Choose the Right Cooking Oil

Article revised on 18 July 2017

As a general rule, vegetable oils are a healthy choice. But here are a few things you should know about cooking with vegetable oil. Oils have different properties suited to different purposes. Use this checklist* to help you choose the best oil for your needs.

*This checklist contains various examples but is not exhaustive.

Discard smoking oil!

What if you overheat your oil and it begins to smoke? Avoid breathing it since it could irritate your eyes and respiratory passages. The smoke is also a sign that your oil is rapidly breaking down. At this point, it could contain molecules that are potentially harmful to your health, especially if this happens repeatedly. To avoid any risks, it’s better to discard and start over again with fresh oil.