Types Of Cooking Oil You Should Always Have In Your Pantry

Cooking oils are in nearly every meal. From baked goods to sauteed vegetables, and even sauces and dressings — it’s hard to find any meal that doesn't include some cooking oil. There are also dozens of cooking oils to choose from, as you can extract oil from many seeds, nuts, and vegetables. With so many choices, you may wonder exactly which oils you should keep stocked in your kitchen.

Oils you should keep stocked in your kitchen pantry include extra virgin olive oil and vegetable oil. Olive oil has great flavor and can be used in dressings and for cooking at low temperatures. Vegetable and peanut oils are great for frying foods. Coconut oil has many diverse uses, and avocado is a healthy and tasty finishing oil. Sesame oil is a staple in many types of Asian cuisine.

If you enjoy cooking but aren’t an expert on ingredients, then you probably aren’t sure what cooking oils are best. Keep reading to learn all about the best, most delicious, and healthiest cooking oils you can buy, as well as several you should avoid. After reading this article, you’ll never again have anxiety when walking down the cooking oil aisle.

Eight Cooking Oils You Should Keep Stocked In Your Pantry

1. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

If you only keep one oil in your kitchen pantry, then it should be extra virgin olive oil. The reason for this is that extra virgin olive oil is one of the most diverse, flavorful, and healthy oils available. It has been linked to lower cancer risk and lower blood pressure, which is amazing, since many oils have the opposite effect.

Extra virgin olive oil has a lovely taste, making it great to drizzle on dishes as a finishing oil or to use to make salad dressings. It can also be used to cook, but avoid heating it to very high temperatures, as it has a smoke point of 350 degrees. It also lasts a long time, so as long as you use it once in a while, it won’t expire in your pantry.

2. Vegetable Oil

Vegetable oil is another kitchen pantry staple. Corn oil and canola oils tend to be the most common vegetable oils available, and they are fairly universal in their uses. These oils are non-offensive in flavor, which means you can use them to make both sweet and savory dishes.

Furthermore, vegetable oil has a higher smoke point than extra virgin olive oil, at 400 degrees. This means it is a better choice for frying, grilling, and doing other types of high-heat cooking. Vegetable oil is also one of the cheapest oils available, so it’s a great option when you need to use a lot of oil for frying.

3. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has tons of uses both inside and outside the kitchen. In the kitchen, you can use it to fry up plantains or use it to make various curries. It is commonly used in Thai and Indian cuisine.

Refined coconut oil has a high smoke point of 450 degrees, making it ideal to cook with. Unrefined coconut oil has a lower smoke point, but it has great flavor, and it is also great for cosmetic purposes. You can use coconut oil as a natural lotion on the skin, and it is also fantastic for your hair. You can even use it as an oral rinse to disinfect your mouth.

4. Peanut Oil

If you love fried foods, especially meats like chicken or even a whole turkey, then you must keep peanut oil in stock. Refined peanut oil has a high smoke point of 450 degrees, and its flavor is nuanced. This makes it the go-to oil for chefs who love frying up chicken.

Peanut oil is also commonly used in Asian cuisine, like Chinese chicken dishes. It also tends to be less expensive than most exotic oils that offer a similar high smoke point.

5. Sesame Oil

If you like to cook Middle Eastern or Asian food, especially Chinese and Japanese cuisine, then you need to keep sesame oil stocked in your home. It has a fairly high smoke point of 410 degrees, making it great for sauteing. Its flavor can be strong or subtle depending on how refined it is.

Sesame oil often has an intentionally distinct flavor, and while it doesn't work with everything, it can add incredible flavor to many poultry dishes and can be used in marinades and salad dressings. It's also loaded with antioxidants, making it one of the healthier oils you can stock in your pantry.

6. Avocado Oil

If you have a little extra money to spend on a cooking oil or two, then you should consider adding avocado oil to your oil arsenal. Avocado oil has a similar texture and has similar uses as vegetable oil, but it has far more health benefits and better flavor.

Avocado oil has a very high smoke point (520 for refined avocado oil), making it great for sauteing, grilling, and frying. It also has monounsaturated fats and a distinct flavor, making it a healthy (albeit expensive) vegetable oil substitute. 

7. Infused Truffle Oil

While truffle oil is often primarily a refined oil with the essence of truffle, this infused oil is distinct, indulgent, and has become wildly popular in the last decade. Shaved truffles can cost upwards of $100 per serving, but you can get a three-ounce bottle of truffle oil that will add lots of truffle flavor to whatever you sprinkle it on for less than $20 a bottle.

Truffle oil is a finishing oil. You can add it to dishes like macaroni and cheese or other creamy pasta dishes. It also tastes amazing on bread, pizza, and even salads. If you love truffle french fries, then you can make your own with this oil.

8. Red Palm Oil

Red palm oil isn’t the most common oil, but it has so much going for it that it’s worth seeking out and keeping stocked in your pantry. Red palm oil, like coconut oil, has both culinary and cosmetic benefits. It has a smoke point of 450 degrees, making it a great cooking oil.

It is loaded with vitamin E and antioxidants, which makes it great for the body. You can even use this oil on your dry skin and hair and you should notice shiny and healthy improvements.

Four Unhealthy Oils You Should Keep Out Of Your Pantry

1. Any Hydrogenated Oils

Hydrogenated is essentially a fancy word for chemically processed. Any time you see a hydrogenated oil, you should put it back where you found it and walk away. These oils are loaded with trans fats and are detrimental to your health. They also tend to lack natural flavor, and the flavor they do have tends to lean in the artificial direction.

2. Vegetable Shortening

Vegetable shortening might be a cheap and convenient fat to use in baking and cooking, but it’s incredibly unhealthy. Not only is vegetable shortening an example of a hydrogenated oil, but it is also highly processed. 

If you ever wondered how this cooking grease was shelf-stable, it is due to the preservatives added to it. Shortening is also loaded with trans fats.   

3. Shelf-Stable Margarine 

Shelf-stable margarine is another example of a hydrogenated and highly processed oil. Furthermore, while it attempts to act as a butter substitute, it lacks the flavor of butter. When possible, just spend the extra money and buy real butter.

4. Rapeseed Oil

Rapeseed is an oil that is often highly refined and may even be hydrogenated. Furthermore, this oil contains high levels of Erucic acid. This acid is harmful to your body at high levels and has been linked to several adverse heart issues.

 Wrapping Up Oils You Should Keep Stocked In Your Pantry

There are entire grocery aisles dedicated to cooking oil. Unless you are a chef, it can be overwhelming trying to decide which oils you need, and which ones you should avoid. It is best to avoid hydrogenated oils, including vegetable shortening, as they are loaded with trans fats and preservatives.

 Instead, opt for healthy oils like extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, and red palm oil. Peanut oil and vegetable oils are great for frying, and sesame oil is fantastic in various Asian cuisines.

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