Oil is an essential ingredient in cooking and is used in a wide range of dishes around the world. From frying to sautéing, baking to grilling, oil plays an important role in adding flavour, texture, and nutrition to our food. People often prefer buying ready-to-use oil from the market. But is it the right choice? With so many different types of oil available on the market, it can be difficult to know which one to choose. Further, the nutritional value of ready-made oil is also a concern. Is there a need to change our preferences and make our own oil? Let’s analyse the buying oil vs. pressing oil at home decision.
Key Highlights
- Cold-pressed oils are much healthier as they retain most of the antioxidants and nutritional value.
- Hot-pressed oil (ready-made oil) loses most of its nutritional value during high-temperature processing.
- Cold-pressed oils are absolutely safe for deep frying as their smoke point is 180 degree Celsius.
- The shelf life of cold-pressed oil is 6 months in appropriate storage conditions and temperature.
Truths About Buying Oil
Do you also face a dilemma when buying oil? Lots of options to choose from with no clue which one is best for our health! You can purchase refined oils or unrefined oils. Further, you have a variety of oils available, including vegetable oil, olive oil, coconut oil, and many more. Buying oil is a convenient option, as it is readily available in most grocery stores and online retailers. Further, it offers a wide selection of brands and types to choose from.
You would be surprised to know that our regular refined oils are processed using high heat and chemicals to remove impurities. A major disadvantage of regular oil is that while the processing gives it a longer shelf life, it also strips the oil of most of their essential nutrients and natural flavour. This makes it less nutritious for your diet. Unrefined oils or home made oil, on the other hand, are made by pressing or crushing the oil out of the seeds or nuts. The benefit? They retain more of their natural nutrients and flavour and are thus healthy for you to consume as compared refined oil.
The only major advantage of buying oil from supermarkets is that it provides convenience and can save time. However, you may be sacrificing some of the quality and nutritional value of the oil by choosing a refined oil over an unrefined oil.
Truths About Pressing Oil at Home
For pressing oil at your home, you will need to use a press, oil machine or grinder to crush seeds or nuts and extract the pure oil. This is a great method as it allows you to control the quality and purity of the oil, as well as the flavour and nutritional content. It offers you complete freedom to make your own oil anytime and of any type. Further, you can also choose the type of seed or nut that you want to use while ensuring that they are fresh and organic. Also, you are not bound by the minimum quantity of the oil that you need to purchase.
Another significant advantage of pressing oil at home is that you can avoid the use of unhealthy chemicals and preservatives that are often added to ready-made oils. This makes your home-pressed oil healthier and more natural. Further, because you are pressing the oil yourself, you can be sure that it is fresh and has not been sitting on a shelf for months.
The only disadvantage of pressing oil at home is that it can be time-consuming and requires a certain amount of equipment and expertise. You will need to purchase a press or grinder, as well as the seeds or nuts that you will be using. But it’s a no-brainer that it is a one-time investment. Once you complete your setup, you can make your own oil anytime. You get to consume the best quality oil without any preservatives.
Which Method is Better for You?
Both buying oil and pressing oil at home have their own pros and cons. Which method suits you will depend on your individual needs and preferences. If you are looking for affordability and convenience, buying oil is the only option you have.
But, if you are truly health conscious, then pressing oil is what you should prefer. You get the highest quality, purity and most importantly, fresh oil. You can control the quality of the seeds or nuts that you use. You can also ensure that the oil is fresh and free of preservatives and chemicals. But how can you press oil at home?
How to Press Oil at Home?
You can press oil at home with easy-to-use Imperium oil machines. These machines are designed especially for domestic and self-use. Once you order the machine, the support and service team completes the installation process. You can also assemble it yourself. The machines are easy to use and you can start producing the high-quality and nutrition-rich oil of your choice. What would you select – ready-made oil from the market or a healthier choice of pressing oil at your home for you and your family?
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is pressed oil better?
A: Pressed oil has a very high nutritional value and is highly recommended as a healthy choice. Further, they are fresh to use and you don’t have to worry about the period since which they were lying on the shelf.
Q: Is cold-pressed oil better than regular oil?
A: Cold-pressed oil is much better than regular oil in terms of nutritional value. People are shifting from regular oils to cold-pressed oils as part of their healthier diet choices. Cold-pressed oils do not contain any preservatives and retain most of the antioxidants and their nutritional value.
Q: How do you cold press oil at home?
A: Cold pressing oil at home is really simple. You just need to install an oil pressing machine at home, buy the seeds and voila, you are done! You can cold press oil anytime in the comfort of your home.
Q: Can we reuse cold-pressed oil?
A: You can reuse the cold pressed oil. Let it cool and then strain it using a mesh strainer. After that, you can reuse the cold pressed oil. The number of times you can reuse the oil depends upon the type of food you cook using that oil.
