Quick answer: Choose an oil by what you'll do with it, not by the word on the front of the bottle. Ask five things: how hot will I cook, should the oil taste of anything, how was it extracted, does the pack protect it from light, and can the brand prove what's inside this batch? For most everyday Indian cooking, that points to a neutral, high-heat oil with a clear processing story.
The aisle that started it
I trained as an architect. In my work, you never choose a material by its brochure; you ask what it's made of, how it behaves under load, and how it ages. Kalpesh and I started applying that same habit to the grocery aisle, and cooking oil was where it got uncomfortable.
Most bottles told us how we should feel ("light", "heart", "premium") and very little about how the oil was made. The front label is marketing. The back label is where the real information lives, if it's there at all.
The bottle that made me pause
The avocado oil that first made me stop in the aisle did two things right. Its label was clear: what was inside, how it was made, where it came from, nothing more. And it came in a dark green glass bottle, which told me someone had thought about protecting the oil from light.
I loved that bottle. But when we started thinking about bringing avocado oil to India, I realised glass was heavy and fragile for how oil actually reaches Indian homes: in delivery bags, on two-wheelers, across long distances. We kept the idea (protect the oil from light) and changed the material. That's how we arrived at tin.
Question 1: How hot will I cook?
A single Indian meal can cover every temperature. Dal simmers gently. A tadka hits 180–200°C for a few seconds. Puris and pakoras sit in oil at 170–190°C for minutes. An oil that's lovely in a salad isn't automatically right for a smoking kadai.
- High heat (tadka, frying, roasting): choose a stable oil with a high smoke point.
- Low heat and finishing: flavourful unrefined oils come into their own.
Question 2: Should the oil taste of anything?
A neutral oil lets hing, curry leaves and chilli lead. A characterful oil, like mustard or coconut, is an ingredient in its own right. Neither is wrong. The question is whether that flavour belongs in tonight's dish. For the everyday dal-sabzi rotation, most families want the oil in the background.
Question 3: How was it extracted?
This is the question most labels don't answer. Many seed oils are extracted with hexane, a petroleum solvent that pulls out more oil than pressing alone, and is then removed during refining. Pressed oils separate the oil mechanically instead.
Look for the words "pressed", "expeller" or "mechanically extracted" on the back label. If the method isn't stated, ask the brand. A good brand will answer.
Question 4: Does the pack protect the oil?
Light, heat and air slowly wear oil down. Clear plastic on a bright kitchen shelf is the hardest life an oil can have. Dark glass helps; an opaque tin blocks light completely and survives the journey. That's why every oil we sell comes in tin, and why we sent our tins to a lab to check nothing moves from the can into the oil (here's what SGS found).
Question 5: Can the brand prove what's in this batch?
Words like "pure" and "premium" cost nothing to print. Test reports cost money. Ask whether the brand tests every batch, at which laboratory, and whether you can see the result for the tin in your hand. That last part is rare in India, and it's the reason we built Know Your Batch.
The five-question shelf test
| Ask | Good sign | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| How hot will I cook? | Smoke point stated for refined oils | No heat guidance at all |
| Neutral or flavourful? | Clear taste description | "Suitable for everything" |
| How was it extracted? | "Pressed" / "mechanically extracted" | Method not stated |
| Is it protected? | Tin or dark glass | Clear plastic |
| Can I see proof? | Batch code linked to a lab report | Only adjectives |
How our oils score, honestly
We built our range around these questions, so it would be strange not to apply them to ourselves. Essential is our naturally refined, neutral, high-heat everyday oil. Drizzle is cold-pressed under 27°C for finishing. Magic is Essential in a spray for thin, controlled coats. All three come from Hass avocados grown in Málaga, are pressed without solvents, packed in tin, and tested batch by batch.
Where avocado oil won't win: if your dish is built around mustard oil, coconut oil or ghee, keep using them. Some flavours are the dish. We compare all four side by side here.
Frequently asked questions
Which oil is best for tadka?
A neutral oil that handles high heat, so the spices bloom without the oil smoking.
Should my family use only one oil?
Not necessarily. A neutral everyday oil plus one flavourful fat covers most Indian kitchens.
Is cold-pressed always better?
It keeps more flavour, but it isn't automatically the right choice for high heat.
Why tin and not glass?
Both can protect oil from light. Tin is lighter, doesn't break in transit and blocks light completely.
Keep reading
— Gayatri, co-founder and design lead, The Avo Company