text: Oils Ain't Oils — The Kitchen Coach
  A common question from my crew is this, "what oil do you recommend for "X""? Sometimes oils ain't oils when it comes to where we use them in our foods.
  I have decided to make it nice and easy to help YOU decide which oil you should use in salad dressings, frying and baking. I've designed a table which outlines the common food oils and fats, what sort of fats they contain (hint: you want more unsaturated fats in your life, and fats that contain high levels of Omega-3's!) and the best uses for each one.
  When deciding what oil or fat to use in your cooking, be sure to review things like smoke points (when frying or baking) and how the product is commonly manufactured. You will see clearly which oils and fats I recommend you avoid. A note regarding coconut oil, whilst it is high in saturated fats, it contains lauric acids and is high in Medium-Chain-Fatty-Acids (MCFA), and is a great fat for you.
  Fire some questions my way in the comments and let's make sure we choose wisely when it comes to oils and fats in our diet.
  Manufacturing Process & Comments
  Baking, sauces, flavouring
  Made from whole almonds – pressed. A very thick oil, hard to use in cooking, but great for your skin!
  Made from avocado fruit – centrifugal. I use this for salad dressings, it's too good for heating up!!!
  Cooking, baking, condiment, sauces, flavouring
  Whipped from dairy cream. Generally pasteurised. I avoid dairy, but sometimes you can't substitute.
  Deep frying, cooking, sautéing, condiment, flavouring
  Made by simmering butter to separate solids from butter. It is generally used for traditional curries, a very warming fat.
  Pressed canola seeds, using solvents during extraction. I recommend avoiding ALL canola, due to genetic modification.
  Pressed without heat, sensitive to temperature.
  Cooking, beauty products
  Generally pressed from coconut flesh, non-organic options can use solvents. Choose carefully.
  Made in a complex manufacturing process, using solvents. This is the "best of the worst" for cooking oils, I would use this as a last resort for flavourless oil in cooking.
  Cold pressed, must be kept cold to stop rancidity. I love my flax oil, great to mix into smoothies to get the Omega's into the body.
  Can be cold pressed or solvent extracted. Look for cold pressed options, this is another best of the worst option.
  Cold pressed, sensitive to temperature. In Australia and New Zealand this oil is only allowed for external application. In the rest of the world it is deemed suitable for human consumption.
  Rendered via heat. I avoid this fat at all costs, there are healthier options available.
  Hydrogenated vegetables oils, complex manufacturing process. DO NOT USE.
  Cooking, frying, deep frying, salads, dressings. A slightly nutty odour.
  Cold pressed, I love this oil, it adds a nice nutty flavour to salads, and it is made locally!
  First press of oil, generally cold pressed.
  First press of oil, lower quality.
  Sautee, stir frying, deep frying, cooking, salad oils
  Refined with charcoal or chemicals.
  Cooking, flavouring, vegetable oil, shortening
  Complex manufacturing process involving fractionation (unless organic). NTS Health (based in Yandina) sell a quality, sustainably sourced palm oil.
  Manufactured from peanuts, high heat used to extract. Great for stir-fries.
  Cold pressed from oil pumpkin seeds. Heat sensitive.
  Generally cold pressed. I add this for flavour to some Asian dishes.
  Manufactured using complex process and solvents. AVOID THIS.
  Sunflower oil (high oleic,cold-pressed)
  Either cold pressed or heat & solvent refined. The refined oil is technically safer at high heat while the unrefined is much more nutritious and solvent-free.