Looking at all of the options in the cooking oil aisle at the local grocery can cause shoppers to wonder which oil is the best choice. Part of choosing the best oil for a particular cooking task involves understanding what the terms on the labels mean. Here's an explanation of some of the most common claims made on gourmet oil labels.
Cold Pressed Oil Is Pure and Unrefined
Cold pressed oil is a label that can be found on many varieties of gourmet cooking oils, from olive to flax seed to coconut oils. When a consumer sees "cold pressed" on the bottle, this indicates that the oil hasn't gone through any heat refining. This often provides better quality and reduces the loss of the healthy and flavorful components in many gourmet oils.
Oil producers from Europe follow stricter standards when labeling their oils cold press than U.S. producers do. European oils labeled cold press must be completely unrefined and extracted at 122 degrees F or lower.
The First Pressing Produces Flavorful Oils
The first time a fruit, nut or seed is pressed to release oil, it releases the most flavorful, least acidic oil available. Subsequent pressings will produce more acidic, blander oils, so first press is often a desired quality. In some oils, like olive oil, this is sometimes referred to as extra virgin.
Refined Oil Is Processed for Higher Heat Tolerance and Better Shelf Life
Refined oils are those that have been chemically or heat processed to make them less acidic and remove any overpowering tastes. These oils are generally fairly stable, don't go rancid quickly and can handle high heat cooking. But they also tend to be bland and lack many of the beneficial nutrients and high flavor found in unrefined oils.
Choosing Single Estate Oil Can Mean Consistent High Quality Taste
Single estate refers to where the plant that produced the oil was grown. It means that the oil came from only one single place, and usually means that the plants were grown there and the oil expressed and bottled on site. Often, a bottle of single estate oil will indicate the farm where the oil was produced, and some cooks have a favorite estate from which they consistently buy their oil.
Filtering Is Best for Certain Types of Cooking Oils
When oil is first produced, there are often small particles of the fruit, nut or seed that remain in the oil. For some types of oils, like olive oil, this is a good thing, since these pieces add flavor and compounds like antioxidants that make the oil healthier. In other oils, such as flaxseed oil, the particles can cause the oil to turn rancid more quickly. Filtering removes these particles and leaves the oil clear and clean.
Organic Oil Standards Vary Worldwide
What qualifies oil as organic varies from country to country, but this label generally indicates that the plants were grown without chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides or chemical fertilizers.
All of these designations give indications of the quality and purity of the oils involved. Choosing a high quality oil can make the difference between an everyday dish and an extraordinary dining experience.
Home cooks also should consider the type of oil they will use, since cooking oils can now be made from many different plant sources. The article Dietary Oils for Cooking and How to Use Them explains some of the most common oil types and their uses. Gourmet Cooking with Nut Oils gives an overview of oils made from a wide variety of different nuts.
Bridget Coila - I'm a cell and molecular biologist, freelance writer and photographer currently living in Beijing, China. I'm fascinated by science, ...
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