Oils - olive, canola, coconut, ghee, others?

[Michele]

What oils do you all use? I'm reassessing my kitchen. There is so much hype surrounding all of the "good" oils and "bad" oils....cholesterols.....omega 6:3 ratios......

I'm sure a lot of which oils to use depends on what you cook and how you use them. I use canola for baking (if I can't use butter) and for popping popcorn. I use butter for eggs and most stove top cooking...or I use light extra virgin olive oil. I've been washing my body with olive oil and a tea tree/lavender oil blend. And I've switched to moisturizing face and body with almond oil.

I'd like to try to get away from canola, but I have no experience with any others...peanut, coconut, etc.

So what do you all use??

[MarissaNicole]

I love coconut but haven't cooked with it a ton. I mostly substitute it for butter on things like cinnamon toast and sweet potatoes.

Wife to PGY3

[scrub-jay]

Primarily olive oil for us, sometimes canola oil depending on the recipe.

[Liisi]

I mostly use extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, and butter. I think using oil that's organic, un-refined, and/or expeller-pressed is just as important as what type of oil it is. My SO insists that canola oil is a healthy oil, too, but I have my doubts. (Olive oil comes from olives. Coconut oil comes from coconuts. What's a canola??)

Coconut oil is great because it can withstand very high heat with no problem. And it tastes great, without being overpowering. I saute pretty much any vegetables in it, use it for cooking eggs, put it on popcorn and potatoes, etc. It's hard to bake with because it solidifies unless it's summer time. For baking, I do use canola oil if I can't use butter.

AND coconut oil is great for your skin!!

[poky]

Canola comes from rapeseed. The name was changed for obvious marketing reasons.

[BonBon]

We use a lot of bacon fat, grassfed butter, ghee(also grassfed), coconut oil, and very occasionally peanut oil. Canola is bad stuff.

[spotty_dog]

I use quite a lot of olive oil, as much for the flavor as for the fat profile. When I need an unflavored cooking or salad oil I generally choose safflower.

[alison]

We use olive oil for dressings; I find it gives food a bitter taste if used for frying--is it just me?

I use vegetable oil when I fry usually.

Butter for dd's eggs, because quite frankly she needs as much fat as she can get.

[MsSassyBaskets]

We use a lot of bacon fat, grassfed butter, ghee(also grassfed), coconut oil, and very occasionally peanut oil. Canola is bad stuff.

We use butter and olive oil for most things, coconut occasionally, canola for some frying and baking, and very occasionally bacon fat, mostly when making frittatas or cornbread in a cast iron skillet.

"Canola oil is low in saturated fat and contains both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in a ratio of 2:1. If consumed it also reduces Low-density lipoprotein and overall cholesterol levels, and as a significant source of the essential omega-3 fatty acid is associated with reduced all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.^[30] It is recognized by many health professional organizations including the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and American Heart Association.^{[31][32][33][34]} Canola oil has been given a qualified health claim from the United States Food and Drug Administration due to its high levels of cholesterol-lowering fats.^[35]"

[Bittersweet]

I use quite a lot of olive oil, as much for the flavor as for the fat profile. When I need an unflavored cooking or salad oil I generally choose safflower.

Ditto! I've never used coconut oil. I'm going to give a try after reading this thread, though.

[ides]

I mostly use canola and olive. I use coconut on my body but haven't cooked with it yet. I too thought canola was a good oil. I've done some research on it and I can't really get a definite answer. I did read that it is very refined and processed which makes it unhealthy and due to the high processing heat most of the fats have become trans fats. Is this really true? Anyone have more info? What could I use instead of canola for baking and high heat sauteing?

I have yet to find a definitive answer on what the best oil is for higher heat cooking. Coconut oil seems all the rage these days (even my hair dresser was going on and on about it the other day - lol). I find it imparts a strong flavor. It's a nice flavor, but not one that I necessarily want to compete with other flavors. As such, I use it when I'm doing anything Asian (e.g., stir fry, curry) because I think it complements those types of flavors. My usual go-to for everything else is olive oil because I LOVE the taste and it's a good fat. But I'm a bit concerned about heating it at higher temperatures. My basic research suggests that the typical cooking temperatures produced by home ovens/stovetops isn't high enough to result in detrimental breakdown of olive oil. I remain a little cautious though, and try to keep heating to a minimum.

For baking, I use olive oil (I'm okay with the heavier flavor it imparts), coconut oil, butter or canola oil. I haven't heard about the downsides of canola being heavily processed, but that's interesting. I will do a little research.

[SoonerTexan]

Olive, butter, and coconut for cooking. Butter for baking, except for occasionally canola but not often

[Momo]

We use Ghee(clarified butter), canola oil occasionally(frying,stir frying& some baking), grapeseed oil for fish and a tons EVOO. Oh yeah we also use truffle oil for added flavor to some dishes.

[Thirteen]

Ghee, olive oil, and coconut oil here.


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