Oil

[EvilYoda]

I don't seem to read about this very often so I don't know the answer to my question...what's a relatively healthy oil to cook with? I have a bunch of different ones since I like to cook and each oil has a different taste, smoke point, etc.

I'd like to know what kind of oil is best for a general purpose cooking oil.

 

[bobsmith1492]

I just use olive for everything since it's supposed to be good for you. I don't use much, though... so far it's been about one and a half 1L bottles over 1.5 years.

 

[Deeko]

Olive oil, or nothing.

 

[NGC_604]

Olive Oil and Coconut Oil

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Olive oil, it makes your nads bigger.

 

[uclaLabrat]

I pan fried two filet mignon on sat for my wife using olive oil and it damn near smoked me out of the kitchen, my throat was burning and everything. If you're cooking on high heat I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[Titan]

I don't like olive oil due to the taste. I do subscribe to the belief that you should rotate your cooking oils and try to get animal fat in there - it's good for you.

All oils will break down as you heat them, so cold olive oil is healthier than heated.

I just started using almond oil and love it. It has a very high smoke point like peanut oil (almost 500 degrees F) but unlike peanut it is anti-inflammatory as opposed to inflammatory. It is also rich in vitamin E and is a great moisturizer, a lot of massage therapists use almond as their main carrier oil. I put a couple drops in my face after a shower, to prevent crow's feet and skin dryness, I like the way it feels and it absorbs into the skin nicely.

I also hear grapeseed oil is good and it has a high smoke point. Also coconut oil comes really highly recommended and a lot of people like it.

Here's a tip to not cook with too much oil: get a travel squirt bottle from the drug store, the kind for dispensing cosmetics. My morning omelet takes 5 small squirts of almond oil on the Teflon pan to prevent sticking, and that's it. A good way to not waste money or health.

Yeah for high heat and no funky flavors I like almond oil. I sear steaks at high heat and coating the steak with a layer of almond oil rubbed in beforehand has worked fine for me.

 

[EvilYoda]

Originally posted by: uclaLabrat
I pan fried two filet mignon on sat for my wife using olive oil and it damn near smoked me out of the kitchen, my throat was burning and everything. If you're cooking on high heat I wouldn't recommend it.

Don't worry, I know not to use olive oil for that. Hence my mentioning of different oils with different smoke points.

 

[mchammer187]

Originally posted by: uclaLabrat
I pan fried two filet mignon on sat for my wife using olive oil and it damn near smoked me out of the kitchen, my throat was burning and everything. If you're cooking on high heat I wouldn't recommend it.

I hope you mean pan seared

fried steak

 

[Kaido]

Olive usually, and Canola for high-heat.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

canola

 

[Kipper]

Olive. I go through about a liter every month, sometimes more frequently.

 

[surfsatwerk]

Olive oil and sesame oil.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I cook exclusively with olive oil and butter. Should use coconut oil for high heat stuff, but it's a lil expensive.

 

[Redfraggle]

I use a little of everything, as it's suited to the dish I'm making. I have a quality blended olive oil for cold use only on salads and pastas with a good balance of omegas. Certain oils have more flavor than others, so I don't use them for mild dishes, because I don't want to taste the oil, I want to taste the food. I also just ordered a pump sprayer from Pampered Chef (a friend had a party). I'm looking forward to that so I can use less oil and not buy cooking spray anymore.

 

[crownjules]

I use mostly olive oil. Certain recipes will use butter or vegetable oil instead.

 

[spamsk8r]

For cooking I only use butter, bacon fat, or coconut oil (expeller pressed, which doesn't have any coconut flavor). If I could find a good source of lard I would use that, but the stuff at the grocery store is all hydrogenated.

 

[damage424]

No one mentioned Pam? They have one in butter and olive oil.

I personally don't cook anything with oil, but I have used Pam with cooking onions and they came out great.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: uclaLabrat
I pan fried two filet mignon on sat for my wife using olive oil and it damn near smoked me out of the kitchen, my throat was burning and everything. If you're cooking on high heat I wouldn't recommend it.

I'm guessing your used Extra-Virgin Olive Oil which has a lower smoke point than reg. Olive Oil.

 

[uclaLabrat]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: uclaLabrat
I pan fried two filet mignon on sat for my wife using olive oil and it damn near smoked me out of the kitchen, my throat was burning and everything. If you're cooking on high heat I wouldn't recommend it.

I'm guessing your used Extra-Virgin Olive Oil which has a lower smoke point than reg. Olive Oil.

Yeah, didn't know there was a difference. My bad.

 

[Apathetic]

I generally use olive oil for everything but baking.

Dave

 

[PricklyPete]

Originally posted by: uclaLabrat
I pan fried two filet mignon on sat for my wife using olive oil and it damn near smoked me out of the kitchen, my throat was burning and everything. If you're cooking on high heat I wouldn't recommend it.

I don't know from a health perspecitive...but for high heat or for "seasoning" a cast iron pan....I use Canola Oil. Everything else we generally use Olive Oil.

 

[gar655]

Olive

 

[Ksyder]

macadamia nut oil is excellent for cooking...can be hard to find but has a very high smoke point and a great flavor. Main advantage though is the high amount of monounsaturated fats.

I cook with olive oil once in awhile but I've heard that its really not good to use for cooking... the proper way to use olive oil is as a finishing oil, where you put it on food after the food is cooked. Cooking with olive oil changes its flavors and according to some "gurus" such as Dr. Fred Pescatore and Udo Erasmus causes molecular damages to the oils that can cause disease in the body.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: Ksyder
macadamia nut oil is excellent for cooking...can be hard to find but has a very high smoke point and a great flavor. Main advantage though is the high amount of monounsaturated fats.

I cook with olive oil once in awhile but I've heard that its really not good to use for cooking... the proper way to use olive oil is as a finishing oil, where you put it on food after the food is cooked. Cooking with olive oil changes its flavors and according to some "gurus" such as Dr. Fred Pescatore and Udo Erasmus causes molecular damages to the oils that can cause disease in the body.

I'm pretty sure the negatives only come out at high heat, not lower temperature cooking.