Go ahead and take a peek into any contemporary kitchen, and you'll find a bottle of cooking oil next to the stove. This clear fluid is an important ingredient in every meal that we cook in the kitchen, whether it is a quick stir-fry or a slow-cooked curry. But then walk down the aisles of your local supermarket and try to pick one out from among all the varieties of oils there are. The sleek-looking bottles of "ultra-refined", "double-filtered" or "healthy and light" oils sit beside bottles of "100% cold pressed" and "traditional" oils made out of rustic glass.

While most of us usually pick out the most attractive looking one or the cheapest one without much thought. Have you ever wondered what process takes place before the oil gets inside your cooking pan? Is there some negative impact to our health in the form of that odorless, colorless fluid in your kitchen cupboard?

The question of whether cold pressed or refined oils are better is no longer a short-lived fad in the realm of wellness. In fact, it is a clear-cut issue of opting for one of two ways of oil production: chemical industrial treatment versus nutrient conservation. This guide aims to reveal what lies behind those processes in detail to provide a comprehensive comparison of the two.

What Is Refined Oil? The Industrial Process Revealed

In order to understand what makes refined oil the most common type of cooking oil in stores, it is important to know the process by which it is obtained. The main features of the product include large-scale production, long shelf life, and absolute uniformity. As for raw materials, they often include cheap oil seeds or residual products that require further processing to extract fat:

The process includes extreme heat, pressure, and several chemicals:

Solvent Extraction: Crushed oilseeds are dissolved into a solvent such as hexane, which is a product obtained during processing of crude oil. Hexane dissolves almost all of the oil present within the seeds in order to give maximum volume yield to the processor.

Degumming: Crude oil is treated with water or acids that are used for food products such as phosphoric acid in order to separate natural gums, phospholipids and resin-like compounds.

Neutralization: Free fatty acids that lead to rancidity of the oil are extracted from it using an alkali such as sodium hydroxide. This process generates a by-product known as soap stock.

Bleaching: Bleaching earths or activated carbon are added to the oil in order to remove natural pigments and colors from the oil. This process gives oil its pale color.

Deodorization: In this process the oil is heated to very high temperatures between 220°C and 260°C in a vacuum. Steam is used in order to remove all of the natural odors and flavors of the oil.

Although all of these multiple chemical processes make the oil stable with a high smoke point and a long shelf life, it deprives oil of its natural qualities and benefits.

What is Cold Pressed Oil? The Traditional Approach

The process of extracting cold pressed oil, also known as Kachi Ghani or wood pressed oil, involves using age-old methods of physical extraction. Instead of using heat and chemicals for extraction, this process utilizes physical means to extract oil from seeds/nuts.

For example, in the case of cold pressing set-up like the wooden ghani or a stainless-steel screw press, the oilseeds are ground at very slow speed and rotations:

Low Heat Generation: The friction caused by the machine is controlled so that the heat generated remains below 45∘C to 50∘C during the process.

No Chemicals: No chemicals such as solvents, acids, and bleaching agents are added at any stage of the process.

Simple Filtering: The oil, once pressed, is stored in holding tanks where it is left to separate naturally and filtered through simple cloth/paper filters for the removal of solid residue.

Due to lack of heat and chemical usage in cold pressing, the oil thus extracted contains the full range of flavors, earthy aroma, golden color, and vitamins/antioxidants.

Key Differences: Cold Pressed vs Refined Oil

Understanding the structural difference between cold pressed and refined oil these two oil types makes it easier to evaluate their place in your daily diet. Here is a clear breakdown:

Advantages of Cold Pressed Oil over Refined Oil

When considering the nutritional value of cooking oils, it becomes obvious that cold pressed oils have certain functional benefits over refined oils. The main benefits of cold pressed oil include the following:

1. Preservation of Key Nutrients and Antioxidants

The biggest benefit of using cold pressed oil is related to preservation of its complete nutritional content. High temperatures kill delicate active components. Being processed under cold conditions, all valuable nutrients remain in their integrity:

Vitamin E (tocopherols): A powerful antioxidant which provides protection from free radicals and promotes cell regeneration.

Phytosterols: Active plant components which hinder cholesterol absorption in the digestive system.

Polyphenols: Compounds which help in reducing inflammation in the organism.

Refining process involving high temperature (>200∘C) and acids causes up to 80–90% loss of natural antioxidants.

2. Free from Chemical Solvents and Residues

In the refining stage, the seeds will be cleansed using chemicals such as hexane. While these solvents are evaporated during the refining process, residues may remain in the oil. Moreover, the application of caustic soda and bleaching earth on the oil will cause a change in the natural condition of the oil. Buying cold pressed oil ensures you will not consume any chemical solvent, residues, or artificial preservative in your foods.

3. Protection against Trans Fatty Acids

Trans fatty acids are one of the biggest concerns about the ultra-refining of oil. In the deodorization of the liquid oil, the repeated exposure of the oil at the temperature of more than 200∘C causes a change in structure of unsaturated fatty acids into the trans-fatty acids. Trans-fatty acid increases LDL (low-density lipoprotein or bad cholesterol) while reducing HDL (high-density lipoprotein or good cholesterol). Cold pressed extraction works at much lower temperature.

4. True Flavor and Reduced Usage

Since cold press oils have the true flavor of the actual seeds that they are extracted from, whether they are sesame seeds, mustard seeds, groundnut seeds, or coconut seeds, they really add flavor to your dishes. As the flavoring factor of the oil is so good, there is less need for oil in your food as compared to refined oils which do not provide any flavor.

Health Benefits of Cold Press Oils in Detail

Using cold press oils in your day-to-day life gives you numerous health benefits. Let's explore the benefits of cold pressed oil over refined oil and discover why cold press oils are considered a healthier option.

Properties for Heart Protection

Cold pressed oils have a very healthy ratio of Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA) and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA). The good fats provided by cold pressed oils contribute to healthy arteries, decrease inflammation in the body, and maintain healthy blood pressure levels.

Enhanced Digestive System Functioning

Unlike other oils that may be heavy and leave a greasy residue in the mouth, cold pressed oils are easily recognized and assimilated by the human body. Substances such as lecithin help maintain proper functioning of the liver and ensure that dietary fats are properly digested.

Optimized Nutrient Absorption

Some important vitamins are fat-soluble vitamins. In simple terms, your body will not be able to absorb these vitamins without the aid of healthy fats in your diet. The fatty acid chains present in unadulterated cold pressed oils ensure that your body absorbs all the nutrients from the vegetables and grains in your diet.

Cooking and Smoking Point Issues

The biggest issue most people have with the use of cold pressed oils is their usability in various forms of cooking. Knowing about smoke points, that is, the point at which the oil stops glowing and starts smoking is crucial for every cook.

Cold Pressed Oil Cooking Tips:

Don’t Heat Unrefined Oils Too Much: Although cold pressed mustard and groundnut oils are very good at tolerating high temperatures when cooking, it’s better to use oils such as extra virgin olive oil or cold pressed flaxseed oil for light sautéing and drizzling only.

Always Pre-Heat Your Pans: To avoid overheating and burning your oil, always pre-heat your pans before adding cold pressed oil to your dishes.

Right Storage Conditions: Store your cold pressed oils in the kitchen cabinet, in the shade and not under any direct exposure to light and heat. Cold pressed oils lack artificial preservatives, which means that they are susceptible to heat and light-induced oxidation.

Environment and Economy Issues

Making a choice between cold pressed and refined oil has much more to do with environmental sustainability and agricultural economy:

Industrial Setup vs. Conventional Craftsmanship

Oil refining needs a very large industrial setup along with huge consumption of electricity to produce steam and also uses considerable amounts of water for degumming and neutralization processes. The byproducts of the chemicals used—such as bleaching earth and soap stock—are needed to be disposed of carefully in order to prevent any environmental damage. On the other hand, cold press method involves energy-free and chemical-free mechanical processing. The remaining solid cake of seed material left after cold press process is entirely natural and acts as cattle fodder due to its high nitrogen content.

Benefitting the Local Farmers

Cold pressed oils are usually linked to agricultural setups that are local and decentralized in nature. Pressing units (ghanis) buy seeds from local farmers.

Go for Pure and Genuine for Your Family

One of the easiest things that you can do for ensuring that you have clean eating every day is switching from the highly processed refined oils to traditionally cold pressed ones. Using oils extracted via mechanical pressure means getting rid of synthetic chemicals and having natural vitamins, antioxidants, and true flavor back in your kitchen.

Choosing kitchen essentials, it is very important to focus on those brands that are keeping alive the age old tradition of preparing their products. Experience the genuine and unaltered range of cold pressed oils and natural food products at Vanatva. Produced in a way to retain all of its natural goodness, Vanatva takes the pure nutrition right from nature’s lap to your kitchen table.

TL;DR

• Curious about why cold pressed oil is superior? Here are all the facts that you should be aware of within one minute:

• Cold pressed oil's meaning is simple: it's an oil extracted by squeezing of nuts or seeds using mechanical force without adding any chemicals and at room temperature.

• The difference between refined and cold pressed oil is in processing conditions – normal oils involve chemical components such as hexane, heating over 200oC. This oil retains all its nutrients, such as vitamins and antioxidants.

• Benefits of cold pressed oils: It boosts your heart condition and lowers cholesterol levels. You can use this oil for moderate heat cooking or salad dressing.

The Complete Guide to Benefits of Cold Pressed Oils

For as long as history can remember, the shelves of our grocery stores have been packed with oils that are highly refined, stable, and odorless. Such oils are perceived to be superior compared to their counterparts, and therefore many individuals favor such oils in their cooking. But thanks to new findings about inflammation in nutritional science, there is an increased trend of embracing conventional food preparation techniques.

One major component in this culinary revolution is cold pressed oil. As opposed to factory-produced chemical-based methods used by factories to extract oils, cold pressed oils involve pressing seeds and nuts inside hefty wooden mortars. Cold pressed oils are the best source of high-quality nutrition within the modern era. In this article, we explore the process involved in extracting cold pressed oils, differentiate between cold pressed oil and regular oil, determine common varieties of cold pressed oil, and discover the health benefits of cold pressed oils.

What is Cold Pressed Oil?

The first thing we have to do in order to address our query about cold pressed oil is to look into how this particular type of oil is produced. Cold pressed oil refers to an oil that comes from a seed, nut, or fruit through the use of physical processes without any application of heat.

Traditionally, this was achieved in India through the use of a ghani or chekku – mortar and pestles that are made to turn due to the work of livestock. At present, this can be done via expeller presses; however, one constant among all methods is the control of temperature below 49oC or 120oF.

This helps maintain the cellular matrix of the raw oil. The result is that the full essence and characteristics of the oil, including color, odor, vitamins, and unsaturated fatty acids, are preserved.

Differences Between Cold Pressed Oil and Normal Oil

Ever wondered why cold pressed oil is better? The answer lies in its difference with the regular ones. 

There are differences in structure of cold pressed oil vs normal oil, which refers to a heavily processed commercial oil that occurs only at the factory oil refining stage. In order to maximize the output of the oil, industrial oil producers leverage the chemical methods to extract all the oils in the seeds.

Factory Oil Refining Process (Normal Oil)

Factory oil refining is a process that involves heat and chemical treatments:

• Solvent Extraction using Hexane: The seed is subjected to various forms of treatment with chemicals such as hexane in order to obtain maximum oils.

• Degumming and Neutralizing: This process takes place through acid and alkali where phospholipids and other fatty materials are extracted.

• Bleaching: This is a process where bleaching clays are used to bleach away the natural color of the oil.

• Deodorizing: It involves heating the oil up to temperatures of 220oC or 260oC (428oF or 500oF) using vacuums.

What Makes Cold Pressed Oil Better?

Lipid undergoes high temperature processing as well as chemical reaction in the process of deodorizing, and hence, the molecular structure gets affected. Therefore, there are three significant demerits associated with normal oil:

• Loss of Nutrients: All micro-nutrients such as Vitamin E, beta-carotene, and sterols get destroyed.

• Trans Fat Formation: The process of high temperature might change the structure of unsaturated fatty acids, hence forming minute quantities of trans fat and lipid peroxides, causing chronic inflammation of the heart.

• Tasteless: The refined oil will become chemically neutral in nature and thus tasteless.

• Since cold-pressed oils don't require such damaging treatment, they are better since they retain all the natural qualities of the plant.

Major Types of Cold Pressed Oils

Various seeds differ in the composition of their fat, smoking temperature, and use in preparing foods for day-to-day consumption. Below are some of the common types of cold pressed oils that find application in healthy cooking.

1. Cold-Pressed Coconut Oil

Produced from the fresh pulp of matured coconut fruits, this oil has a melting point that requires low room temperatures because of its high saturated fats content. Unlike other saturated fats, this oil does not have long-chain fatty acids but rather consists of Lauric Acid and Medium-Chain Triglycerides. The latter bypass normal fat storage pathways, being absorbed directly by the liver as a source of instant cellular energy.

• Flavor: Tropical, sweet, and creamy taste.

• Ideal Uses: Baking, stir-frying at medium temperatures, and in coastal curry dishes.

2. Cold-Pressed Groundnut (Peanut) Oil

This oil is a household essential in most Asian and Indian homes. It is highly rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), with decent amounts of resveratrol, which is an excellent antioxidant for heart health.

• Taste: Rich, nutty, earthy, and robust.

• Ideal Uses: Sautéing, shallow frying, and tempering spices.

3. Cold-Pressed Gingelly (Sesame) Oil

This oil has several medicinal uses and is widely used in East Asian cuisine. It is rich in unique lignans such as sesamin and sesamolin that have antioxidant properties, acting as preservatives within our bodies.

• Taste: Savory, aromatic, and intensely flavorful.

• Ideal Uses: Dipping fried foods after preparation, adding flavor to noodles, and preparing Indian spice paste.

4. Cold-Pressed Mustard Oil 

A widely used oil in Eastern and Northern parts of India, cold-pressed mustard oil is renowned for its unique sharpness and pungency. The oil has a perfect blend of 1:1 ratio between omega 3 and omega 6 essential fatty acids, and allyl isothiocyanate, which is a natural antimicrobial.

• Flavor: Sharp, sinus-clearing, pungent, and peppery.

• Uses: Preservation through pickles, marination, and North Indian gravy preparation.

Health Benefits of Cold Pressed Oils

Replacing refined fats for cooking with unrefined cold-pressed alternatives brings about a wide range of advantages to certain systems in the body:

1. Cardiovascular System Support

Since these oils are never exposed to extremely high temperatures during production, their sterols and mono-unsaturated oleic acid content are kept entirely intact. By consuming such good fat in the body, one is able to boost high-density lipoprotein (good cholesterol) and eliminate low-density lipoprotein (bad cholesterol).

2. Vitamin E and Anti-Oxidants

The process of pressing keeps large amounts of tocopherols (Vitamin E) and phenols contained within the oil content. These act as the body’s guards by eliminating free radicals in the body, strengthening cell membranes, and reducing oxidation in the body.

3. Kind to the Digestive Tract

High-quality commercial oils contain minute traces of harsh chemical components such as hexane and phosphoric acid, which may irritate the tender mucosa over time. Pure cold-pressed oils provide a safe and healthy alternative by soothing digestive tracks and ensuring proper nutrient absorption.

Safe Cooking with Cold-Pressed Oils

There is a misconception that one cannot use cold-pressed oils for hot cooking because they have a lower smoking point compared to refined and chemically treated oils. In fact, cold-pressed oils are remarkably sturdy when cooked in moderation.

Smoke Point Golden Rule: The smoke point is defined as the point at which an oil starts smoking due to breaking down into free radicals.

Due to their high natural content, cold-pressed oils smoke slightly earlier than other oils. But because of their antioxidant content, they do not oxidize when subjected to standard cooking temperatures.

In order to maintain the nutrients present in these oils, it's sufficient not to fry them or to heat them until they start heavy smoking. Heat the oil in a slow way, allowing your pan to warm up gradually over a medium heat, and don't subject your pan to excessive heat from the start.

Pure Oil – Feel the Difference

It is crucial to understand the benefits of cold pressed oils in order to use them properly. Some commercial producers might label their products with a "cold-pressed" sign but still use additional high-temperature stages or bottles that may contain chemical phthalates, which are leached into the fat in grocery store lights.

Are you willing to enrich your kitchen with natural, organic cooking oils? Browse the wide selection offered by Vanatva! Vanatva provides you with an amazing choice of oils extracted using old-fashioned and traditional methods with the help of low-speed wood-presses called "ghanis." Thanks to this technology, you receive only the best and purest oils, with all their original flavors, aromas, and healthful properties remaining intact. Visit www.vanatva.com to buy pure essentials now!

FAQs

Q1: Will cold-pressed oils be suitable for daily deep frying?

A: It will not be suitable because deep-frying is not recommended. Cold-pressed oils are best suited for daily frying, sautéing, pan-searing, and tempering (tadka). On the other hand, deep frying involves intense heat that damages the oil's nutritional value.

Q2: Why are cold-pressed oils expensive compared to regular cooking oils?

A: In refined cooking oils, the production process involves harsh chemicals and intense heat to extract as much oil as possible from seeds or fruits. The method may reduce production costs. In contrast, cold-pressed oils require just mechanical force to produce low-quality oil.

Q3: How do I store cold-pressed oils to preserve them?

A: Cold-pressed oils need to be kept in a cold and dark area in your kitchen pantry. Never expose them to any sources of heat, as they will cause them to expire faster. The oils used are pure products with no artificial preservatives.

Q4: Are there differences in color and smell between cold-pressed oils and other refined oils?

A: Yes, cold-pressed oils differ completely with refined oils when it comes to both color and smell. Commercially-refined oils have been stripped of their natural color through the bleaching process and deodorized to produce no smell.