I'm not sure when, but at some point I gave up cooking with butter in favor of olive oil. Of course there are times when nothing beats actual butter, but I don't find that I miss it. I've been told coconut oil is a great choice for cooking, but I have been reluctant to try it because I don't care for coconut. I have tried grapeseed oil, though I usually buy peanut oil for frying.
I have tried cooking with coconut oil for certain dishes, like something with an Asian flair and it turns out pretty good. However, if you don't like coconut, you probably would not like it because it does leave a distinctive taste of coconut. I too stay away from butter for the most part and mainly use olive oil. However, I have found that when I cook anything French, it is inevitable that I will use butter. When I do use butter, it is amazing what a difference it can make. I have to admit that I do miss it at times.
winterybella
Guru
I have been a fan of olive oil for some time, but as with most things sooner or later someone will have something negative to say about it. I used to stock up heavily on it when I traveled as it is quite expensive here where I live.
I like coconut but for whatever reason, I have not tried the coconut oil as yet. I think of coconut oil and I think of what you mom put in your hair when you were a child. Now I am in this forum, I am planning on trying a lot of new things. I like to get the reviews before diving in though.
I like coconut but for whatever reason, I have not tried the coconut oil as yet. I think of coconut oil and I think of what you mom put in your hair when you were a child. Now I am in this forum, I am planning on trying a lot of new things. I like to get the reviews before diving in though.
I much prefer olive oil. There are very few things I cook with butter these days, only scrambled eggs and mushrooms. I watched a chef friend cook once and she always uses butter and it does make a difference, but I do think olive oil is healthier, plus I don't have to wait for it to melt!
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I have to confess that there are some things like eggs and mushrooms especially that benefit from butter but sadly I am now seriously allergic to butter so a decent olive oil is a good substitution.
But don't forget other oils. There are masses of them from sunflower (which can come in an extra virgin form and is really tasty) to hazelnut, sesame seed, rapeseed, corn, avocado, grapeseed, pumpkin seed, flaxseed (linseed), safflower, rice bran, palm oil etc.
Coconut oil can come in a non coconut flavour as well so that you get the health benefits without the smell or taste, but I don't see the point personally. Also coconut oil is a solid oil not a liquid oil.
I have also made a couple of dairy free butter alternatives, one of which was surprisingly good, but they are not cheap.
Some references for you.
www.saga.co.uk/health/healthy-eating/health-benefits-of-different-oils.aspx?page=1
Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooking_oil
But don't forget other oils. There are masses of them from sunflower (which can come in an extra virgin form and is really tasty) to hazelnut, sesame seed, rapeseed, corn, avocado, grapeseed, pumpkin seed, flaxseed (linseed), safflower, rice bran, palm oil etc.
Coconut oil can come in a non coconut flavour as well so that you get the health benefits without the smell or taste, but I don't see the point personally. Also coconut oil is a solid oil not a liquid oil.
I have also made a couple of dairy free butter alternatives, one of which was surprisingly good, but they are not cheap.
Some references for you.
www.saga.co.uk/health/healthy-eating/health-benefits-of-different-oils.aspx?page=1
Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooking_oil
welsh dragon
Guru
We use olive oil as mr WD has high blood pressure and cholesterol, although there seems to be quite a lot of disagreement where butter is concerned. The consenus appears to be that butter consists of short fatty acids which are I fact good for you as they don't linger in the body and seem to give your metabolism a kick start and in fact aid in burning calories. Rightly or wrongly I only use butter when I'm making cakes nowadays. For everything else I use olive oil.
Rosyrain
Veteran
As far as coconut is concerned, you really have to like the taste of coconut or it will make your food taste gross. It does add a certain amount of coconut flavor to the food. I love cooking with olive oil and it is my go to now. It flavors food good and is much better for you than most of the cooking fats out there.
Sweetkymom
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I honestly have not cooked with olive oil or any other oils before. I have been told that olive oil is the best to cook with when it comes to fresh vegetables like mushrooms, spinach and squash. I usually cook the above in butter because it tastes so good BUT its not the healthiest choice by far.
I told my husband we are going to buy a small bottle of olive oil and try it out. Who knows, it may be our newest addiction.
I told my husband we are going to buy a small bottle of olive oil and try it out. Who knows, it may be our newest addiction.
Caribbean girl
Guru
Years ago we used to cook with olive oil, but lately I have been using soyabean oil or sunflower oil, since the olive oil is rather expensive in my country. I have not used butter for frying in a long time, but it does give the eggs a better flavour when they are scrambled or fried in butter. I have never used coconut oil in cooking before, but I may very well try it and see how it goes. I would prefer the one with the non-coconut flavour though, since I would not like the flavour of coconut coming out in what I cook.
Coconut oil when cooking does not taste that bad. I'm not a fan of coconut by itself, but I love coconut water. Olive oil is a better health choice overall then butter. Avocado oil in another good oil to use. I use olive oil mainly just not for any sweets.
The thing is, as much as I dislike the flavor and taste of coconut, I like foods cooked with coconut milk, like soups and curries. I also love coconut rice, though the first time I made it at home it was too sticky. It's so thick and it's tough on the digestion; I have to add a lot of stock to whatever I am making, but if I don't use the whole can of coconut milk the remainder would probably go bad because it isn't something I am likely to use every day.
Coconut oil is becoming popular for hair these days as well. It's a bit pricey so I haven't tried it for my hair yet, but others I know who have love it.
I had someone say something negative to me about olive oil, but people like that are ridiculous and I don't pay much attention to them. It's not as if I was trying to deep fry something in it...
I prefer to cook eggs and mushrooms in olive oil, but if I make a grilled cheese sandwich, I still want that butter, lol. It's too bad you're allergic to it, but there was a time when I felt I was having some digestive issues from it, so I can relate. I rarely use/consume it.
Speaking of non-dairy, I had a cashew cream salad dressing once that was amazing!
I never knew there was a connection between fats and blood pressure. I'm going to have to look into that.
Someone told me recently that you only use a small quantity of it and I mostly use oil for sauteeing on the stove or roasting things in the oven. I rarely actually fry anything.
If you have a really good quality oil that has an amazing fragrance I think it makes a difference. You should definitely give it a try - it's not just for salads
I've never used straight soy oil. There are so many different ones for different things, but I like to use the ones that have the best health benefit. Sometimes it may mean spending a bit more, but if you avoid getting sick and having health issues, you're actually saving money.
I think I would agree with what was said above about coconut oil that has the flavor removed. I like things in their natural state; I think it's better than having stuff that has been chemically treated or otherwise manipulated.