# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![sb1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@sb1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sb1953)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/42 "2024-09-18T14:32:04Z")
I like the better quality peanut oils. I started using it when I worked at a restaurant while in college. I use Olive oil for most things but save my good peanut oil for eggs and popcorn. ---
**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, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/43 "2024-09-18T15:24:24Z")
> [@sb1953](#): > > I like the better quality peanut oils. What are some brands of peanut oil that you like? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/44 "2024-09-18T15:39:00Z")
Another peanut oil user, unless I’m feeling cheap and buy canola (rapeseed). Canola is also lower in saturated fats than many others. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/45 "2024-09-18T15:39:52Z")
Eh, in addition to tasting nasty (to me, and many other people), natural rapeseed oil is chock-a-block full of toxins, and even though canola has been bred to have less toxins and it’s further refined, I’m dubious that it’s actually an especially healthy oil. > **[Rapeseed oil](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapeseed_oil)** > > Rapeseed oil is one of the oldest known vegetable oils. There are both edible and industrial forms produced from rapeseed, the seed of several cultivars of the plant family Brassicaceae. Historically, it was restricted as a food oil due to its content of erucic acid, which in laboratory studies was shown to be damaging to the cardiac muscle of laboratory animals in high quantities and which imparts a bitter taste, and glucosinolates, which made many parts of the plant less nutritious in animal ... There are a lot of nutritional factoids of the type “we observe that people eating x are healthier than people eating y. A major difference between x and y is z. Let’s look for other things high in z, because they must be healthful, too.” I’m generally dubious of those claims. ---
**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, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/46 "2024-09-18T15:43:37Z")
_“Post hoc ergo propter hoc”_ – it seems to me lots of studies are like this.🧐 * * * > [@Chefguy](#): > > Another peanut oil user… What is your preferred brand? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/47 "2024-09-18T15:48:27Z")
I use la spagnola, because my supermarket carries it, and it has a more neutral flavor than the stuff i can buy in China Town. I assume it’s more refined. ---
**Author:** ![sb1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@sb1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sb1953)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/48 "2024-09-18T16:23:44Z")
There is a brand that is sold at Krogers. It is called (oddly) “Hollywood” brand and it comes ina square plastic bottle \> No peanut taste and excellent cooking nqualitityes ---
**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, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/49 "2024-09-18T16:28:01Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > > [@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. That was actually one of the more detailed cites I found with a search. It does reference this: > **[Fats and Oils | Arthritis Foundation](https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/healthy-living/nutrition/foods-to-limit/fats-and-oils)** > > Learn which fats are best to limit or avoid in an anti-inflammatory diet to reduce cholesterol and inflammation associated with arthritis. > [@Arthritis Foundation](#): > > - **Omega 6 Fatty Acids** > Polyunsaturated oils contain two types of essential fatty acids (ones the body can’t produce itself): omega-3s and omega-6s. Omega-3s are found in oily fish, flaxseeds and walnuts and are known to be anti-inflammatory. Omega-6s are found in oils such as corn, safflower, sunflower, soy and vegetable and products made with those oils. Excess consumption of omega-6s can trigger the body to produce pro-inflammatory chemicals, and the American diet tends to be very high in omega-6s. They aren’t especially bad and shouldn’t be avoided, but you don’t want them to dominate your intake. @bump, here are some more scientifically rigorous cites from the NIH: > **[Omega-6 fatty acids and inflammation - PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29610056/)** > > Inflammation is a normal process that is part of host defence and tissue healing. However, excessive or unresolved inflammation can lead to uncontrolled tissue damage, pathology and disease. In humans on a Western diet, the omega-6 polyunsaturated... > **[The Importance of Maintaining a Low Omega-6/Omega-3 Ratio for Reducing the...](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8504498/)** > > Up until about 100 years ago, the omega-6/3 ratio has been around 4:1 or less. However, the typical Western diet now provides an omega-6/3 ratio of approximately 20:1 in favor of omega-6. This predisposes to supraphysiologic inflammatory responses... Bottom line: it’s complicated and the jury is still out, but the best available evidence I’ve read is that it appears to be prudent to limit oils that I buy that are high in Omega-6s. Hence my use of olive oil and avocado oil in my own cooking. I’m probably getting more Omega-6s than I need anyway in commercial products and food prepared by others. P.S. I also take supplements that contain Omega-3 fatty acids. ---
**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/50 "2024-09-18T16:32:57Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > What are some brands of peanut oil that you like? I buy Safeway’s store brand, “Signature Select”, I believe it’s called. Whenever I make deep-fried food, like panko-breaded shrimp or french fries, peanut oil gives me superior results. It has a high smoke point and so doesn’t degrade as fast. If you like to re-use oil after deep frying (and I do as long as I wasn’t frying fish), it’ll last through several uses. ---
**Author:** ![sb1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@sb1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sb1953)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/51 "2024-09-18T17:08:02Z")
Another good one is “Spectrum” ina bottle shaped almost like a pyramid ---
**Author:** ![sb1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@sb1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sb1953)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/52 "2024-09-18T17:19:50Z")
RE" Spectrum oil Well maybe an obelisk not so much a pyramid ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/53 "2024-09-18T17:41:52Z")
Planters is what is carried at our local store. ---
**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, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/54 "2024-09-18T18:22:19Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I use la spagnola, H-E-B carries that brand, but not the peanut oil. > [@sb1953](#): > > There is a brand that is sold at Krogers. We don’t have Kroger any more. H-E-B drove them out of town. > [@teelabrown](#): > > I buy Safeway’s store brand We don’t have Safeway anymore either. See answer above. > [@sb1953](#): > > Another good one is “Spectrum” ina bottle shaped almost like a pyramid I do have Spectrum peanut oil in my cupboard. I also have LouAna. When those stand-alone deep fryers came out about 20 years ago (the ones you set up in the back yard), gallons of LouAna peanut oil flew off the shelves. > [@Chefguy](#): > > Planters is what is carried at our local store. If it’s good enough for Mr. Peanut, it’s gotta be good. 🥜 🧐 ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/55 "2024-09-18T18:27:31Z")
> [@Eric1](#): > > I’ve used grapeseed oil as a neutral tasting oil. > [@AHunter3](#): > > Grapeseed is my go-to neutral oil, Add me to this list > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > My go-to is avocado oil. My close #2 ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/56 "2024-09-18T18:28:30Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > > [@Chefguy](#): > > > > Planters is what is carried at our local store. > > If it’s good enough for Mr. Peanut, it’s gotta be good. I think the local store used to carry planters, and i think it was similar to the brand i buy today. Go for it. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/57 "2024-09-18T19:31:14Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > We don’t have Kroger any more. H-E-B drove them out of town. And with damn good reason! I love visiting H-E-B when I’m in Austin with friends. My -closest- Kroger is decidedly more upscale than the rest in town, and the local Safeway and formerly labeled Albertsons haven’t had a facelift in ages, and show it. But even that lovely and close Kroger can’t compete with the selection and attractiveness of all but one H-E-B locations I’ve visited, much less Central Market. Back to the thread and olive oil specifically. We’ve talked about how not all olive oils are equal, and some aren’t even legitimate olive oil. The one I use for the sort of cooking the OP mentions (not for dressings, or dipping, etc) is a blend from Kirkland (Costco) that’s about 85% refined olive oil and 15% EVOO by the label. Because so much of it is refined, it absolutely works better at normal for me pan temps, and the flavor is pretty mild (thus using other options for more flavor intensive purposes). The biggest issue for me is that I’m back to trying to lose weight, so instead of dumping some in a pan, it’s back to using my Misto sprayer and trying to keep the calories down. Harder to do with my butter or ghee. And deep frying is right out! 🥹 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/58 "2024-09-18T20:23:47Z")
A little off-topic. After seeing some comparisons by Wirecutter, I now use Graza “Sizzle” olive oil (not for heavy frying). Really nice, floral/herbal oil. I also use Mantova lemon-infused olive oil to liven up some things like tuna salad or a bowl of buttered popcorn. ---
**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, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/59 "2024-09-18T20:39:19Z")
Fat does not make you fat. Read [The Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung.](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=the+obesity+code+by+dr.+jason+fung&rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_n_feature_browse-bin%3A618073011&dc&ds=v1%3AL71vqUxMCYB2%2FY14QUAWICba1tiCWRWLMmUYIq5ZJPM&crid=H10E3Y1RA9Q&qid=1726690892&rnid=618072011&sprefix=the+obesity+code%2Caps%2C166&ref=sr_rib_d_web_fi_0_3_a_p_n_feature_browse-bin_618073011_2) Lots of data backup. * * * I buy California Olive Ranch EVOO-- 100% California, not the random blend of olive oils from all over creation. > **[Amazon.com : 100% California Extra Virgin Olive Oil (MEDIUM) Rich & Vibrant...](https://www.amazon.com/California-Virgin-MEDIUM-Vibrant-Bottles/dp/B09RTVFJRY)** > > 100% California extra virgin olive oil is proudly and sustainably grown by their California farmers. Their olives are harvested and pressed within hours to produce the freshest and highest quality extra virgin olive oil. The oil provides a... * * * > [@Chefguy](#): > > After seeing some comparisons by Wirecutter, I now use Graza “Sizzle” olive oil I saw that in Wirecutter, too. Now that you’ve given it the okay (one step above Wirecutter, hehe) I may give it a try. I don’t like olive oil enough to put it on popcorn, but I have my own seasoning blend to sprinkle on popcorn: about three tablespoons salt-free lemon pepper, a teaspoon of sugar, a half-teaspoon of pure citric acid (also known in the Jewish grocery world as “sour salt” – a little goes a long way), and a random amount of salt to taste. Mix and sprinkle on hot popcorn. Save it in an empty spice jar with a shaker top. A lot doesn’t stick to the popcorn, so at the end, you lick your finger and mop it up from the bottom of the empty bowl. Play with the proportions. * * * Central Market is truly something special. When it first opened in San Antonio in the H-E-B on Broadway, locals called the store the “Gucci-B” because of the posh neighborhood. Back then they only carried specialty items, like caviar and truffle oil and duck breasts. But people wanted to be able to do their regular shopping there, too. Even rich people need toilet paper and yellow ballpark mustard. So now they carry regular grocery items, but still heavy into the exotica. That’s where you’ll find a bazillion kinds of olive (and other) oils. * * * Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/60 "2024-09-18T21:00:35Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I don’t like olive oil enough to put it on popcorn I just put a bit in a bowl with the butter and nuke it till the butter melts. Adds a nice brightness to the 'corn. Graza is single origin Spanish EVOO. Very mellow. ---
**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, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364/61 "2024-09-18T21:06:51Z")
Thanks for the info. I’ll look into this further. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-neutral-odorless-cooking-oil-for-routine-sauteing-thats-not-canola-oil/1007364.md?page=4)