Choose the Right Cooking Oil for Everyday Cooking

With the wide variety of oils available on the market today, the novice chef can get confused easily in the kitchen. This guide will explain some of the most common oils available and their proper uses. The most important qualities of oils to consider include smoke points, saturated vs. unsaturated, and flavor, all of which will be explored in this article.

Vegetable Oil
This is one of the most common oils used in kitchen. Made from a blend of oils refined from vegetables, seeds, and nuts, vegetable oil is inexpensive and useful for many different types of cooking. This oil has a mild flavor which is ideal for baking and pan-frying. The high smoke point of this oil is also good for deep frying. Due to the fact that most vegetable oils are made from soybeans, they are high in monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat which means that they are a healthy choice for cooking.

Corn Oil
Corn oil is another popular oil used in most kitchens. Corn oil is made from the germ of corn kernels and can also be used for a variety of cooking preparations. Corn oil does not have much flavor and is thus a popular choice for making salad dressings, mayonnaise, and margarine. The high 450¢XF smoke point is great for deep-frying and pan-frying. Corn oil also has a high polyunsaturated fat content but is a less healthy choice than vegetable oil.

Peanut Oil
This oil is very popular among Asian cooks and deep frying fanatics. Peanut oil is made from pressed, steamed peanuts. Asian cooks enjoy cooking with this oil due to the fact that it doesn't absorb or transfer flavors when used in wok cooking and stir-frying. The high smoke point of peanut oil makes it ideal for pan and deep frying. Interestingly, when used in frying, peanut oil gives the fried food a rich, roasted, nutty flavor leading to their popularity. It is not recommended to cook often using only peanut oil due to the fact that peanut oil is moderately high in saturated fats.

Olive Oil
Olive oil is less multipurpose than the oils mentioned above. Made from ripe olives, this oil can have a different range of flavors and contain varying levels of acidity. Olive oil has a low smoke point and is not recommended for stir-frying. Olive oil is best used for baking and sauteing. It is also popular as a salad dressing or used in various raw preparations. Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat and is a healthy choice.

Canola Oil
Canola oil is a more recent invention and is made from the seeds of a plant related to mustard plants. Though not as great as peanut or corn oil in frying, it's moderately high smoke point makes it an acceptable substitute. Canola oil also has bland flavors making it ideal for baking, sauteing, and pan frying. One benefit of canola oil is its low saturated fat content, the least of all the oils. Canola oil is also relatively inexpensive and is a good choice for the common kitchen.

A well stocked kitchen should have three different oils; one oil for frying (peanut or corn), one oil for regular day to day cooking (canola, vegetable), and olive oil. Using the right kind of oil for the desire effects takes practice and experimenting, but the above tips should provide a good headstart.