Sunflower oil is a good all-purpose oil. It can be used for shallow or deep frying as it has a high smoking point of 232°C (450°F). It balances out stronger flavoured oils in a vinaigrette, but it doesn't have a distinctive enough taste for drizzling or finishing. Sunflower oil is great in both sweet and savoury dishes like this classic carrot cake or spicy and delicious chicken kathi rolls.

Unrefined coconut oil has a low smoking point of 177°C (350°F) which makes it more suitable for baking, like in these blackberry lemon cream tartlets. Refined coconut oil has a much higher smoke point of 232°C (450°F), which makes it well-suited for making stir-fries and curries, like this flavourful fish curry.

Not strictly speaking an oil, ghee is clarified butter that is solid at room temperature and melts to a liquid once heated. It is used as an oil in south and middle eastern Asian countries, especially India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Ghee is made by melting butter and separating the liquid fat from the milk solids. Read our guide on everything you need to know about ghee.

Ghee has a rich, buttery flavour and high smoking point of 251°C (485°F). It’s versatile and can be substituted for oil and sometimes butter in many recipes. Ghee makes buttery, fresh chapati or delicious naan pizzas. Heating aromatics in a flavourful fat like ghee will also add extra depth of flavour to the dish, just like in this turmeric and lime mussel broth recipe. 

Rapeseed oil is made by pressing and extracting oil from the seeds of bright yellow rapeseed flower. Some British chefs prefer to use refined rapeseed oil over olive oil, because it uses more local ingredients. In the US, rapeseed oil is not the same as Canola oil; they come from the same family, but Canola is a brand named registered for a genetically modified version of rapeseed oil with lower erucic acid levels.

Rapeseed oil can be used in place of olive oil, vegetable or sunflower oil. It has enough flavour to bring interest to a salad dressing, but it’s also neutral enough to work in dark chocolate brownies. Refined rapeseed oil has a high smoking point of 220°C (430°F), whereas unrefined cold-pressed rapeseed smokes at 150°C (300°F) and is better suited to dressings and drizzles. Rapeseed oil is also a great oil to infuse to then use in this tandoori chicken recipe.

Use grapeseed oil for shallow frying as it has a moderately high smoking point of 216°C (421 °F). It is light and odourless, so many chefs prefer it to other oils to let the rest of the ingredients shine whilst still carrying flavour. Try it in a hot dog recipe or use it to dress a purple sprouting broccoli salad.

Toasted sesame oil is amber and aromatic, made from pressed, toasted sesame seeds and should be used in the final stages of cooking or as a finishing oil. Asian-inspired dishes, like the sesame miso roasted red cabbage, kung pao roasted broccoli or prawn and cabbage fried rice will particularly benefit from the aroma and flavour of toasted sesame oil, however, use it sparingly as it can be overpowering.

Walnut oil is a finishing oil, as it can turn bitter if overheated. Try it in this unusual combination of goats cheese with a walnut and blackberry vinaigrette or treat your dinner party guests to retro devilled eggs. It’s also delicious in baking and cakes.

Unrefined peanut oil has a smoke point of 160°C (320°F) and is used as a finishing oil, much like sesame oil. Refined peanut oil is more stable and has a higher smoke point of 232°C (450°F), which makes it suitable for commercial deep fat frying. It’s one of the 30 secret ingredients professional chefs swear by and is a great substitute for palm oil in this vegan red stew. 

With a high smoke point of 232°C (450 °F) and mild flavour, rice bran oil is often used for high-temperature cooking like deep-frying or stir-frying. It is also useful to season woks or cast-iron pans, because of its high smoke point. Find out how to season your pans with oil, and other useful cooking tips. 

You will typically find unrefined hemp oil in health food shops. Because of the nutritional properties, it is usually a finishing oil. It works particularly well in raw dishes, like this raw vegetable spaghetti recipe, but it’s also delicious in chocolate brownies and salads.

Find 11 other ingredients that will take your favourite dishes from zero to hero here. 

You can purchase or make your own infused oil to add extra flavour and a professional finishing touch to your dishes. Extra-virgin olive oil or rapeseed oil are often used as a base, as they're both good finishing oils but will carry the infused flavour and transform a dish. Read our guide on how to make chilli oil at home or have a go at making your own infused garlic oil.

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Palm oil is a vegetable oil made from the fruit of oil palm trees. It’s most commonly found in mass-produced foods like chocolate and margarine, as well as shampoo and makeup. Mass produced palm oil is severely destructive to the environment and it's best to avoid products containing palm oil as much as possible. You can still purchase sustainable cold-pressed palm oil to cook traditional recipes from West Africa, Indonesia or Malaysia where palm oil trees grow.

Now discover our in-depth guide to olive oil here.