properly. After using the cooking oil for frying, you must let the frying oil cool down. After the oil has reached a safe temperature, you must use a strainer to remove any leftovers from the previous frying. Use a fine-mesh strainer to pour out this oil into a clean container. Store this container in a cool and dry place. You can then use this cooking oil for future use.

2. Which Cooking Oil Is The Healthiest?

The cooking oils listed in this article have all been shortlisted keeping in mind the health of the consumer. Depending on your usage of oil in food, cooking oil can be healthy or unhealthy for you. One of the healthiest cooking oil options for Indian households is sunflower oil. This type of cooking oil is extracted from the seeds of a sunflower. Vitamin E is present in high quantities in this cooking oil. Sunflower oil can be used for frying as well as it can hold onto nutritional content at higher temperatures.

3. Which Cooking Oil Is Cholesterol-Free?

Cholesterol-free cooking oil is great for the health of the heart. It is one of the best cooking oils for the heart. Canola oil is produced from field mustard. This oil is a heart-healthy unsaturated fat. Canola oil has zero cholesterol.

Conclusion

Cooking oil is an unmissable ingredient of Indian delicacies. But it can be harmful to the health of a few people depending on any previous conditions. Cooking oil cannot be eliminated from Indian kitchens but surely the type of cooking oil involved can be changed and the most healthy and suitable oil can be chosen. We hope our list of the best oil for cooking has helped you shortlist the best oils for you and your family. If you have any further doubts or need any more help, you can get in touch with us. We would be happy to assist you in this process.

What's the worst oil to cook with?

Not all cooking oils are created equal and by now you’ve probably noticed the plethora of them as you browse the aisles of your grocery store. Choosing an oil rich in unsaturated fats is essential in supporting your heart health. Cooking with these oils can help lower your risk of heart attack and death from heart disease. Today the cardiologists at AMS Cardiology are sharing which oil is best for a heart patient and a few to avoid.

The Healthiest Cooking Oils

Whether you’re sauteing up some veggies for a stir fry or browning a piece of fish, it’s important to also consider the smoke point of your oil. The smoke point refers to the temperature at which it starts to burn and smoke. When oil reaches that temperature and you consume it, not only do you receive an unpleasant burnt taste, you also destroy beneficial nutrients. Below we’re sharing five heart-healthy cooking oils that tolerate high heat cooking.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Olive oil is one of the healthiest options when considering which oil is best for a heart patient. It’s packed with antioxidants that can improve circulation, promote a healthy gut, boost your immune system and reduce inflammation. Reach for extra virgin olive oil because it contains more antioxidants than refined olive oil.

Avocado Oil

Avocado oil is perfect for making dips, marinades and dressings and is an excellent option when sauteing something because of its high smoke point at 520 degrees. It’s packed with monounsaturated fats and has a neutral, avocado-like taste. Some studies suggest that avocado oil may have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and heart health benefits.

Safflower Oil

Safflower oil presents a neutral taste great for marinades, dips and sauces as well as lightly searing and sauteing on the stovetop. Like avocado oil, it has a high smoke point (around 510 degrees) and it’s high in unsaturated fatty acids. A recent study found that incorporating this healthy oil into your diet can help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and improve inflammation, blood sugar management and cholesterol.

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Grapeseed Oil

Grapeseed oil is rich in omega-6 fatty acids and vitamin E. By incorporating this heart-friendly oil into your diet, you can enjoy a reduced risk of heart disease because of its high antioxidant properties. Try using it for stir-frying, sauteing and searing vegetables and protein.

Sesame Oil

Sesame oil has a lower smoke point than the others but it still should be added to your list of heart-healthy oils. It’s high in sesamol and sesaminol, which are antioxidants shown to reduce heart cell damage. You can use sesame oil to saute your favorite vegetables, as a salad dressing ingredient and most general-purpose cooking. The flavor profile is more intense and nutty than the other oils, so keep that in mind when cooking.

The Worst Cooking Oils

Some of the assumed “healthiest cooking oils” in actuality are not that great for you including:

Canola oil

Palm oil

Vegetable oil

Soybean oil

Sunflower oil

Coconut oil

Margarine

Shortening

Butter

If you’ve been searching for the top cardiologists near me, look no further than AMS Cardiology. Our doctors can help with all your heart health questions and provide treatments and preventative care options to keep you in the best of health. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

What is the healthiest oil to cook with?

Fats often get a bad rap. But despite what you may have heard, fats, and especially oils, are an essential part of a well-rounded diet. Sautee, bake, drizzle, or sizzle, oils are the starting point of any successful meal, plus they help us absorb important nutrients. According to James Roche, MS, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist at SCL Health, “Fat is a very underappreciated nutrient that is essential for optimal health. Fat is linked to many essential health functions and benefits. We do not need to eat a ton of fat, but we should make the fat that we eat count.”

So which oils should be mainstays in your meals? Well, that depends on the type of cooking you’re doing. The most important thing to consider when choosing an oil is its smoke point, or the temperature at which the oil starts burning. When you heat an oil past its smoke point it can lose flavor, nutrients, and even release harmful molecules called free radicals. Another good rule of thumb is to research exactly what types of fats are in your oil. Experts recommend staying away from those high in saturated fat, and opting for ones packed with healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat. That said, saturated fats aren’t always a bad thing, but we’ll get to that in a bit. We guess what we’re trying to say is, nutrition is a complex balancing act, and we’re here to make it just a little easier. Here are 5 nutrient-packed oils that deserve a spot in your pantry.

Olive Oil

Olive oil is popular for a reason. It’s full of flavor and incredibly versatile. If you want to reap its full health benefits, always look for “extra virgin” on the label. This means that the oil is unrefined and has more nutrients, antioxidants, and heart-healthy fats. Compared to other oils, olive has a low smoke point, so it’s best used for medium to low-heat cooking, baking, or as dressings on salads.

Avocado Oil

Avocado oil boasts a lot of the same benefits as extra virgin olive oil, but with a higher smoking point, making it great for sauteing or pan frying. It's full of vitamin E and has one of the highest monounsaturated fat contents in the oil aisle. Plus, avocado oil doesn't have much flavor, so it will never overpower your cooking skills.

Coconut Oil

There’s been a lot of hype surrounding coconut oil in the past few years. So, you might be surprised to learn that coconut oil is actually pretty high in saturated fat. Still, this incredibly heat-resistant fat has powerful health benefits. It can help improve cholesterol, kill harmful bacteria, and boost metabolism. And to ease your mind a bit, many recent studies have shown that not all saturated fats are bad for you.

Sunflower Oil

Not only does this oil come from the seeds of the world’s prettiest flowers, it also packs almost 30% of the daily recommended intake of vitamin E in just one tablespoon. Sunflower oil is high in omega-6 fatty acids, which while important for your body, could be inflammatory if consumed in excess. So, like some wise guy once said, “everything in moderation”.

Butter

Shocked to see this one on the list? Hear us out. Real, unprocessed butter can be fairly nutritious. It’s full of vitamins A, E, and K2, and rich in inflammation-fighting fatty acids. Your healthiest bet is to choose pure butterfat, or ghee, which is free of sugar and proteins. Opt for butter from grass-fed cows for more vitamin K2 and healthy fatty acids.

Which olive oil is best for cooking and frying?

From salad dressings to sautéing, olive oil is a near-ubiquitous ingredient in the kitchen. But how much do you know about this multipurpose oil? For example, did you know that there are many different kinds of olive oil beyond extra virgin olive oil, or that olive oil has a lower smoke point than vegetable oil?

Learn more about the kitchen staple below.

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What Is Olive Oil?

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What Is Olive Oil?

Olive oil is a cooking oil made by pressing fresh olives. It has a dark green or golden hue and a buttery taste with pepper undertones. Italy, Greece, and Spain produce most of the world’s olive oil supply, which is fitting, since olive oil has been a staple of Mediterranean cuisine for centuries.

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Is Olive Oil Healthy?

Olive oil is one of the healthiest cooking oils. It has a high content of monounsaturated fats that lower bad LDL cholesterol and omega-9 fatty acids, which reduce blood pressure and improves heart health.

What’s the Difference Between Extra Virgin, Virgin, and Light Olive Oil?

Most olive oil in supermarkets is labeled “extra virgin,” but extra virgin is only one of several types of olive oil.

Extra Virgin: Extra virgin olive oil is the highest quality and most expensive olive oil available. The oil is extracted by grinding and pressing olives; no other chemicals, heat, or processes are used. According to the International Olive Council (IOC), extra virgin olive oil contains a low presence of oleic acid—that’s the omega-9 fatty acid that is linked to good health. Extra virgin olive oil tends to be darker in color than lower quality oils, somewhere between a golden yellow and a dark green. EVOO has a distinct olive flavor, and in the highest quality oils, you should be able to taste almost a little bit of spiciness. Extra virgin olive oil has perfect flavor with no flaws.

Virgin: Virgin olive oil is the second highest quality of olive oil, one step down in quality and price from EVOO. It is produced in the same manner as extra virgin olive oil, and has good flavor with minimal flaws.

Light: Despite its name, light olive oil does not mean that this variety of oil has fewer calories or a lower fat content. Instead, this label refers to the oil’s lighter color and neutral flavor. Light olive oil is a refined oil, produced using heat after the first pressing of virgin oil. Rather than a deep green, light olive oil has a golden yellow hue. It keeps longer on the shelf and has a higher smoke point than other types of olive oil, but also has fewer nutrients due to the heat-pressing.

3 Types of Olive Oil Processes

There are a few key terms you may see on a bottle of olive oil that you will want to decipher:

Refined: Refined olive oils undergo a second production after pressing. The refining process will often include the presence of heat or chemicals. Some refined olive oils introduce other types of vegetable oils into the mix as well, resulting in an overall lower-quality oil.

Unrefined: Unrefined olive oils are produced without any chemical or heat extraction processes, and are thus higher in quality. The olives and resulting oil may be washed, filtered, and decanted, but that’s it!

Cold-pressed: Cold-pressed is the least refined and most natural process in olive oil production. As such, cold-pressed oils will be higher in quality and price.

3 Factors to Consider When Cooking With Olive Oil

When choosing an olive oil for a particular dish or preparation, consider three factors:

Flavor: In general, a lighter, more neutral oil is best for cooking, and a richer oil is best for sauces and finishing, when you can taste the depth of flavor.

Smoke point: The best oil for sautéing is actually vegetable oil, not olive oil, because vegetable oil has a higher smoke point (and is less susceptible to burning than olive oil).

Price: Olive oil is often expensive, and there’s no reason to use it when you cook with heat. Instead, use a less expensive oil with a neutral flavor and high smoke point to cook, and save your precious EVOO for finishing.

What’s the Best Olive Oil for Frying?

Extra virgin olive oil has a smoke point around 375° Fahrenheit, which is low compared to many other common cooking oils like canola oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil. A refined or light olive oil will have a higher smoke point than an extra virgin oil, and would be the best choice for frying in olive oil. However, using canola oil for frying would give you an even higher smoke point, and would also be more cost effective. Learn more about smoke points with our comprehensive guide here.

What’s the Best Olive Oil for Salad Dressings?

Extra virgin olive oil is the best choice for dressings as it introduces a strong peppery flavor to the mix. Even the simplest of salad dressings can be elevated by a high quality olive oil. Or, try finishing a basic tomato and mozzarella Caprese salad with just a drizzle of the finest extra virgin olive oil.

What’s the Best Olive Oil for Dipping?

When serving olive oil as a side dish for dipping, opt for the highest quality extra virgin olive oil. The taste and texture will be front and center, so choose a variety with the best flavor. High quality oils from different regions will reflect the climate where they were produced, whether it’s an old world Italian olive oil or a new world oil that comes from a California olive ranch. If you really love to explore flavors of olive oil, consider having an annual tasting party after the new oils come out in the fall. It will cut down on the cost when you taste in a group and it will help you learn together how to articulate what you’re tasting.

Why you shouldn't cook with olive oil?

For the longest time, the only oil I bought was extra-virgin olive oil. After all, it's high in heart-healthy antioxidants called polyphenols and monounsaturated fats, which can help lower "bad" LDL cholesterol and raise "good" HDL cholesterol levels. Then a friend, who was also a chef, told me that there are actually times when olive oil is not the best choice. So I looked into the best uses for olive oil, and when to choose another oil.

When to use olive oil: When you're making salad dressing or sautéing vegetables over medium heat, olive oil is an excellent choice. Since it has a distinct flavor, use it in dishes where you want to taste it-drizzled over steamed vegetables, soup or bread, for example. Olive oil has more monounsaturated fat than other oils, making it a great choice for heart-healthy cooking. Find out the difference between extra-virgin olive oil and other olive oil labels and learn the winners of our olive oil taste test.

Don't Get Confuse With diff. OLIVE Oils || Choose Right for Right Purpose || Types Explained !!!

Recipes to Try: Walnut Spice Cake & More Recipes for More Baked Goods Using Olive Oil

When to skip olive oil: If you're cooking over high heat, don't choose olive oil. Olive oil has a lower smoke point-the point at which an oil literally begins to smoke (olive oil's is between 365° and 420°F)-than some other oils. When you heat olive oil to its smoke point, the beneficial compounds in oil start to degrade, and potentially health-harming compounds form.

Don't Miss: 10 Secrets to Cooking Healthier

What to use instead: Canola oil, on the other hand, has a higher smoke point and is a good choice if you'll be cooking over high heat, as when you're roasting vegetables or sautéing food over high heat. It also has a neutral flavor and is packed with heart-healthy alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid), which makes it ideal for baking. It's also cheaper than olive oil, so if you're trying to trim your grocery bill then canola oil is a good option. Most of the canola oil in the United States is made from genetically-modified canola seeds, however, so if that's a concern, choose organic canola oil. Peanut oil has a very high smoke point, and so is also good for high-heat cooking, like stir-frying. Although more expensive, avocado, macadamia nut, tea and almond oils are also good mono-rich choices for everyday use.

Olive oil is extremely healthy.

It’s not only loaded with beneficial fatty acids and powerful antioxidants but also a dietary staple for some of the world’s healthiest populations.

However, many people believe that it’s unsuitable for cooking due to its unsaturated fat content. Others claim that it’s an excellent choice for cooking — even for high-heat methods like frying.

This article explains whether you should cook with olive oil.

Why Are Some People Concerned?

When fats and oils are exposed to high heat, they can become damaged.

This is particularly true of oils that are high in polyunsaturated fats, including most vegetable oils like soybean and canola.

When overheated, they can form various harmful compounds, including lipid peroxides and aldehydes, which can contribute to cancer (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source).

When cooked, these oils release some carcinogenic compounds that may contribute to lung cancer when inhaled. Simply standing in a kitchen as these oils are used can cause harm (3, 4Trusted Source).

If you want to minimize your exposure to potentially harmful and carcinogenic compounds, you should only cook with fats that are stable at high heat.

What Oil to Use? 10 Best & Worst Cooking Oils | Joanna Soh

There are two properties of cooking oils that matter most:

Smoke point: The temperature at which the fats begin to break down and turn into smoke.

Oxidative stability: How resistant the fats are to reacting with oxygen.

Olive oil performs well in both categories.

SUMMARY

It is important to choose cooking fats that are stable when heated, as some oils can form carcinogenic compounds during cooking.

High in Heat-Stable Monounsaturated Fats

Fatty acids can be either saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated.

While saturated fats like coconut oil are very resistant to heat, most vegetable oils contain polyunsaturated fats. Olive oil, on the other hand, contains mostly monounsaturated fats (5).

Only polyunsaturated fatty acids — like those in soybean and canola oils — are sensitive to high heat (6Trusted Source).

Keep in mind that oils are usually composed of different types of fatty acids. For example, olive oil is 73% monounsaturated, 11% polyunsaturated and 14% saturated (7).

In other words, the heat-resistant monounsaturated and saturated fats make up 87% of olive oil.

SUMMARY

Olive oil contains mostly monounsaturated fatty acids, which are largely resistant to heat.

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What's the best oil to cook with? Is olive oil suitable for all types of cooking?

High in Antioxidants and Vitamin E

Extra virgin olive oil is derived from the first pressing of the olives and offers numerous bioactive substances, including powerful antioxidants and vitamin E (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source).

Vitamin E’s main purpose is as an antioxidant. It helps fight free radicals that can damage your cells and lead to disease (10Trusted Source).

Because olive oil is high in antioxidants and vitamin E, it provides significant natural protection from oxidative damage (11Trusted Source).

SUMMARY

Olive oil contains Vitamin E and many powerful antioxidants, which give numerous health benefits.

Resistant to Oxidative Damage

When an oil oxidizes, it reacts with oxygen and forms various harmful compounds.

This can happen at room temperature and is one of the ways oils go rancid — but this process is greatly accelerated when oils are heated.

However, olive oil holds up well during heating due to its high antioxidant and low polyunsaturated fat content.

I one study that used several types of olive oil for deep frying, extra virgin olive oil proved particularly resistant to oxidation (12Trusted Source).

Can You Cook With Extra Virgin Olive Oil?

Other studies note that olive oil does not oxidize much when used for cooking, while vegetable oils like sunflower oil oxidize (13).

That said, one study showed that a meal with heated olive oil increased oxidative markers in the blood compared to a meal with unheated olive oil (14).

However, this olive oil was not extra virgin and was cooked for eight hours — so the conditions of this study may be unrealistic.

It is also a myth that heating olive oil leads to the formation of trans fats. In one study, frying olive oil eight times in a row only increased the trans fat content from 0.045% to 0.082% — still a negligible amount (15).

Olive oil is very stable overall, even under extreme conditions like deep frying.

SUMMARY

Many studies have exposed olive oil to high heat for long periods of time. Even under such extreme conditions, the olive oil does not form significant amounts of harmful compounds.

Moderately High Smoke Point

The smoke point of an oil is the temperature at which it starts to degrade and produce visible smoke.

When this happens, fat molecules break apart and turn into various harmful compounds.

But the oil’s other trace nutrients, such as vitamins and antioxidants, can also start to burn and give off smoke — sometimes at lower temperatures than the oil itself.

Usually, a portion of the fatty acids in an oil are free fatty acids. The more free fatty acids there are in an oil, the lower its smoke point (16Trusted Source).

Because refined oils are lower in trace nutrients and free fatty acids, they usually have a higher smoke point.

Health Benefits of Olive Oil

What’s more, heating causes more free fatty acids to form — so the smoke point goes down the longer you cook it.

While it’s difficult to determine an oil’s exact smoke point, a range can provide a good estimate.

Some sources put the smoke point of olive oil somewhere around 374–405°F (190–207°C) (17).

This makes it a safe choice for most cooking methods, including most pan frying.

SUMMARY

Extra virgin olive oil’s smoke point is somewhere around 374–405°F (190–207°C). This makes it a good choice for most cooking methods.

Cooking May Destroy Some of Its Antioxidants

Normal cooking use is unlikely to oxidize or significantly damage olive oil.

However, it may degrade some of the antioxidants and vitamin E, which are sensitive to heat.

In one study, heating olive oil at 356°F (180°C) for 36 hours lead to a decrease in antioxidants and vitamin E, but most of the trace compounds were intact (18).

One of the main active compounds in extra virgin olive oil is oleocanthal. This substance is responsible for olive oil’s anti-inflammatory effects (19Trusted Source).

Heating olive oil at 464°F (240°C) for 90 minutes reduced the amount of oleocanthal by 19% according to a chemical test and 31% according to a taste test (20Trusted Source).

In another study, simulated frying for 24 hours reduced some beneficial compounds, but 10 minutes in a microwave or boiling in water had only minor effects (21Trusted Source).

The trace compounds in olive oil are also responsible for some of its flavor. Therefore, overheating olive oil can remove some of its taste.

Keep in mind that these studies use rather extreme conditions.

Olive Oil is not just for cooking | Here are 10 Unusual uses of olive oil

SUMMARY

While studies indicate that high heat and prolonged cooking may destroy some of olive oil’s beneficial compounds, these studies are applying extreme methods.

The Bottom Line

Quality extra virgin olive oil is an especially healthy fat that retains its beneficial qualities during cooking.

The main downside is that overheating can adversely impact its flavor.

However, olive oil is quite resistant to heat and doesn’t oxidize or go rancid during cooking.

Not only is it an excellent cooking oil, but it is also one of the healthiest.

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