Vegetable Oil

Test Date: July 2010

Tester: Michele

Products for this test purchased at Fred Meyer, Albertsons, Trader Joe's, and Whole Foods.

MICHELE'S OPINION: Let me tell you: this was absolutely a DISGUSTING taste test. You try sipping 12 different oils with a spoon and let me know what you think! Yuck. But it was a really interesting test at the same time, because I always wondered if all of these different brands tasted any different. But they don't, AT ALL. If you want a slight corn or sunflower taste, then go with those oils, but if not, then just pick the cheapest option at the store. Read on for more details:

PRICE COMPARISON FOR 32OZ OF OIL (store first, then brand):
$12.58 Whole Foods Spectrum Organic High Heat Sunflower Oil
$11.98 Whole Foods Spectrum Organic Canola Oil
$11.98 Whole Foods Spectrum Canola Oil
$7.98 Whole Foods 365 Safflower Oil High Heat
$4.25 Fred Meyer Pure Wesson Oil
$3.99 Fred Meyer Crisco Pure Canola Oil
$3.99 Fred Meyer Crisco Pure Vegetable Oil
$3.56 Fred Meyer Mazola Canola Oil
$3.56 Fred Meyer Mazola Corn Oil
$3.49 Fred Meyer Saffola 100% Safflower Oil
$3.30 Trader Joe's 100% Canola Oil
$2.53 Albertsons Shoppers Value

1. Shoppers Value Vegetable Oil:  This literally has no taste at all, but when compared to other types of oil, it has a very subtle flowery taste.

2. Mazola Canola Oil:  I can't place exactly what canola oil tastes like. It's a little like corn, with a little bit of a processed, plastic-y taste. This doesn't have much taste.

3. Mazola Corn Oil:  This has a strong toasted corn flavor.

4. Saffola 100% Safflower Oil:  Although made of a different oil, this product doesn't taste any different than the canola products.

5. Pure Wesson 100% Natural Vegetable Oil: This has literally no taste to it at all.

6. Crisco Pure Canola Oil:  This is similar to the Mazola canola oil but has a bit of a stronger flavor, mostly plastic-y. But the difference between the two is very subtle.

7. Crisco Pure Vegetable Oil: This has a bit of a flowery taste, but it is very subtle.

8. Trader Joe's 100% Canola Oil: This doesn't taste any different than the other canola products.

9. Spectrum Organic Canola Oil: This product has very little taste and is similar to the other canola products.

10. Spectrum Canola Oil: This tastes the same as the organic version and other canola products.

11. Spectrum Organic High Heat Sunflower Oil: This has a light sunflower taste.

12. 365 Safflower Oil High Heat: This basically tastes like canola oil, it does not have a flavor like sunflower or corn oil does.

NUTRITIONAL NOTES: These products all have the exact same nutritional values, including 120 calories and 14g of fat per TBSP. None have any filler ingredients besides oil. One interesting thing I learned is that 'vegetable oil' is technically soybean oil.

TASTE WINNER: No winner, no loser, it all depends on your preference for flavor.