5 Types of Cooking Oils and How to Use Them
Get a grasp of which oils to use and when, and you’ll transform your cooking experience and reap the health benefits. Here we’ll guide you through the uses, benefits and some top tips for the most common cooking oils.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil is an unrefined oil, meaning that it hasn’t been treated with chemicals or altered by temperature. It’s filled to the brim with antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, vitamins and minerals. Plus it has that distinct olive flavour, aroma, and colour that we all know and love. Simply put, it is the highest standard of olive oil available, and has to meet very specific standards to be labelled as Extra Virgin.
Because of it’s purity and health benefits, you may be tempted to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil for everything, but that would be a mistake.
Chef Says
Extra Virgin Olive Oil has a low smoke point (the temperature that it begins to break down and become less beneficial). This makes it less than ideal for cooking, but perfect for dressing salads, making dips, or drizzling over a block of baked feta to enjoy with crusty bread. Great olive oil should be enjoyed as it is, straight out of the bottle.
Rapeseed Oil
Versatile, affordable and perfect for cooking, rapeseed is a great go-to oil. It has a near perfect balance of Omega 3 and Omega 6, and it contains the least saturated fats of any cooking oil. It’s high smoke point means that it’s great for all types of cooking, especially frying, Sautéing and baking.
Chef Says
Buy British, Cold Pressed Rapeseed for an unrefined, high quality product
Coconut Oil
Used in everything from cooking to lip balm, Coconut Oil is fast becoming the hottest oil in town. With an endless list of health benefits, multitude of uses outside of the kitchen, and a great flavour to boot, we recommend giving coconut oil a try.
Chef Says
Coconut oil is great for most cooking techniques, but avoid using it for dressings and marinades as it solidifies at lower temperatures.
Sesame Oil
Packed with vitamin K, antioxidants, and flavour, Sesame Oil is perfect for stir-fries, marinades and dressings. It has a high smoke point, distinct nutty flavour and aroma. It is one of the oldest known vegetable oils and was the first crop to be grown specifically for oil production.
Chef Says
Sesame Oil comes in two different varieties; toasted and light. You’ve probably used the toasted version with it’s darker colour and slightly thicker consistency, but look out for the light version made from raw sesame seeds. It has an earthier flavour and is perfect for deep frying.
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