Wherever you go, deep-fried foods such as French fries, onion rings, and chicken wings are always popular. In fact, you can easily order them in fast food chains and restaurants and they are the crowd’s favourite. The problem is deep frying is not really a healthy method of cooking. Why? Because when you fry, you use oil. And oil, as we all know, contains a lot of fat. The good news, on the other hand, is that frying foods at home the healthy way is now possible. How? It is by using the best deep fryer and of course, the best oil for deep frying.
Best Oil for Deep Frying
First of all, we will talk about what a deep fryer is. Many years ago, frying at home means using a frying pan and turner. Actually, this method is still used in many homes today but because of its disadvantages, a deep fryer was discovered.
Deep fryers are used for deep frying a variety of foods in the fastest and best way possible. Some advanced models of deep fryers nowadays are called air fryer. Meaning, they use Rapid Air Technology to cook foods evenly and produce a perfect crispy texture. If you take time to read an air fryer review, then you will discover that along with the entire package of a deep fryer unit are food basket, baking dish, grilling pan and rack. This means that with a deep fryer, you can not only fry, you can also bake, boil, broil, grill, and roast.
What is the Best Oil for Deep Frying?
1. Grapeseed Oil
According to sources, grapeseed oil is the best frying oil because of its mild flavour and high smoke-point. When cooking using a deep fryer, raise the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit but remember not to let the oil smoke because that would mean it is already too hot.
Grapeseed oil is said to be the new cooking oil of choice for health-conscious individuals. It has twice as much Vitamin E as compared to olive oil. It has 0 trans fat and is non-hydrogenated. It also has very little saturated fat and has NO cholesterol at all. And, if you are looking for something that’s good for your heart, then grapeseed oil has the highest concentration of omega-6 polyunsaturated fat.
2. Canola Oil
Based on a health website, canola oil is the best oil for deep frying and the most recommended oil to promote heart health. Canola oil contains only 7% of saturated fat while sunflower oil has 12% and olive oil has 15%. Cutting down on saturated fat is synonymous to minimizing the cholesterol level in the body. This kind of oil is also rich in omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid. Like the grapeseed oil, canola oil contains high amounts of healthy unsaturated fats. Canola oil also has 28% of polyunsaturated fat and few trace of vitamin E and K.
3. Coconut Oil
An article that featured coconut oil and its health benefits claims that the naturally occurring saturated fat contained in coconut oil can promote heart health. It further says coconut oil helps promote weight loss and strengthens the immune system. Moreover, the saturated fat in this type of oil keeps the skin healthy and youthful.
Extra virgin coconut oil only has medium smoke point. Nonetheless, it is recommended for deep frying because it is believed to lower cholesterol. Lastly, coconut oil is highly resistant to oxidation at high heats because of the fatty acids it contains. This makes coconut oil the ideal choice for frying.
4. Olive Oil
In customers’ point-of-view, olive oil is the best frying oil. First, olive oil has high levels of oleic acid. Because of this, it does not overheat and it has the ability to keep the nutritional value of foods. Second, olive oil is believed to improve the flavour of whatever food you are cooking. Third, it has lower fat content compared to other oils which means it is recommended for people who are on a diet.
The monounsaturated fats found in olive oil help lower the cholesterol level in the body. However, there is a catch in using olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil has a low smoke point which is not good for deep frying. Light olive oil, on the other hand, has a smoke point of 460 degrees Fahrenheit and this is ideal enough for deep frying.
Conclusion
Grapeseed, canola, coconut, and olive oil are only four of the many types of oil that can be used for frying. However, do you know that oil-less fryers are already available in appliance stores these days? The best oil less fryer should be a high quality machine that can cook fast yet use only a very little amount of oil. It is also best when it can accommodate as much foods so you can cook for a lot of friends and family members. Precise convection heating and low-fat cooking are also good qualities of an oil-less fryer.