What oil do you recommend for overall cooking

[georgevan]

there are so many different kinds of oils that it gets complicated

 

[Marlingardener]

For everyday dishes, vegetable oil. It doesn't add flavor, but it keeps things from sticking.
For Italian dishes, or more complicated dishes, olive oil. Extra virgin for finishing, plain olive oil for cooking.

 

[pepperhead212]

Whatever's cheapest.

I do use a lot of olive oil, mostly for uncooked or lower temp dishes, but whatever vegetable oil happened to be on sale somewhere - often canola, sometimes plain "vegetable" oil, but which means soy oil. I also have some toasted sesame oil, for flavoring in dishes, and virgin coconut oil, to use in Thai, and some Indian dishes.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I find myself using a quick squirt of a generic cooking spray most of the time.

I also use canola oil, butter, bacon grease, and olive oil.

If I could only have one it would probably be butter for no reason other than that is what I grew up with.

 

[georgevan]

For everyday dishes, vegetable oil. It doesn't add flavor, but it keeps things from sticking.
For Italian dishes, or more complicated dishes, olive oil. Extra virgin for finishing, plain olive oil for cooking.

If I knew that the oil i was buying was real 100% olive oil i would use that but how do I know which brand of olive oil is real olive oil?

 

[Andy M.]

I use corn oil. Cheap, high smoke point, readily available, flavor neutral.

 

[jennyema]

I use EVOO for almost everything. I have peanut oil for stir frying and safflower oil for baking.

 

[Silversage]

I'm with Jenny. I buy a big bottle of EVOO at Costco and use it for nearly everything. I don't deep fry anymore, but when I did, I would use peanut oil.

Oil can go rancid if you buy too big a bottlr and don't use it. WHen I do want something like a walnut oil or avocado oil, I buy it in small bottles. Toasted sesame oil for Asian cooking stays in the fridge.

 

[pictonguy]

If I knew that the oil i was buying was real 100% olive oil i would use that but how do I know which brand of olive oil is real olive oil?

This subject has been done to death in the web world and research will give you the answers you seek. For example Kirkland brand from Costco is a "real olive oil", decently priced and actually rated pretty high.

 

[pictonguy]

I don't use any refined oils and keep the polyunsaturated oils to a bare minimum. My primary oils are extra virgin olive oil, ghee, avocado oil, virgin coconut, pork and beef fat, schmaltz, bacon grease and butter. I deep fry with lard.

 

[Badjak]

I mostly use sunflower oil and olive oil.
Soy bean is the cheapest and most commonly available where I live though. I just seem to prefer sunflower, unless that is just a hang over from my parents cooking

 

[dr morbius]

I typically buy 1/2 liter bottles of EVOO, because at the rate I use it, bigger bottles would start to taste "off" before they're gone. I use olive oil for sautéing onions and other veggies; I typically use canola oil for meats (or bacon fat mixed with canola oil). When using oil in baking or pancakes, I use canola oil. I do not count butter or margarine as oil; to me, it's different stuff and belongs in another category. Sesame oil is lovely in some Asian food applications and in some vinaigrettes, but it really doesn't last long and costs a mint, so I rarely pick some up.

Does cooking spray count as oil? Because I also use that, especially when making a baked casserole so the pan will be easier to clean.

 

[taxlady]

I use EVOO for just about everything. I buy it in a 3 litre can and use it enough that it hasn't gone off for me yet. The only time I have had EVOO get rancid was once, back when I was miserly with it. I wasn't using it fast enough.

I also cook with bacon fat, butter, schmaltz if I happen to have some, and coconut oil. I would use lard if the stuff that wasn't full of preservatives.

 

[larry_stewart]

When using in small amounts, I use olive oil. When using in large amounts, I use something cheaper ( corn, vegetable , canola). I always have some peanut oil for frying at higher temps, and sesame oil for flavor. I also have walnut and avocado oil on hand, but thats more because I wanted to try them. When I use them up, I likely wont buy them again

 

[pictonguy]

I use EVOO for just about everything. I buy it in a 3 litre can and use it enough that it hasn't gone off for me yet. The only time I have had EVOO get rancid was once, back when I was miserly with it. I wasn't using it fast enough.

I also cook with bacon fat, butter, schmaltz if I happen to have some, and coconut oil. I would use lard if the stuff that wasn't full of preservatives.

What preservatives are those? Curious. The lard I buy or have ever seen doesn't have anything added and is just plain pork fat.

 

[taxlady]

What preservatives are those? Curious. The lard I buy or have ever seen doesn't have anything added and is just plain pork fat.

The only lard I see at the store is Tenderflake, which has BHA and BHT. It also has citric acid, but I don't mind that.

 

[pictonguy]

The only lard I see at the store is Tenderflake, which has BHA and BHT. It also has citric acid, but I don't mind that.

Right, yeah I get my lard from my butcher which have no additives. Keep in mind that context and dosage is important. Getting a nice caramelized (coloured) state in pie crust or cooking a steak where there's a maillard reaction going on that this is carcinogenic and causes cancer.

 

[msmofet]

Vegetable oil for general use
Olive oil for sauté and salads
Peanut oil for stir-fry and shallow frying
Sesame oil for Asian
I also have avocado oil (I bought for a recipe and don't use much) and smoked olive oil (for vegetable sauté).
(Corn oil is $5.50 more than vegetable oil)

 

[jennyema]

I also use spray avocado oil