Butter, EVOO, or coconut oil?

[avid]

Here at LCF one finds favorable references to the 'big three' cooking oils, butter, EVOO, and coconut oil. I was wondering.
Why would you use one over the other.
Personally, I find them pretty interchangeable but I am no cook. (Avid laughs at the words "I" and "cook" used in the same sentence)
I'm curious as to how those of you who do have some culinary skill decide which oil to use.

[cfine]

It all depends on what I am cooking. I love to fry my eggs in butter, saute my mushrooms in olive oil, and cook my turkey bacon in CO. It's nice to have choices in life

[Bamboozled]

Butter! i use EVOO sometimes but mostly butter.

[lterry913]

Butter burns quickly and oil are more forgiving this way...if I want something browned salty and yummy, I use butter. If I want something to cook longer,for doneness and not stick to pan or burn I use oil. Sometimes I use both...I cook in oil and the out a pat of butter on top when done. Or I will put both in a pan to sautee something. The oil helps keep the butter from getting as brown.

Nutrition wise I'm not exactly sure which would benefit any single person more...everyone is different and each of these could act differently on a persons body chemistry.

haha had to edit...I forgot to tell you your blurb about "cookin and I" made me laugh

[jem51]

I use all three but probably EVOO the most.

If I am cooking something w Asian flavor, I use organic, refined CO. I also use it for frying pancakes but use butter on top.

EVOO is what I use for sauteeing burger, garlic for zucchini or pumpkin soup, anything mediterranean type.
I also use it on salads and dilute commercial dressing w it.....I love the taste.

[avid]

I"m not surprised by the answers, but I am grateful.
Let me be more specific.
what you use if cooking fish
what do you use for veggies.
what do use in the microwave
what do use on the grill?

[Janknitz]

Well, first, you should use all three because they all have different, healthful properties: Butter includes Vitamin K2 (especially grassfed) which is important to regulate your calcium levels for heart and bone health, EVOO for the omega 3's, and CO for the MCT which help revv up fat burning.

Now:

Let me be more specific.
what you use if cooking fish
what do you use for veggies.
what do use in the microwave
what do use on the grill?

I don't use EVOO for most cooking because it's not all that heat stable, but will add it at the end of cooking veggies and fish.
Fish is often butter, sometimes CO. I love to slather cooked veggies in butter.
I don't "cook" a lot in the microwave--Mostly use it to reheat.
Grill is sometimes olive oil, often butter or ghee for veggies. We don't slather meat in butter (kind of harks back to religious prohibitions against mixing meat and milk for us), but let it's own fat do the job.

CO tastes too sweet to me, so I use it sparingly in savory dishes. Butter makes everything better.

[DiamondDeb]

Coconut oil is my first choice. It is heat stable & without question the healthiest. I actually increased my use of it a bit to help my immune system during flu season.

I don't use butter a lot but I do occasionally use organic butter. That is the only dairy I consume. I don't think dairy is the best thing for humans to consume.

I occasionally use EVOO for salad dressing but I do not normally cook with it. As mentioned, OO is not heat stable. I can't recall the last time I bought or used OO. Coconut oil is just so much healthier I want to use it.

[DiamondDeb]

Originally Posted by avid

I"m not surprised by the answers, but I am grateful.
Let me be more specific.
what you use if cooking fish
what do you use for veggies.
what do use in the microwave
what do use on the grill?

I use virgin coconut oil any time I need to use an oil.

[synger]

I use butter or bacon grease as my main cooking fat. (Eggs, pan-frying meats, dressing hot veggies)

Sometimes I use homemade roasted garlic-infused olive oil, but only when I want that specific flavor or I'm too rushed to crush some garlic. I pretty much only use unflavored olive oil for salads. Sometimes for something Italian-flavored (stir-frying meat and veg, making salad dressing, frying spaghetti squash with garlic and pepper and parmesan)

I use CO primarily for Asian-inspired dishes, because of its distinctive (but not unpleasant) coconut scent. Stir-fry meat and veg, add curry paste and coconut milk... YUM! I also use CO for confections ("fat bombs") and sometimes in hot tea or coffee on lean days when I need a bit more calories in fat.

[limetwist]

Coconut oil is my go-to cooking oil. I like that it doesn't require as much babysitting as butter does (since it can burn) and also does not have the high water content that butter has. I can't stand olive oil. I've been trying, but something about the flavor is off-putting to me. I'm not ready to give up on it just yet, but I just like coconut oil so darned much.

It also makes everything smell simultaneously like popcorn and sunscreen to me, which can be a fun novelty.

[Vilya]

I make popcorn sometimes, and when I do I use CO oil.

I use butter for fish and veggies.

EVOO for salads and when making many tomato-based dishes.

I fry my eggs in the bacon grease that's already in the pan.

[gladee88er]

I cook with bacon fat or butter/olive oil combo. I put 2 tbls. of CO in my coffee every morning, but never use it to cook. If I had to cook something on very high heat, I would probably use some CO.

[fiddlejen]

I don't really like coconut oil. On the stove I use butter to cook eggs, and sometimes veggies. Everything else (meats, fish, etc) I use olive oil. If it needs butter, I'll add it afterward. Olive oil, or else some kind of dressing, on raw veggies.

In the oven, to oil a pan I'll use grapeseed oil or sometimes butter.

In the microwave.. hmm, what would I need it for in the microwave?? I use the microwave is for steaming things mainly. If it needs butter, I'll add it afterwards.

[avid]

I microwave alot....don't need oil of course, but I'll add co or evoo to give flavor and add fat to a veggie dish or whatever...
I like the idea of adding butter for flavor..

[picklepete]

Good question.

I like coconut oil in coffee, or simply eaten straight
I like butter for veggies (add garlic and parmesan)
I like olive oil for salads (w/ lots of white wine vinegar), don't like it heated
I like macadamia oil for desserts and baking (easiest to blend with cold ingredients)

[ValidRouge]

I love oils.

Roast vegetables by lightly tossing, brushing or spraying the veggies with olive oil and then high heat in an oven.

Salad dressings--- I love love love orange flavored olive oil as a salad dressing or to sautéed chicken or fish. Roasted walnut oil or pumpkin seed oil make excellent salad dressings with just a little salt! I want to lick the bowl... Mmmm!

Limetwist, you should look for the orange flavored olive oil since you struggle with the taste of plain. It is sooooo yummy.

Mix butter and olive oil to sautée meats and veggies at higher temperatures.

Coconut oil in my coffee is just a ill bit of heaven.

Finally, I like to render fresh pork fat and chicken fat for frying other foods. My dad made an excellent dish of spaghetti squash and sautéed eggplant tossed in chicken fat, and it had the whole family eating it up....he didn't tell us the oil was chicken fat until we filled our bellies. No matter, it's one of the most memorable dishes I've had. Animal fat rocks!

[taokeema]

Originally Posted by ValidRouge

Finally, I like to render fresh pork fat and chicken fat for frying other foods. My dad made an excellent dish of spaghetti squash and sautéed eggplant tossed in chicken fat, and it had the whole family eating it up....he didn't tell us the oil was chicken fat until we filled our bellies. No matter, it's one of the most memorable dishes I've had. Animal fat rocks!

yes! schmalz and pork fat are the best. so much flavor!

[unna]

Do they sell "schmalz" in America?

I'm a big ghee fan - it never burns, and it gives everything a nice buttery flavor.

[CurveControl]

I love butter for flavor, But to cook in I might mix some OO in with my butter. I don't cook with CO but I like it to make fat bombs, candies, and I use it in my skin, hair and sometimes as toothpaste.

[ValidRouge]

Originally Posted by taokeema

yes! schmalz and pork fat are the best. so much flavor!

I didn't know that the chicken fat was called schmaltz. I googled it and found that it is also used to make chicken, tuna, ham salads instead of mayo. I want to try that!

[lisamt]

I use clarified butter, also known as ghee, to cook eggs and saute vegetables or chicken. It has the milk solids removed and can withstand higher cooking temperatures without burning, but still has that buttery taste.

I don't use olive oil much but when I do, it's mainly for salad dressing. I also use coconut oil in my coffee and in making fat bombs.

[taokeema]

i forgot. goose fat is incredible for cooking, too.

i think i like the drippings and fat from cooking meat more than the meat itself. i save every bit that i can, and make delicious soups. IMO, oils and butter can't compare.

[dano]

where do you guys buy coconut oil?

[limetwist]

Originally Posted by dano

where do you guys buy coconut oil?

Costco! Very affordable.

[avid]

netrition has big sizes of Nutiva at great savings.

[picklepete]

Originally Posted by dano

where do you guys buy coconut oil?

Trader Joe's brand is cheap too.

[CindyCRNA]

I use avocado oil for everything.

[cheri]

I use butter mostly.. That and olive oil.

[Mimosa23]

I like all three!

EVOO I use for salads and on cold foods and for some homemade bodycare products.

EVCO I use for my BPC and for my treats, and I take it as medicine off the spoon when I feel an illness coming on. I also use it for oil pulling and bodycare and we feed it to our dog!

Expeller pressed Coconut Oil I use for cooking, especially when higher heats are used in frying, and no specific flavour from my fats is needed. (Which is most of the time)

Butter I use for everything else! Cold on top of something, in my BPC, to sautee stuff in, it is delicious! I mainly use Kerrygold butter, or other kinds of grassfed cow butter.

There are other types of fat and oil that I occasionally use but Olive, Coconut and Butter are my go-to everyday fats.

I buy my coconut oils online, in Germany there are oils to buy in the shops, but they are usually way more expensive than getting them online. My favourite brand of the moment is Rapunzel.