Best Oil for Flat Top Grill
There are so many opinions and options out there when trying to find the best oil for your flat top grill. It is important to consider the type of food you are cooking, the flavor you are looking for, and most importantly the smoke point of the oil.
I am going to go over four of the best oils you can use on your flat top grill and what the benefits are for each one. If you have a Blackstone and your not sure about the oil then read on!
Top oil choices for your flat top grill
As I said before when you are choosing the best oil for flat top grills you want to think about what you are grilling, what flavor you want, and the smoke point of the oil.
When you are cooking on a flat top grill you want an oil with a high smoke point. The smoke point of your oil means at what temperature can you cook with it before it starts to break down and smoke.
You want an oil that is going to have a neutral flavor or add flavor but also create a non-stick surface.
Here is a list of the more common and frequently used oils for a flat top grill in order of my preference and why.
Avocado oil
Avocado oil is one of the most versatile cooking oils. Using avocado oil on your flat top grill is my number choice for a few reasons.
The biggest reason is that its smoke point is one of the highest at 520°F. When you are cooking on a flat top grill you are usually cooking at a high temperature especially if you are trying to sear a steak or something like that.
Full of monosaturated and saturated fats is known to give avocado oil many health benefits over using many other oils.
Its neutral flavor allows for your food to shine and the oil to not take over the flavor but gives you a good non stick base to cook with.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
There are many different grades of extra virgin olive oil or “EVO”. They are not all created equal and it is important to read labels, look at the color of the oil, dates, and the bottle that it is in.
EVO is my second choice for the flat top grill because it has a pretty good smoke point of 425°F. The more fresh and better quality of extra virgin olive oil the higher the smoke point will be.
The flavor is mild and adds a great taste to your dish. If you have EVO on its own it would taste a little bitter and peppery. When you cook with it those flavors meld with your food to give a great taste.
Canola Oil
Bring that it has a high smoke point of 470°F and it has a neutral flavor. Canola oil is a good option for a few reasons other than its smoke point and flavor.
Canola oil is cost-effective and can be inexpensive. Canola oil is produced from plants mainly in Canada but a lot of canola oil is genetically modified. Personally, if I was to use canola oil I would look for one that is NON-GMO.
As with any other cooking oils you pay for what you get but canola oil even when it is NON-GMO is fairly cheap in comparison to other cooking oils. I recommend looking at the label carefully.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil can be good to use on a flat top grill and is known to be healthy in so many ways. It doesn’t have the highest smoke point so you want to be cautious but it is still higher than some at 400°F
It adds a unique flavor with a hint of coconut that can complement your dish but it can be mild to some.
Depending on what you are cooking will depend on if this is a good choice of oil to use on your flat top grill. It is completely fine to use but, ask yourself it will be good for what you are cooking on the flat top.
Smoke point temperatures for cooking oils
| Cooking Oil | Smoke point in °F/°C |
|---|---|
| Avocado oil | 520°F/270°C |
| Extra Virgin Olive Oil | 405°F/270°C |
| Canola Oil | 400°F/204°C |
| Coconut Oil | 400°F/204°C |
Conclusion
Whether you are looking to cook pancakes, stir-fries, or steaks on your flat top will also help you decide what oil you want to use on your flat top grill.
If you are cooking pancakes you will not a high smoke point oil whereas if you are looking to get a good sear on a steak you will want to get the oil nice and hot so you will want to use one of the higher smoke point oils.
