Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil is Fresh

Healthy cooking oil

Healthy cooking oil ranked from 1 to 10

Not sure which oils to cook with? We understand your dilemma! There are so many different perspectives out there – many of them from unreliable sources – that it’s tricky to decipher between fact and fiction when it comes to your health.

And while we’re all about spreading the good word of certified Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), the truth is, every oil and fat has its own story to tell.

Did you know, for example, that there’s a BIG difference between the health properties, benefits and quality of Olive Oil, EVOO and certified AEVOO?

While EVOO, especially certified Australian EVOO is as pure as a crushed olive plucked from a tree…generic “olive oil”, refers to either old or rancid EVOO, which has lost all of its healthy properties, or worse still, is often just a blend of EVOO and refined oil (which is subject to chemical processing).

If you didn’t know this, you’re not alone! Not many people do, and how could you when diet bloggers, nutritionists and even doctors only ever talk about “olive oil” as though it’s on par with the good stuff?

Well, we’re here to tell you it’s not, and we have the numbers to prove it!

In a recent heat resistance trial, undertaken by researchers at Cobram Estate, Australia’s largest producer of Australian EVOO (full disclosure), all cooking oils were ranked for their health properties, fat content and heat stability, and the results were as follows:

Antioxidants (mg/kg):

We’d like to introduce you to antioxidants first because they really underpin the entire story when it comes to cooking with Australian EVOO. And the long story short is, Australian EVOO has more antioxidants than any other cooking oil or fat, ahead of the rest by more than 550mg/kg! Antioxidants are full of health benefits from protecting against heart disease to strengthening your immune system – making Australian EVOO the healthiest oil to sauté, fry and roast with, everyday!

  1. Australian EVOO (559) 
  2. EVOO (299.4)
  3. Virgin Flaxseed Oil (236.9)
  4. Sesame Oil (160)
  5. Olive Oil (57.4)
  6. Virgin Avocado Oil (33.2)
  7. Macadamia Oil (25.6)
  8. Canola Oil (4.6)
  9. Sunflower Oil (4.1)
  10. Rice Bran Oil (2.9)

Smoke Point (oC):

Food fad fiends have spruiked low and high “smoke point” for some time now, and we’ve got to be honest it’s ruining our rep. The truth is, refined oils have a higher smoke point because they’ve already been heat treated in production…see that treated olive oil sitting on top of the rankings? Smoke point is really just the point where oil begins to breakdown, which means it starts to lose its healthy properties. But with Australian EVOO starting out with more antioxidants than any other oil, it also has the best head start in the game. It’s also important to note that home cooking temperatures average 120°C in the pan and 180°C in the oven, so even though Australian EVOO ranks 8th in comparison to other oils at a smoke point of 210°C it won’t be breaking down in your kitchen any time soon. In fact, if you think you’re seeing smoke in your pan at home what you’re probably seeing is vapour from the natural H2O levels from the fresh, locally sourced Australian EVOO. Just another sign that it’s natures best!

  1. Olive Oil (225)
  2. Rice Bran (224.5)
  3. Canola + Peanut Oil (223.5)
  4. Sunflower Oil (221.5)
  5. Virgin Avocado Oil (216)
  6. Vegetable Oil (213.5)
  7. Grapeseed Oil (208.5)
  8. Australian EVOO (210)
  9. Sesame Oil (204.5)
  10. EVOO (195.4)

Heat Stability (hours at 110°C):

Forget “smoke point” – the true measure of whether an oil remains healthy when heated is its heat stability, and according to Cobram, Australian EVOO comes in at a winning number 3 on the dial. The stability of an oil is based on its ability to retain its health benefits when heated at the same temperature for a long period of time. As mentioned earlier, the smoke point stat doesn’t really mean much to us, because from a standing start Australian EVOO’s high levels of antioxidants (290 x higher than all other oils) and monounsaturated fat content (see below) ensures that even when it loses some of its healthy properties through being heated, it still has plenty left to go around. Its low Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA), which contribute to oil instability over heat (see below), also mean that breakdown is less likely. The proof is in the pudding with Australian EVOO’s healthy properties lasting over heat for over 30 hours at 100°C!

  1. Virgin Coconut Oil (43.9)
  2. Refined Coconut Oil (41.2)
  3. Australian EVOO (31.7)
  4. EVOO (29.3)
  5. Olive Oil (18.2)
  6. Macadamia Oil (8)
  7. Canola Oil (7.5)
  8. Rice Bran (6.5)
  9. Vegetable Oil (6.4)
  10. Virgin Avocado Oil (4.9)

Healthy cooking oil

Saturated Fat %:

Yes, it’s sad but true Australian EVOO ranked fifth in terms of its Saturated Fat percentage on the Cobram test. The good news is, it still has a relatively low percentage of saturated fat in comparison to some other so-called “healthy” fats such as our coco-nutty friends, that are sitting at almost 100%! Ouch!

  1. Canola + Vegetable Oil (8)
  2. Virgin Flaxseed Oil (9)
  3. Sunflower Oil (10)
  4. Grapeseed Oil (12)
  5. Australian EVOO (15)
  6. EVOO (15)
  7. Olive Oil (15)
  8. Macadamia/Virgin Avocado/Sesame Oil (16)
  9. Peanut Oil (17)
  10. Refined Coconut/Virgin Coconut Oil (92)

Monounsaturated Fat %:

Australian EVOO wins silver when it comes to Monounsaturated (e.g. healthy) fats…and if it weren’t for that pesky Macadamia nut nudging us from the top position, we’d be going home with gold! This is great news because being made up of 77% good fats way overshadows the aforementioned 15% not-so-good fat – so in terms of health we’re knocking it out of the park. Diets rich in Monounsaturated fats have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels, which can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke, so you can have your Australian EVOO and eat it too! And with so many good fats rolling around in AEVOO no wonder it’s the healthiest choice for cooking, whether you’re baking, roasting or frying.

  1. Macadamia Oil (81)
  2. Australian EVOO (77)
  3. EVOO (77)
  4. Olive Oil (77)
  5. Virgin Avocado Oil (73)
  6. Vegetable Oil Blend (62)
  7. Canola Oil (60)
  8. Peanut Oil (56)
  9. Rice Bran (43)
  10. Sesame (31)

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids %

While PFAs are healthy fats found in plants, salmon and nuts, when oils high in PFA are heated they contribute to the breakdown of antioxidants, which ultimately reduces the health benefits of the oil. In reference to cooking the lower the PFAs are, the more antioxidants are retained in the oil, making it healthier. The good news here, is that Australian EVOO has the second lowest amount of PUFAs, so you can cook to your hearts content with Australian EVOO, for the ultimate heart health.

  1. Macadamia/Refined Coconut/Virgin Coconut Oil (2)
  2. Australian EVOO + EVOO + Olive Oil (8)
  3. Virgin Avocado Oil (12)
  4. Peanut Oil (27)
  5. Canola Oil (30)
  6. Vegetable Oil (32)
  7. Rice Bran (34)
  8. Sunflower Oil (61)
  9. Grapeseed Oil (63)
  10. Virgin Flaxseed Oil (74)

To make sure your Australian EVOO is certified, check the bottle for the triangle certification symbol.