Using a smaller number of versatile cooking oils can help you save precious pantry real estate and money.
We asked experts about the essential cooking oils in their kitchen, and how to make the most of them with taste, budget and health in mind.
Olive oil
Everyone we spoke to named extra virgin olive oil as a pantry essential.
"I personally use olive oil for everything," says Newcastle/Awabakal and Worimi country-based food and nutrition scientist, Dr Emma Beckett.
She says olive oil has health benefits, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
It's also a monounsaturated fat, which is part of a healthy diet and can "help reduce the risk of heart disease and lower cholesterol levels (among other health benefits) when they replace saturated fats in the diet", according to Eat for Health.
When it comes to buying olive oil, there's a variety to choose from.
Matt Atkins is the owner and executive chef of a catering company, based on Gadigal Land in Sydney.
He finds Australian-made olive oil available in the supermarket "equally as great" as some more expensive imported options.
Chef Lillian Kaskoutas, who also lives and works on Gadigal Land in Sydney, says her go-to oil is a "good quality" extra virgin olive oil.
"If you are a bit apprehensive to use the expensive stuff, keep that for your salads, bruschetta, [and] drizzling."
But, if you use olive oil to roast veggies such as potatoes, they'll absorb all that flavour, she says.
Dr Beckett says "people often stress about the smoke point".
"When oils get too hot, they smoke" and begin breaking down. This is known as the smoke point, Dr Beckett says.
However, olive oil's smoke point is "above the ideal cooking temperature for most foods, even frying". But, for deep frying there are more suitable options.
Seed and neutral oils
Dr Beckett says common seed oils include canola, sunflower, safflower, soybean and sesame.
"Seed oils get demonised because they are more processed, and because they have more omega-6s than omega-3s," she says.
Omega-3s are polyunsaturated fats associated with heart health.
Omega-6s are polyunsaturated fats that "the body needs but cannot produce itself", but they are also associated with inflammation, although the amount "has not been shown to be harmful". These oils aren't typically consumed in large amounts, Dr Beckett says.
Adam Trengove is a professional cookery teacher at the William Angliss institute in Naarm/Melbourne. He says the strength of a cheap oils, such as canola is their neutral flavour.
"They're not going to be too overpowering" regardless of the recipe they're used in, Mr Trengove says.
They also work well when shallow frying and deep frying.
Variation is key, Mr Trengove says.
"You don't want to be using canola oil or sunflower oil for everything."
Ms Kaskoutas also says a neutral oil is an important kitchen staple, and examples could include grapeseed, rice bran or canola.
She uses neutral oils when cooking Asian and South-East Asian cuisine.
There is some conjecture around cooking with sesame oil, but Ms Kaskoutas says it's better to use it as a garnish or seasoning in Asian-style dishes rather than for cooking, which can alter the taste.
Avocado and coconut oil
Mr Trengove says "avocado oil is really delicious", but like olive oil it usually comes with a higher price point. The flavour also makes it less versatile than cheaper seed oils.
Dr Beckett says avocado oil has a "slightly different profile of nutrients and fats but ultimately [is] a good choice".
It has similar nutritional and antioxidant benefits to olive oil, although there's a "bit less research".
Mr Trengove says coconut oil is another "pretty delicious" option. The flavour can be "too overpowering" in everyday cooking, but it's an easy and tasty fit in dishes such as curries.
Dr Beckett says coconut oil is "made up of about 90 per cent saturated fats and nine per cent unsaturated fats".
She says "all oils contain some saturated fats", which "can increase 'bad' [low-density lipoprotein] cholesterol levels".
The type of fats in coconut oil are easy to digest into energy and can help you stay fuller for longer, but they're also high calorie and the benefits are widely "over-hyped", she says.
Ultimately, "If you are cooking with any oils, what you are cooking in them is more important when it comes to the health quality of the food".
This is general information only. For detailed personal advice, you should see a qualified medical practitioner who knows your medical history.
