Cooking Oil

[ElegantAura]

When it comes to cooking, the oil we choose can really influence the flavour and texture of our dishes.
There are so many options out there, but for me, extra virgin olive oil is the one I reach for the most. It’s a staple in my kitchen.

I use it for almost everything, from baking and salads to soups, stews, and even light frying.
The only times I don’t reach for olive oil are when deep frying or when I need a lot of oil to cook something in a pan.

What about you?
What oil do you use most often in your cooking? Whether it’s for sautéing, frying, or baking,

 

[passenger]

Long-time EVOO exclusive user; and since getting & using an air-fryer I have not used my little deep-fryer.

More recently I have added Avocado Oil as well, especially for cooking popcorn, some stir-frying, and sautéing; it has a 'lighter' texture and no noticeable flavor of it's own. Avocado Oil has also been judged as 'heart-healthy'. 💚

 

[ElegantAura]

Long-time EVOO exclusive user; and since getting & using an air-fryer I have not used my little deep-fryer.

More recently I have added Avocado Oil as well, especially for cooking popcorn, some stir-frying, and sautéing; it has a 'lighter' texture and no noticeable flavor of it's own. Avocado Oil has also been judged as 'heart-healthy'. 💚

I rarely use my deep fryer, mainly just for making chips when my son asks for them. For everything else, I stick to the oven, so deep frying isn’t something I do often.

I’ve been thinking about getting an air fryer . The oven is a pain to clean, so an air fryer could make things easier. That way, I can keep the oven for baking and cut down on the cleaning.

When I do need to use a bit more oil in the frypan, it’s usually canola oil, not olive oil and it’s mostly for making sweets like doughnuts, though I don’t make them as often now. I also use sesame oil for stir-frying, but only for Asian dishes.

I remember considering avocado oil when I was at Costco after we talked about it last time, but the bottle was too big for something I wasn’t sure I’d like, so I didn’t get it. I thought about buying a smaller bottle at another store, but I forgot

 

[passenger]

I’ve been thinking about getting an air fryer . The oven is a pain to clean, so an air fryer could make things easier. That way, I can keep the oven for baking and cut down on the cleaning.

Do it! It cooks great fries (chips); also if you're in a hurry (or just lazy like me) also sweet potato fries/chips, they do a wonderful job on a bag of frozen fries! There are lots of good 'reasonably' priced air fryers out there. But make sure to get one that's easy to clean; and one that's not too big for you to lift when it's full of food. There are two styles; basket, more like a glorified toaster oven; and/or bucket. I have both, IMO the bucket style makes things crispier.

I remember considering avocado oil when I was at Costco after we talked about it last time, but the bottle was too big for something I wasn’t sure I’d like, so I didn’t get it. I thought about buying a smaller bottle at another store, but I forgot

Yes, good idea to try a smaller bottle first! Of course, like most all Costco items, their bottle of AO is huge.

 

[ElegantAura]

Do it! It cooks great fries (chips); also if you're in a hurry (or just lazy like me) also sweet potato fries/chips, they do a wonderful job on a bag of frozen fries! There are lots of good 'reasonably' priced air fryers out there. But make sure to get one that's easy to clean; and one that's not too big for you to lift when it's full of food. There are two styles; basket, more like a glorified toaster oven; and/or bucket. I have both, IMO the bucket style makes things crispier.

I hadn’t considered the weight, but that’s a good tip. but i did thought about one that’s easy to clean since that’s really important to me.
And yeah, sweet potatoes are great! I make them into fries too, but only in the oven. I tried deep-frying them once and didn’t like the result, so maybe the air fryer will do a better job

Yes, good idea to try a smaller bottle first! Of course, like most all Costco items, their bottle of AO is huge.

A 250ml bottle sounds like a great start for me to try! I usually don’t mind the large Costco sizes for things that last a while.

 

[Mendalla]

We use a lot of of oil since my wife is Chinese and still stir fries a lot, esp. vegetable side dishes. Plus there's dressings for a couple salads we make and stuff like that. We switched from canola to avocado (the Costco one) a few years ago and quite like it. Olive is problematic for Chinese stir fries due to a low smoke point but we used to keep some around for dressings and such. Now we find avocado works fine for that, too.

 

[ElegantAura]

We use a lot of of oil since my wife is Chinese and still stir fries a lot, esp. vegetable side dishes. Plus there's dressings for a couple salads we make and stuff like that. We switched from canola to avocado (the Costco one) a few years ago and quite like it. Olive is problematic for Chinese stir fries due to a low smoke point but we used to keep some around for dressings and such. Now we find avocado works fine for that, too.

You’re right about olive oil and Asian dishes.
Also It can turn out too heavy and not suit the flavours. I’ve tried it, and while it works with some dishes, a lot just don’t pair well


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Hmm, another one here using avocado oil now I’m definitely tempted to try it!
Still, most of my cooking will stick to olive oil since a lot of the traditional dishes I make just wouldn’t work as well with anything else.

At the end of the day, it’s all about personal preference and what suits the dish best.
In my opinion, olive oil is perfect for Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and similar cuisines it just brings out the best in those flavours.