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What’s The Deal With All of Those Oils?

We rescue all sorts of high-quality cooking and finishing oils but if you’ve ever been left scratching your head when it comes time to use them—or which one to buy in the first place—we’ve got you covered.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) must be mechanically cold-pressed without the use of chemicals to be considered virgin. Depending on the variety of olive used, its color can range from yellow-gold to deep green. Its flavor isn’t as mild as you think—quality olive oil can have a little peppery kick. That’s why we liked it added to dressings, used for low-temp sautéing, or for dipping bread.

Canola Oil

Made from pressed rapeseeds, canola oil can handle high heat so it’s usually a go-to for deep frying. Plus, it has a mild flavor that gives it a wide range of use. Use it for sautéing, baking, and frying, but skip it when it comes to dressings and sauces since it doesn’t add much flavor.

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Sunflower Oil

This neutral-flavored oil is made from (you guessed it) sunflower seeds. Like the seed itself, it’s high in vitamins and minerals. Its higher smoke point makes it a great choice for roasting and frying. It can go rancid fairly quickly so be sure to store it in a cool, dry place.

Vegetable Oil

Vegetable oil can be made from any mix of different oils including soybean, corn, safflower, and more. It’s a staple in baking because of its neutral flavor and goes well in cooked dishes where you don’t want to mask the flavor of the ingredients.

Coconut Oil

Extracted from dried coconut meat, coconut oil is solid at room temp. With a lower smoke point, use it for quick-cooking at lower temperatures, or for adding to baked goods and smoothies for extra creaminess, a subtle tropical flavor, and a boost of healthy fats.

Avocado Oil

With one of the highest smoke points of any oil, this one deserves a spot in your pantry. Beyond high-temp cooking like roasting and searing, it’s great for adding avocado-y flavors to dressings.

Safflower Oil

Be on the lookout for two varieties of this neutral-flavored oil: regular, which has a high polyunsaturated fat content that helps it remain liquid at cold temps and is ideal for dressings; and high-oleic varieties that are better for high-temp cooking like deep frying and roasting.

Sesame Oil

If you’re looking for an all-purpose cooking oil, reach for non-toasted sesame oil since it has a fairly neutral flavor. To add rich, nutty flavor to dishes like stir-fries, or to craft a strong sesame-flavored dressing, use the toasted variety.

Grape Seed Oil

Grape seed oil is very neutral with a high smoke point, making it great for so many cooking applications: from a base in your homemade salad dressing to withstanding the high heat of stir frying. It also naturally contains vitamin E and makes for a good base for your DIY spa treatments. The oil is derived from grape seeds left as a byproduct from winemaking—who knew oil could be a misfit, too!

This just in: our very own Odds & Ends olive oils! We believe everyone deserves access to affordable, quality food—and we’re here to make it easy. With our Misfits Market branded products, you can stock up on the essentials you need for delicious meals and moments all at prices you’ll love.

The tin container—opposed to a glass or ceramic bottle—doesn’t just allow for easy packing, shipping, and storing due to its slim and stackable shape: its opaqueness best protects the oil from light, which can adversely impact shelf life and flavor.

Odds & Ends Premium Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil

This premium extra virgin olive oil is extracted by cold-pressing Hojiblanca olives, a white-leaved varietal that thrives in Spain’s southern provinces of Córdoba, Granada, and Seville.

Olive oils are much like wine in that each has its own unique flavor profile and attributes—who knew?!—with ours featuring green, grassy notes and a hint of green apple on the palate and nose that are rounded out by a finish that’s slightly bitter and a tad peppery. For these reasons, we love it as a base for citrusy dressings, and drizzled as a finisher over fish, meat, and rice.

Odds & Ends Organic Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil

This extra virgin olive oil is extracted by cold-pressing organic Hojiblanca olives, a white-leaved varietal that thrives in Spain’s southern provinces of Córdoba, Granada, and Seville. We love it for dipping warm, crusty breads and for baking.