Why Bobby Flay Recommends Always Keeping These 2 Oils In Your Kitchen

Chef Bobby Flay has some great cooking tips for home chefs, from high-caliber kitchen skills to everyday basics. In an Instagram post about his five pantry staples, Flay lists extra virgin olive oil and canola oil as his top two pantry staples. Flay says that he usually cooks with canola oil, then he finishes dishes with extra-virgin olive oil. This advice is in line with one of the basics I learned in culinary school, where we were taught that different types of oil were best utilized for specific purposes based on flavor, technique, and desired outcome.

Canola oil, also known as rapeseed oil in some countries as it is derived from the rapeseed plant, is generally considered a healthy oil, as it's not animal-based, is low in saturated fat while being relatively high in omega-6 fatty acid, and contains vitamins E and K. It is a highly-refined product, however, and should still be consumed in moderation as opposed to excess. Canola oil has a smoke point of 400 degrees Fahrenheit, while extra-virgin olive oil has a lower smoke point of 325 degrees Fahrenheit. For extremely high heat cooking, there are a few oils you might consider using when you know you'll be cooking at temperatures upwards of 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Corn, soybean, and peanut oils all have a smoke point of 450 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as clarified butter, so these might be smarter choices to use when cooking at extremely high heat.

In addition to its low smoke point, there are so many benefits to extra-virgin olive oil that it would be a waste to use it in high-heat applications. The flavors of cold-pressed, high-quality extra-virgin olive oil are, depending on where the olives come from, one of the things that make expensive olive oils so worthwhile. Heating extra-virgin olive oil will alter the taste slightly and diminish the bright, nutty, and fruity flavors, so if you'd prefer to cook with olive oil instead of canola oil, look for a less expensive, more refined olive oil rather than extra-virgin. It's ideal for drizzling over finished dishes and in salad dressings.

Since extra-virgin olive oil is processed without heat, it's the next best thing to being able to use the oil immediately after it's freshly pressed. Some of the health benefits contained in extra-virgin olive oil in its natural, unaltered state include at least 20 types of antioxidants, healthy fats called monounsaturated fats, and oleic acid, which aids in boosting good cholesterol while reducing bad cholesterol. If the recent social media buzz against using seed oils has you afraid of canola oil, these are the absolute best vegetable oil substitutes, although most seed oils are perfectly healthy when consumed in moderation and used at proper temperatures. Check out our best finishing oils and when to use them for tips on how to get the most out of fancy, extra-virgin olive oil.