I often refer to different oils that I use in my recipes and I also sometimes say how I wouldn’t use certain oils. This is just a little sum up of the various oils and the ones I recommend and the ones I don’t and why.
There is tonnes of information on all of these oils on the internet so if you do want to research a particular oil look at lots of websites and then make an informed opinion for yourself. My opinions are after doing just that over the past two years 🙂
So this is just a little wrap up.. There is so much information on each and every oil I could be here for weeks writing and take pages and pages to write it all !

I’ll start with my preferred oils that I recommend and then end with the ones I do not use and I do not recommend. I hope this is helpful 🙂

 

Coconut Oil: – A Favorite Oil for so many recipes, however this can be limited because of the coconut flavor.  Coconut Oil again should be purchased as a non refined organic oil.  This fabulous oil can last up to two years.
I definitely recommend using Coconut oil as much as possible there are so many uses for it besides cooking with it!
I purchase my Coconut Oil from Loving Earth .

Macadamia Oil: My favorite oil when making my Spreadable butter and using in many recipes. Macadamia Oil has its pitfalls as in Cost and if you are allergic to nuts !  It is made by cold Pressing and it is one of the most healthy oils
Personal Opinion – Use with Abundance – I Love this oil and I choose to buy from a reputable oil maker in bulk- I purchase my Macadamia Oil from Proteco Oil company

EVOO, – Stands for Extra Virgin Olive Oil – EVOO is the highest quality and the most expensive olive oil. Loaded with Antioxidants and healthy fats.  Real EVOO is 100% natural. Always check that your EVOO is 100% pure . At this stage it would appear that Olive Oil IS good to cook with even at a high heat ( but as with everything over time a new study make change that !) Personal opinion – USE it but check your are getting the real deal

Butter: Well you all know what Butter is ! Its wonderful made fresh from Cream in your Thermomix. Make it to cook with or make a Spreadable version – Try my recipe HERE. Personal Opinion – USE with abundance !

Ghee:  This is basically Clarified butter cooked a little longer. Upside you an make this yourself.  Ghee has a High Smoke point and unlike other oils that are touted with the same thing Ghee won’t break down.
People with Dairy allergies can usually have Ghee too.
There are many other health benefits to using Ghee. Personal Opinion USE and feel happy with your choice to use. I have yet to make it myself but its on my to do list.

Flaxseed Oil: – Cold Pressed this oil is fantastic as a source of phytoestrogens for women. Great for Menopausal symptoms , PMS Symptoms so many experts say but again its becoming a point of discussion. Flaxseed is also a high price point oil and not recommended for cooking. It is a good oil for using over salads and in your smoothies.
Personal Opinion – Only use cold , don’t heat and only use cold pressed Flaxseed oil. Use with advice from a health professional.

Avocado Oil: Ah the humble avocado ! how could I forget you… I love avocado and I do love avocado oil, but again the cost factor and taste factor can interfere with recipes.  Avocado oil is an oil not derived from seeds but rather from the fleshy pit surrounding the pit.  I’d probably save it for drizzling over salads – Definitely recommend 🙂

Sesame Oil: Using Unrefined Sesame oil is awesome. It has so many amazing Properties and health benefits. However Sesame Oil is a an expensive oil so its not a everyday solution. Personal Opinion – only use Unrefined Sesame Oil – limited use due to Price Point

Vegetable Oil: Seed Oils such as soybean oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil. All Processed all hydrogenated All used by using Toxic Chemicals – Personal Opinion AVOID at all costs.

Grapeseed Oil – A by Product of Making Wine using the seeds. This in the majority of cases (unless otherwise stated on the bottle) is made using chemicals notably HEXANE which is a toxic Solvent.
Personal Opinion – AVOID at all costs
There IS a Cold Pressed Organic Unrefined Grapeseed Oil that is more limitedly sold in Health stores etc – This particular Grapeseed Oil is from everything I have read – ok to use. I have not yet tried it .

Rice Bran Oi: Extracted from the Inner Husk of Brown Rice. This is not done by cold pressing but rather by using toxic means of extraction with chemicals.   It notably says “cold filtered” this is completely different to “cold pressed”
Personal opinion AVOID at all costs

***Edit to add*** If you want further proof of this oil being bad for you check out this article HERE

 

Soybean Oil : A Vegetable extracted from the seeds of Soybeans. Hydrogenated and found in many processed foods.
Soy itself is controversial as the majority of it is genetically modified. The crops sprayed with pesticide.
Soy also has the contraversial discussion of having Isoflavones which can act as a endocrine disruptor. There is so much contraversial discussion on how it affects the male hormones  and their reproduction and also the affect of having a possible link to breast cancer in women.  Personal Opinion – AVOID At all costs

Canola Oil – Very Common Oil. Lowest in Saturated Fat.  From Canola Seed or Rapeseed. GMO – A Partially Hydrogenated oil Extracted by using toxic chemicals.  Sadly its used in so many products , school canteens restaurants etc
There is even thoughts that it is a contributor to Macular Degeneration along with many other health issues !
One of the worst oils possible in my opinion AVOID at all costs.

I was asked on my Facebook page why  I hadn’t included a list of which oils to cook with . I thought people like might to find out which oil they prefer themselves  ?  I do not do a lot of frying so its not something I worry about. I use Butter usually. Avocado Oil is also great for frying. Depends if you like the flavor. This guy in the below link says Rice Bran Oil but it is NOT on my recommended list but I note he says look for Cold Pressed Organic. I wasn’t aware that there was a Cold Pressed Organic Oil.  You can check the smoke point list out here – I am not recommending all of these – my recommendations are above and then use which you feel best for depending on your recipe and what you are cooking.  List of Oils and their Smoke Points

Watch this video and see how Highly processed Canola oil (and other oils using toxic chemicals are processed) Still want to consume them ?

Photos sourced Google
Video sourced Utube