Avocado Oil 101

Let’s talk avocado oil!

Beloved as a better-for-you cooking oil, avocado oil is excellent for sautéing and cooking. Thanks to a high smoke point, it can be used as a substitute for frying oil . . . and since it doesn’t impart any specific flavor to food, it is great for stir frying. It’s also neutral enough for salad dressings.

There are three basic types of avocado oil: cold pressed, expeller pressed and refined.

  1. Cold pressed avocado oil is minimally processed. It’s best for dressings, cold soups or light sautéing.
  2. Expeller pressed avocado oil uses more heat during extraction of the oil—this oil has a slightly toasty flavor. This avocado oil is not only used for low heat cooking but also as a moisturizer for hair and skin.
  3. Refined avocado oil is highly processed—bleached and deodorized, it can be used in high heat applications like stir fry.

After trying out several avocado oils in various recipes—from sautéing to stir frying—here are the avocado oils we recommend.

Best Cooking Avocado Oil: BetterBody Foods 100% Pure Avocado Oil

For cooking, we pick BetterBody Foods 100% pure avocado oil as a best bet. This refined avocado oil was a favorite in our taste tests. Here’s why:

What We Liked

• Nice aroma.

• Neutral flavor. This avocado oil didn’t add any flavor to stir fry, letting the original flavors shine through.

• No GMO’s.

• Gluten free.

• Smoke point of 520 degrees = great for high heat applications like stir fry.

• Affordable.

What Needs Work

• Not cold pressed. Yes, cold pressed avocado oil is used more for hair and skin lotion—this isn’t the right choice for that!

• Plastic bottle. This doesn’t affect the taste, but we know some folks prefer glass bottles.

Best Oil For Skin/Hair: La Tourangelle Avocado Oil

Looking for an avocado oil that works for both skin/hair care . . . and perhaps light cooking as well?

After trying out several brands, we think La Tourangelle’s avocado oil is best suited for this dual purpose.

Yes, cold pressed avocado oil is most popular for hair and skin use, but expeller-pressed oil also can do the job. This oil is excellent—very mild in both flavor and scent. Here’s more:

What We Liked

• Smooth flavor profile that doesn’t overwhelm.

• Nice for skin or hair treatment.

• For cooking, best for medium heat. La Touragnelle’s low smoke point (390°F) doesn’t work well for stir fry or high heat recipes. For light sautéing, however, this oil worked well.

• Good for salad dressing or drizzling as a finishing touch. Example: we used this oil on cold sesame noodles and the result was delicious.

• No GMO’s.

• Vegan.

• Gluten-free.

What Needs Work

• Pricey.

• Pour spout can be messy.

• Allergy notice. This oil is processed in a facility that also processes peanuts, tree nuts and sesame seeds.

Best Avocado Oil Spray: Chosen Foods 100% Pure Avocado Oil Spray

If you just want a dash of avocado oil to coat a pan, an avocado spray is a convenient and less messy way to get the job done.

We tried out a few avocado sprays before deciding Chosen Foods’ 100% pure avocado spray is best for most folks. Here’s why:

What We Liked

• Good, mild flavor. 

• Made from avocados grown in Mexico.

• Safe for use up to 500 degrees. 

• Expeller processed with no harsh chemicals used in refining.

• Air-pressure technology uses no additives or chemical propellants.

What Needs Work

• Pricey.

• Occasionally came out in stream instead of spray.

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do hands-on testing—we buy the products with our own money and evaluate with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported.