# Best neutral, odorless cooking oil for routine sauteing that's NOT canola oil **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [September 16, 2024, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364 "2024-09-16T20:06:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2024, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/21 "2024-09-17T01:01:06Z")
Canola oil is a relatively healthy fat. I tend to use butter and olive oil, but coconut or peanut oil or even bacon fat for certain dishes. To me canola tastes neutral, and it is cheaper in Canada than many alternatives, so if requiring bigger quantities might opt for that. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2024, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/22 "2024-09-17T01:30:05Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > \<\< removed by poster \>\> I did not see what that used to be, but if it’s what I think it was, that edit took a remarkable degree of restraint. A tip o’ the hat to you Good Sir; you’re a better man than I. Some slippery slopes are remarkable well greased with goose fat. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2024, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/23 "2024-09-17T01:55:46Z")
I use olive oil that’s not extra-virgin for a neutral oil. Costco sells it at a reasonable price. I only use extra-virgin olive oil with pastas and salads. I use sesame oil when frying meats. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2024, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/24 "2024-09-17T03:39:09Z")
Grapeseed oil is very light and has almost no flavor, but it is expensive. It also has a high smoke point, which I realize wasn’t necessarily an important point. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2024, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/25 "2024-09-17T03:53:54Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > > [@pulykamell](#): > > > > I almost exclusively use sunflower oil. Ukrainian sunflower oil at that, that I buy at the local Polish grocery for like $4 a liter. > > Same here lately, though I’m not picky and it’s strictly a matter of convenience and thrift. It could just as easily be a Wesson or 123 with canola. I’ve gone mostly sunflower oil since the war in Ukraine started. It’s a major export for them and even buying non-Ukrainian product helps keep the market price up. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2024, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/26 "2024-09-17T20:31:38Z")
Ghee/clarified butter ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2024, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/27 "2024-09-17T20:46:27Z")
Those are great, but not generally considered “neutral.” ---
**Author:** ![We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/We_re_wolves_not_werewolves)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2024, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/28 "2024-09-17T20:58:20Z")
I need to state that this chart is not without controversy (especially with regard to it’s “healthiness” ratings), but it’s a pretty good place to start. I agree that avocado oil is generally regarded as healthy and is a high smoke point oil that is excellent for sauteing. It’s a very good choice. [https://www.reddit.com/r/coolguides/comments/8mtzjf/cooking\_oil\_comparison\_chart/#lightbox](https://www.reddit.com/r/coolguides/comments/8mtzjf/cooking_oil_comparison_chart/#lightbox) ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2024, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/29 "2024-09-17T22:33:45Z")
The smoke point doesn’t appear to be particularly well correlated with the temperature at which oils start to degrade. Smoking oil is annoying to deal with and does impart a bad flavor but you may have already started to generate unhealthy compounds by the time you get to the smoke point. Here’s a review of the heat stability of different oils. > **[ASNH-02-0083.pdf](https://actascientific.com/ASNH/pdf/ASNH-02-0083.pdf)** > > 501.92 KB Coconut is generally going to be your best bet if you’re opposed to olive oil. (That said, I use Macadamia oil which seems to have very similar numbers to olive oil in all ways, but a more neutral flavor. But it tends to not be included in most head-to-head studies, so you have to look it up separately.) ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2024, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/30 "2024-09-17T23:49:26Z")
I use olive and peanut almost exclusively, with peanut being my go-to for the ‘neutral’ oil. I’ve used safflower and grapeseed for specific things that needed neutral taste + high smoke point and was happy with both of them. Too pricey to use regularly here unless I really need those two properties together (not that good olive oil isn’t pricey but I happen to think it’s worth it for my use cases). Aside: unrefined safflower oil is terrific as an oil for salad dressings. It smells wonderful and has a fresh light flavor. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/31 "2024-09-18T02:01:17Z")
I bought grapeseed oil thinking it was olive oil. Nasty, we threw it out. Olive oil is my favorite for low temperature. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/32 "2024-09-18T02:20:41Z")
What was it about the grapeseed oil that you didn’t like? Smell in the bottle? Smell when heated? Taste? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/33 "2024-09-18T11:44:48Z")
The taste. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/34 "2024-09-18T12:02:26Z")
What about plain old soybean oil, otherwise labeled as “Vegetable oil”? It’s neutral, doesn’t have a significantly different nutritional profile than canola or corn oil, is readily available, and is cheap. That’s what we use most of the time (well, really we use what’s on sale or cheapest for non-olive neutral oil, but that’s almost always vegetable oil (i.e. soybean)). All that said, you might want to consider one of the “very light flavor” olive oils. I use one for soapmaking the other day, and I wouldn’t have realized it was olive oil except for the label (it was Pompeian “Bake”, FWIW). ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/35 "2024-09-18T12:22:16Z")
> [@Eric1](#): > > I’ve used grapeseed oil as a neutral tasting oil. I honestly never even heard of it, so I did some research and found many positive comments about it. For example from WebMD: _\> Grapeseed oil **contains high levels of vitamin E, which has high antioxidant properties, and has shown to contribute to the reduction of damaged cells from free radicals in the body**. This protection helps prevent heart disease and some cancers.Nov 14, 2022_ ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/37 "2024-09-18T12:31:49Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > My go-to is avocado oil. It is neutral and it has a very high smokepoint. Ditto. It’s also supposed to be one of the healthier oils. > **[The Best and Worst Cooking Oils for Your Health](https://www.health.com/best-and-worst-cooking-oils-8405160)** > > When it comes to cooking oils, some are better for your health than others. Learn more about cooking oils, including which you should prioritize and which you should avoid. I pretty much exclusively use olive oil and avocado oil. I use the latter for sauteeing and high heat cooking. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/38 "2024-09-18T12:35:35Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I use sunflower oil. I stopped using sunflower oil when I learned it can be linked to inflammation due to excessive Omega-6. > **[Is Sunflower Oil Good For You?](https://www.verywellhealth.com/is-sunflower-bad-for-you-8423698)** > > Sunflower oil has polyunsaturated fatty acids that may support heart health. This article explains why some people think sunflower oil is harmful. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/39 "2024-09-18T13:12:18Z")
What part of you exactly gets inflamed? How do you know? I tend to feel that “inflammation” is just BS for the woo nutritional crowd to tout “natural” foods and stuff like that, without actually having to show proof. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/40 "2024-09-18T13:20:20Z")
> [@bump](#): > > > [@robby](#): > > > > I stopped using sunflower oil when I learned it can be linked to inflammation due to excessive Omega-6. > > What part of you exactly gets inflamed? How do you know? > > I tend to feel that “inflammation” is just BS for the woo nutritional crowd to tout “natural” foods and stuff like that, without actually having to show proof. Sorry **robby** , have to agree with **bump**. Nothing about the oil per se but the article is not clear about sunflower oil being any worse than other oils. There is no definitive statement about inflammation, it actually says “Sunflower oil is often considered capable of fighting inflammation, but the opposite can also be true.” I’d be interested in finding out more, but it’s not a great cite for your point. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/41 "2024-09-18T14:27:33Z")
Olive oil gets the marketing money; it is a good choice largely because it contains healthy polyphenols such as hydroxytyrosol. Fish oils and fatty fish are high in omega-3s. Most oils contain far more omega-6s which may be inflammatory. So the ratio of these is thought to be important. Canola has among the best ratios, at 0.42; flaxseed is better but not good for cooking. Canola is an excellent source of omega-3s. I find it neutral, but some folks do not. > **[Omega 3 to 6 Fat Ratios of All Plant Oils (TABLE)](https://vegfaqs.com/omega-3-to-6-fat-ratios-oils/)** > > There are a few reasons that you should generally limit the amount of oils you consume. One of those reasons is that most oils have a terrible omega fat ratio. A poor ratio of these key unsaturated fats can lead to inflammation, which can... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364.md?page=3)