All oils are not created equal

There you are in the grocery store. You gracefully round a corner and, only because of your superior cart-driving skills, you avoid collision with a half-dozen motionless people. What are they all staring at that's so fascinating? Ahhhh, yes...this is the cooking oil section!

Perhaps you can empathize with them--you've felt the same confusion, worn the same dazed expression. So many choices--how can one be truly sure?

Or perhaps you think all oils are alike? Not a chance. Taste, performance and shelf life may vary widely among types and brands. But with this 2torial, you'll have the tools to navigate the cooking oil section at your local market.

Before you begin

Throw out your old oils. Unless you've been extremely diligent in the care of your cooking oils (see Step 5) and they're no more than 6-12 months old, chances are what you've got is already past prime. Or worse. Get rid of it.

Next, be realistic about your cooking tasks--recall what you cook, how you like to cook it, and how frequently you cook. Do you often cook for a crowd--or never more than one? Do you cling tightly to your native cuisine--or are you more the adventurous type? Do you bake? Saute or deep fry? Or are you most content watching bits of baguette steep leisurely in bowls of olive oil? These decisions will influence your oil purchases.