How Do You Choose The Right Cold-Pressed Oil For Your Kitchen: Tips And Recommendations

So you recently made the switch from refined oils to cold pressed cooking oil for your daily cooking. Good choice!

Cold pressed edible oil is flavourful and retains the natural characteristics of the seeds, nuts, or fruit it comes from. But with so many options on the shelf, picking the right one can feel confusing.

This guide will help you understand how to choose cooking oil that fits your everyday cooking style, so you can pick the best cold pressed oil for your kitchen with confidence.

How Are Cold Pressed Oils Different From Refined Oils?

Flavour. That's where cold pressed oil benefits stand out. Think of refined rice bran oil. Can you describe how it tastes? Most likely not.

Refined oils go through a process that strips away much of their natural flavour, making them neutral and bland.

Wood pressed oil, like the ones we make at Gramiyaa, retains the subtle and complex flavours of the seeds, nuts, or fruits it's extracted from.

Think of Kerala banana chips. Apart from the banana, do you recall the slightly sweet, nutty flavour? That's because it's fried in coconut oil. Cold pressed coconut oil has a distinct, sweet coconutty flavour. Similarly, each oil tastes different.

If you enjoy cooking flavourful food, cold pressed cooking oil can be your secret weapon.

Understanding The Flavour Profiles Of Cold Pressed Oils

You've guessed it right. Like coconut oil has a slightly sweet flavour, each cold pressed edible oil has its own flavour profile.

Do these flavours impact the taste of your dish? Yes, sometimes.

About three years ago, on a hungry evening, my mum wasn't around. My aunt offered to make some crispy dosas for me. Unlike my mum, who uses cold pressed groundnut oil to crisp her dosas, my aunt prefers cold pressed sesame oil, or gingelly oil as it's called in Tamil Nadu.

Once I started eating, something felt off. Some parts of the dosa tasted amazing, and some parts had a bold, earthy flavour that overpowered the usual taste I was used to. Back then, I didn't know enough about cooking to realise it was simply because of the change in oil.

Sesame seeds have a richer flavour. Drizzling it over dosas or chapatis, or using it to season salads, lets you enjoy the flavour directly. But cook a curry with it, and the flavour blends in beautifully.

So it depends on how you like it. Experiment to figure out what works for you.

Wood pressed oils like groundnut oil have a subtle flavour that doesn't overpower your food. Coconut has a slightly sweet, nutty flavour, whereas mustard has a pungent note.

Because cold pressed cooking oil is flavourful, 2 teaspoons are often enough to cook a meal for one, letting you enjoy the flavour without overdoing it.

Smoke Point - Why It Matters When Choosing A Cooking Oil

Almost every dish needs oil to cook. You pour some oil into a pan, let it heat up, watch it smoke a little, turn the heat down, and add your ingredients.

There's a point in between all of this when the oil starts smoking, and you see it rising up from the pan. That's the smoke point of the oil, and it varies from oil to oil.

For instance, there's a common notion that you can't cook with olive oil. Why? Because it has a comparatively low smoke point. It's great for seasoning and dressing but rarely preferred for high-heat cooking. These days, some variants of olive oil (processed differently, harvested at different phases, etc.) are better suited for higher-temperature cooking.

So the smoke point plays a major role in how to choose cooking oil for a specific dish.

Say it's a gloomy, rainy evening and you're craving some hot, crispy fritters (bajjis). Bajjis are deep-fried, so can you use an olive oil with a low smoke point for deep-frying, which requires high temperatures? Not really. Instead, choose an oil with a higher smoke point, like mustard or sesame oil.

Deep frying temperature typically falls between 177°C and 190°C, so an oil with a smoke point at or above that range works well. Cold pressed coconut oil's smoke point is around 190°C, making it good for a quick deep fry. If you're frying big batches, choose something that can comfortably handle at least 190°C.

My colleague's cook once made raw banana fritters using a 50:50 blend of mustard oil and sesame oil. We expected it to carry a strong pungency (we were unsure how non-Bengalis like us would take to it). Surprisingly, it didn't, and it tasted delicious.

Here's an easy cheat sheet to come back to whenever you're confused:

Matching Cold Pressed Oil To Cuisines And Culinary Preferences

Just like spices and ingredients tell the story of a place's cuisine, the oil used adds another layer of taste.

Take a trip across India. In Bengal, mustard oil is a must-have. Its sharp bite and strong aroma add a unique touch to curries, lentils (dals), and pickles. When you see a Bengali fish fry with a crispy, golden-brown crust, that's most likely thanks to mustard oil.

Over in Kerala and parts of Southeast Asia, coconut oil takes centre stage. Its subtle sweetness and coconutty scent bring a twist to curries, stir-fries, and even desserts. Imagine a fragrant Thai green curry simmered in coconut oil, adding a hint of sweetness to its creamy texture.

In Tamil Nadu, sesame oil is a key player in "tempering," a technique for adding flavour and aroma to dishes. A few drops of sesame oil are heated with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dried red chillies. As these ingredients release their flavours, the temper (or tadka) is poured over cooked vegetables, dals, or sambar.

There are actually two types of sesame oil:

• Cold pressed sesame oil: Gramiyaa's cold pressed sesame oil is made from non-roasted, sun-dried seeds. It keeps the natural nutty taste and aroma of sesame seeds and is perfect for adding flavour while cooking or tempering.

• Roasted sesame oil: This oil has a stronger, smokier flavour. It's often used for pickling and as a finishing touch, and is a favourite in many Asian dishes.

How To Choose The Right Cold Pressed Oil For Your Kitchen?

Once you understand flavour and smoke point, choosing the best cold pressed oil for your kitchen comes down to a few simple checks:

• Match the oil to your cooking method. Pick a higher smoke point oil like groundnut or mustard oil for frying and tempering, and a milder oil for dressings and finishing touches.

• Match the oil to your cuisine. If you're cooking South Indian food, sesame or coconut oil fits naturally. For North Indian or Bengali dishes, mustard oil brings out the right flavour.

• Check how it's extracted. Look for a wood pressed oil that's mechanically extracted without heat or chemical solvents, so it retains its natural flavour.

• Check the packaging. A cold pressed edible oil should come in opaque, oxygen-flushed packaging that blocks light and air, since cold pressed oils don't rely on preservatives to stay fresh.

• Start with a versatile oil. If you're switching from refined oil for the first time, groundnut oil is a good starting point since its light, nutty flavour doesn't overpower everyday cooking.

• Keep a couple of oils on rotation. Since each oil brings a different flavour, having two or three on hand (say, groundnut for daily cooking and sesame or mustard for tempering) covers most of your kitchen's needs.

Experiment And Discover

These are just a few examples of how cold pressed cooking oil can be used. The best part is that they're versatile. Experiment with different oils, try new flavour combinations, and see how they change the way your food tastes.

Even if you have a go-to choice, rotating a few cold pressed oils into your cooking helps you enjoy a wider range of flavours across your meals.

If you try new oils in unexpected ways, let us know in the comments so we can try it too.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the difference between cold pressed oil and refined oil? 

Refined oils are processed with heat and chemical solvents, which strips away much of their natural flavour and aroma. Cold pressed oils are mechanically extracted without heat or chemicals, so they retain the natural taste of the seed, nut, or fruit they come from.

2. Which cold pressed oil has the highest smoke point? 

Among common cold pressed oils, groundnut oil has one of the higher smoke points at around 210°C, followed by mustard oil at around 200°C, making both good choices for frying and tempering.

3. Can cold pressed oil be used for deep frying? 

Yes, as long as you choose one with a smoke point that comfortably covers deep frying temperatures (roughly 177°C to 190°C). Groundnut, mustard, and sesame oil all fit this range.

4. How should cold pressed oil be stored to keep it fresh? 

Store it in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight and heat. Opaque, oxygen-flushed packaging also helps protect the oil from light and air, which are the two biggest reasons oils lose freshness over time.

5. How much cold pressed oil should I use per meal? 

Because cold pressed oils are more flavourful than refined oils, about 2 teaspoons per person, per meal is usually enough to season and cook a dish well.