WHICH OIL?

I came across an article in Thrillist about various oils and decided I wanted to preserve this info for all of us.  There are things I knew but also things I didn't and want to have this list for easy reference. I picked out the parts of the article that were most important.    

Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Best for:  Drizzling over other delicious things, salad dressing, dips
Smoke point:  320 degrees F.  
It doesn't work great for high-temp cooking because the heat will ruin the flavor, even if it isn't quite smoking yet.  EVOO gets made via cold-pressing, meaning it's pressed at temps no higher than 80.5 degrees F.  Higher temperatures produce more oil, which is what makes EVOO more expensive.  The cold-pressing method maintains more antioxidants and monounsaturated fats intact that make for a far more robust and complex flavor profile.  Depending on the region, the flavors can be butter, fruity, grassy, or bitter.

Olive oil
Best for:  Sauteing, pan-frying, making salad dressings
Smoke point:  465 degrees F
This is what most commercial kitchens use when they aren't using vegetable oil.  Regular olive oil has a high smoke point and good working texture to make it among the most versatile of cooking oils. Because it has a relatively neutral nose and palate its also the best for infusing with garlic, pepper, and other flavors.

Coconut oil
Best for:  Baking, low-heat roasting, and sautéing
Smoke point:  359 degrees F
Because of dubious health claims this oil has gained some spotlight. Solid at room temperature, it makes for a really delicious substitute for butter in most cookies, cakes, and other baking recipes, either to serve as a non-dairy option or just because it's great with chocolate, banana and other tropical flavors.  For low-heat recipes, it goes especially well with chicken or sauteing veggies.  Coconut oil is also good as a body or hair oil, so feel free to moisturize with it.

Sesame oil
Best for:  Sauteing or adding to pickled salads
Smoke point:  410 degrees F
Sesame oil has a nutty aroma that carries through in its actual flavor. It is used as an ingredient in pickled Korean veggies or in dressing cold noodles and salads.  Additionally, it has a middle-high smoke point, which makes it a strong choice for coating your fry pan or wok before cooking meat or veggies.  That being said, sesame oil is very strong in flavor; a little goes a long way, so partner it with a neutral-tasing oil if you need to do a deeper fry.

Peanut oil
Best for:  Nut-friendly dishes, especially at high heat like a stir fry
Smoke point:  440 degrees F
The best and worst thing about peanut oil is that it tastes strongly of peanut.  That's great if you're coating your wok for some pad Thai, but not so good for coating your skillet to broil a steak.  It has an exceptionally high smoke point, making it great for frying and deep-frying.  Use it with dishes already amenable to peanut taste -- fried chicken, moles, and Southeast Asian dishes.  Just be aware: peanut oil goes rancid faster than other oils.  Buy in small bottles, and store in a cool space like a dark cabinet well away from the stove.

Vegetable/corn/canola oil
Best for:  Frying and deep frying
Smoke point:  450 degrees F
Smoke point high, price tag low.  Those two reasons are why this kind of oil is the standard issue in most professional kitchens.  It has almost no flavor, so whatever you cook in it tastes like itself and not the oil.  Consider this your default oil, kind of like basic refined salt. Also like salt, it's not the healthiest, which is why a lot of people are opting in on fancier, more expensive options.  Use it with most recipes, but especially for fried chicken, stir-frying and any recipe that involves dunking stuff in boiling oil.

Grapeseed oil
Best for:  Emulsified recipes and low-temperature sautéing
Smoke point:  420 degrees F
For a long time, grapeseed oil was tossed in the trash as an undesirable byproduct of winemaking.  Recent research on how it impacts your body has made it a bit of a fashion item.  It has Vitamin E and oleic acid and doesn't separate at lower temperatures, so it's especially good for making sauces, dressings, and mayonnaise.

Avocado oil
Best for:  Grilling, frying, almost any form of cooking
Smoke point:  510 degrees F
Avocado oil has one of the highest smoke points of any oil, making it the best choice for super-high-temperature cooking:  fried eggs and stir-fry for example.  It has a buttery flavor and texture and a high content of monounsaturated fats (the good fats).  It is as versatile as olive oil and also makes a good drizzle or garnish, especially mixed into a vinaigrette.

Sunflower/safflower oil
Best for:  Substitution for vegetable oil
Smoke point:  440 degrees F
Made from the pressed seeds of the sunflower (and its loser, couch-surfing little brother the safflower), this stuff has similar smoke point, flavor, and texture to vegetable, corn, and canola oils.  It's better for your health, with less bad fat and more good fat than the less expensive veggie oils.  It's also a bit more buttery than canola oil.  On the other hand it goes bad quickly so it should be bought in smaller bottles.  Use in the same frying, baking, and roasting applications you would use vegetable oil.